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New 240 unit mid-rise proposed as an addition to the Bristol Parc Condos in Uptown. https://tcw-group.com/projects/bristol-parc-high-rise/

Just heard that the Monaco Condos are a no-go. Apparently, the price points were too high for the typical Houstonian who wants more space than a hi-rise can offer! I have heard that they still plan on building a hi-rise on that site but they will revamp the entire project, drop many of the amenities, and start with lower price points and fewer units (thus, most likely a much smaller building). Was told this will be about 3 years away from actually happening though. http://www.monacocondo.com/enlarge/images/new_monaco.jpg

Anyone been in the Cabochon Bldg? Doesn’t look bad.

Midway is planning on redeveloping the current Levey Park on Richmond between Eastside and Wakeforest into a mini CityCentre-type development that will include a 16-story office, lofts, retail and a park. i've heard additional development is possible as well. renderings should be floating around soon i'm sure.

I just came across a CoH multi-family plat titled Uptown River Oaks for 3.4 acres along Briar Hollow just north of San Felipe. It's in today's planning commission agenda. According to the paperwork, it's planned for 311 units. The plat seems to include the property that the Briar Way cul-de-sac is within and the parking lot to the south.

Could be lots of activity coming soon to Post Oak Park Dr. an entity dubbed Finger-EPCO Briar Hollow, LLC plans to demolish the Tree Tops at Post Oak for a new complex. SubdivisionPlatPDF_BG3482.pdf

This??? http://www.thorequities.com/portfolio/the-kirby-collection/ Latest renderings and info as of 9/2015: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/09/massive-kirby-mixed-use-project-to-break-ground.html

I noticed last night and yesterday how peaceful and beautiful the bayou is right now. Emerald and dark green waters sparkling from the lighting .... the people who put this together .... including mother nature .... my congratulations. Houston .... we have a great downtown venue. Let's use it.

Proposed multifamily by Urban Genesis at 2100 N Shepherd Site SubdivisionPlatPDF_Waterworks Highline II North_Plat.pdf

The NHP Foundation received a $1.5M annual allocation of 9% credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to construct 149 units of permanent affordable housing in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood. Additionally, the city of Houston Department of Housing and Community Development has allocated $15M through its Harvey Multifamily Program. The project is also being considered for funding by the Harris County Community Services Department. Magnificat Houses Inc. is providing the land and is NHPF's partner in the development. The property, located at 3300 Caroline St., will contain 149 rental units, recreational amenities and space for the supportive services. In addition, 20% of 3300 Caroline's units will be set aside for formerly homeless people who have gone through transitional housing programs such as Magnificat's and are willing to become the equivalent of college resident advisers.

I was told today that they plan to build another one on the block south of their downtown site. However, I think he said it wouldn't be for 10 more years. I guess a lot could happen in that time. Webcam: http://oxblue.com/open/skyhouseapartments Rendering and info: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2015/02/11/another-skyhouse-apartment-tower-breaks-ground.html http://media.bizj.us/view/img/3818961/skyhouse-main.jpg

Beautify the `superblock' and watch the Midtown area's tax base grow By DAVID CROSSLEY Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle News Services Often we hear in Houston that it's "too late" to do something that would have great positive impact on quality of life. We are approaching one of those moments. Two years ago, I proposed that a new urban park be created on the Midtown "superblock" on Main Street abutting the McGowen rail stop. This four-block long property with no streets crossing it has been the subject of a hunt for the right development project. I felt that no urban development really needed that kind of configuration, and indeed that much space with no pedestrian ways across it so close to a rail station would be terribly counterproductive. The only thing that really makes sense there is a great public park. Many creative people put a lot of energy into the idea, which we tentatively called McGowen Green. The proposal, which was accompanied by exciting drawings from Kevin Shanley and SWA Group, McGowen Green would be urban amenity, tax revenue source seemed to catch fire for a while. But a Chronicle article last week (``Ideas filling vacant block / Some see park, others see urban oasis in Midtown, Aug. 31'') indicated that the board of the Midtown Redevelopment Authority (MRA) is acting to convey its interest in the property to Camden Property Trust, which already owns about half of it. Camden apparently intends a large apartment project there, probably with some retail or artist space on the ground floor. This is a real shame for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is loss of significant future tax revenue for the city. Parks are the greatest of urban amenities, and properties adjacent to them tend to rise in value faster than other properties. With a lush river garden ambience surrounding a formal boat pond and promenade, McGowen Green would produce the highest value center in the Midtown district, and in time one of the most important in our city. To my knowledge, the MRA board hasn't expended any energy exploring the benefits of a park or the creative means to finance it. A lot of the important work to determine how parks affect real estate has been done by Dr. John L. Crompton, a Texas A&M professor knowledgeable in the economics of park development. Crompton's studies reveal that people will pay more for property close to parks than for property that does not offer this amenity. This means they pay higher property taxes. In effect, Crompton says, this represents a capitalization of park land into increased property values of proximate land owners. Crompton calls this the ``proximate principle.'' If the incremental amount of taxes paid by each property attributable to the presence of a nearby park is aggregated, he argues, it will be sufficient to pay the annual debt charges required to retire the bonds used to acquire and develop the park. As it happens, the board of the MRA is the same board as the Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ. One of the purposes of a TIRZ is to increase property values during its lifetime (in this case 30 years) so that the city receives greater revenues from the district once it begins to pay full taxes. Most people who do projections on land values would say that the increase in taxes coming from the four-block Camden project would be dwarfed by the taxes of developing - at a much higher value - the 14 blocks surrounding a park on that property, not to mention the second tier of properties in the next ring of 22 properties. The public interest clearly will not be reasonably served by encouraging the Camden project, which should be developed on several of the blocks surrounding the park. And why does an apartment project in an urban place need to have continuous land without cross streets? A four-block long apartment project would create a horrible pedestrian environment, and one of the goals for Midtown has been walkability. In his ground-breaking book Cities in Full, Steve Belmont says that neighborhoods deprived of natural features are severely handicapped in the competition for middle-class households. He cites examples showing that a well designed and maintained park can substitute for natural features as the heart of a thriving neighborhood. He also claims that for a neighborhood on the path to revitalization, [a park] represents a prudent investment with the power to attract affluence, and he notes that it takes relatively few affluent newcomers to reverse the negative image of a derelict neighborhood. Last spring, my organization, the Gulf Coast Institute, distributed hundreds of postcards urging Mayor Bill White to pursue the development of McGowen Green. These were signed by nearly 500 people and mailed. Surely, before it is too late, the mayor and City Council (the property is in Councilmember Carol Alvarado's district) should have a look and determine whether the long-term interests of the city are best served by a great urban park or by another apartment project. Midtown needs an important park that people will actually use and that will draw tourists to the area. The park would be a gift to future generations that cannot be given later. Link

I was just wondering, how far apart are these two developments and do you all thing these two sites could change the perception of Houston as a urban walkable city? Which development do you think has the greatest potential for development? Some say that the KBR site should become a park, but I believe that there could be a much better use for the site. KBR Site Regent Square

Architect - https://www.gsmarchitects.net

Does anyone know what is planned for the large tract at the former site of Houston Community College on Richmond at Dunlavy? Who is the developer?

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/07/inner-loop-tract-slated-for-huge-mixed-use-project/ Gensler is the architect.

I watched these apartments get progressively worse every time I went by. Then someone tore it down to the studs and started replacing all the rotted out portions. They then started remodeling it with new wood but have since stopped and it is rotting away once again. I go by this when going to the Matrix Student housing. Google Maps April 2011, looked semi okay but got worse every year with rotted wood. I think they had a fire at one point. This is it today.

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Saw this appear recently. Is this another phase/expansion of Auxiliary Enterprises University Housing at 1885 El Paseo St. ? https://www.uth.edu/buy/bid-list.htm

Per the linked document below, something is happening to the Holiday Inn on the east side of 610 west, just north of Richmond. Post Properties and Bury+Partners are listed as the involved parties. Are they going to demolish and build residential or convert it? From Post's website, it looks like they only have residential buildings. ftp://edrc.houstontx.gov/2013/Applications//2013-1289/SubdivisionPlatPDF_POST%20GALLERIA_PLAT_PDF.pdf HFF's website says it is still on the market. I guess they need to update it? http://www.hfflp.com/GetDocument.aspx?ID=35251&FN=%C2%B13.9+Acres+Flyer-7.31.11.pdf&DT=1

HOUSTON (GlobeSt.com)

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2015/03/30/city-seeks-developer-for-mixed-use-project-at.html

Love the name of this multifamily complex! 8181 Medical Center is located at 8181 Fannin Street. I stopped by last week to take a look around. The front entrance gate has a map (or site plan) of the property. Very cool, and large complex. Photos I took last week:

Looks like Broadstone purchased some more land for another apartment project in the greater Heights. Taking a wild stab that it might be this lot currently being used for a heavy equipment storage based simply on the shape of the lot and the shape of the new plat.