77011transplant

They just need one more gas station where the mattress warehouse is, and it'll be a perfect gas station intersection. 

I'm pretty sure Popston is in their soft opening - they have weekend hours on their Instagram. 

This pretty mural is also now up!

I didn't know where else to post this, so I can repost in the correct spot if needed. Went to one of the Metro planning meetings regarding the new propose MetroRapid expansion, specifically their University Line. Segment 4 covers the Lockwood segment. Photos of a few of the posters I found interesting attached. 

Some other points:

- All segments will be built concurrently

- The next planning meeting probably won't be until early nexy year, as right now they plan to complete the engineering aspects of the plan. Comments are open and welcome though on their website: https://www.ridemetro.org/Pages/METRORapid-University-Corridor-Project.aspx

- The proposed stop at Harrisburg and Lockwood will be elevated to go above the train tracks. Lanes will only be open to dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes 

- They plan to have two dedicated BRT lanes (cutting in/ carving up the median 😭) and leaving two lanes each way for car traffic. Going to have paths on either side of around 10 ft (less depending on private property lines). I asked about bike lines and they said it wasn't a priority at the moment since they had some on Sampson/ York but to leave comments since everything is still in planning

Here you go! 

On 4/21/2022 at 9:00 PM, ATH said:

I hear they are open.  Has anyone seen how this one turned out?  It started as a really rough old meat market.

 

It looks pretty nice! They added a small bell tower/ cross and the building is painted white.

And a couple weeks ago, I was driving past and there was a small congregation out front (not sure if it was an opening celebration?). I'm currently out of town, but I'll snap a pic when I get back (unless someone else does first!)

Can't wait for them to finish with the sidewalks. They've been pouring all week, and hopefully they get the trees up soon too! 

Huh. The bar area is still not complete but apparently it's open, per their Insta (https://www.instagram.com/bumpypicklehtx/)! 

Hours are: 

Saturday    8AM–12AM
Sunday    8AM–10PM
Monday    10AM–11PM
Tuesday    10AM–11PM
Wednesday    10AM–11PM
Thursday    10AM–12AM
Friday    8AM–12AM

Management seems very active on Google reviews too and seems confident they'll have the bar up and running soon (they ran into "significant" delays).

Not too much progress on the building itself since the last post, but I saw people playing on the courts when I walked past this AM! 

I emailed Buffalo Bayou Partnership about how much it would cost to fund a bench with a placard on the East End side development ($5k for those interested). In her reply, the development person told me that they aren't placing benches in the East End for another "2-3 years." So there's a bit of an approximate timeline. 

2 hours ago, JBTX said:

It's only been about 18 months, but guess what? Little Red Box appears to be "opening soon." I took the survey ages ago and just got an e-mail with a link to this today:
https://littleredboxgrocery.com/pages/houston-launch

Early 2022 says the website. Excited about this. 

It's so... lonely. 

2 hours ago, TXnative said:

Y’all should check us out. We’re a church for people without a church  Right now we’re meeting at Kindred Church on Waugh, 10:30 on Sundays  Lots going on: holyfqmilyhtx.org

 

 

 

Hello! Is there a timeline for when y'all are looking for the next space to be open? 

19 minutes ago, downtownian said:

On face it looks absurd but the lot is 0.43 acres or 19,000 square feet. Land is $40-$50/sf in the east end.

Would be a shame to buy and demolish since the house and adjoining structures is still in what looks like great shape and historic. 

And yes. Even though land is going for that much, I think it's slightly crazy. I love the East End, but there are still things like roving packs of stray dogs that would make a million dollars not seem worth it for me (not that I have a million dollars. Lol.)

20 hours ago, I'm Not a Robot said:

I'm hoping for the largest concept Rainforest Cafe in the country. 

A friend (a fully grown adult woman) LOVES Rainforest Cafe. She says it's her favorite restaurant. So there's at least a market of one for this. 

My recent "you want how much for that?" house on the East End: 

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/4942-Polk-St_Houston_TX_77023_M89209-33326

Looks like they took down a few walls...

18 minutes ago, hindesky said:

3 low income projects are going up in Midtown  - Temenos Place, Caroline Lofts and Magnificat House.

In total Houston Housing Development has 41 projects either under construction, being redeveloped or in the planning stages.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c48a167c25b34b91aab2aedd56636624?cover=false

Cool. I retract my Midtown comment. Thanks for the info.

Then why didn't they build in Midtown? Or in any of the empty lots in Downtown? There's surely greater accessibility to the rail line and transit there. How about Rice Military has direct access to plenty of bike paths, Memorial Park, and a bus that goes down Washington. 

Yes, the East End is developing and for the most part, I applaud that development. Let's develop and redevelop in a sustainable way, including affordable housing here and in other places. Because it's not just this building or this housing project that I direct my comments to, it's that the majority of these projects are being built in the East End, Northside, or Fifth Ward where the residents are poorer and less white. 

On 10/13/2021 at 4:39 PM, HouTXRanger said:

Transitional Housing of any kind usually means housing for homeless people to give them a permanent address for a year or two so they can apply for jobs and find housing of their own once under income. 

Whatever this does to local housing prices, I doubt it'll make much of a dent in the current housing price boom.

From the article from KHOU, it seems this will be housing to help transition teens/ young adults who age out of foster care. Since many don't necessarily have somewhere to go after, this seems like a great way to get them the social, educational, and other services. 

Here's an article the Texas Tribune did on the issue recently: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/04/21/coronavirus-texas-foster-youth/

Do I think that this is an initiative that has the potential to help people? Yes. Do I support putting in transitional housing for foster youth and other people? Yes.

However, and I've said this before, I think the city/ state can do better than place what seems like all the new transitional housing in the East End or other economically not as well off parts of the city because the property values are less expensive here right now. They could more evenly distribute development into other parts of the city, but I think that historic lack of civic engagement from the East End and other working class neighborhoods (i.e. fewer people that make a fuss) makes it easier to place these developments here. Stepping off my soapbox now. 

I am very curious about this pool... Like, is it indoors? 

They were doing work this AM when I drove past.