Rice Village Shopping Center At 2400 University Blvd.

[Urbannizer]

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Morningside-Plaza-taking-shape-in-Rice-Village-10928513.php

 

Trademark Property Co. is creating a public gathering space along Morningside as part of the transformation of the Rice Village shopping and dining district.

 

Known as Morningside Plaza, the space will provide seating and free Wi-Fi in front of D'Amico's Italian Market Cafe, Nao Ramen Houston, and Hopdoddy Burger Bar, which is set to open in March. It's located between Times and University Boulevard.

 

[gene]

The Chronicle reported that Hopdoddy will open in Rice Village at 11 a.m. on March 6. The Austin-based burger chain announced that the store at 5510 Morningside (former home of Baker Street Pub & Grill) will also mark the introduction of the Hoss' Hot Chicken, made with a fried Nashville hot chicken breast and baby kale slaw.

The store in Rice Village will donate $1 of each Goodnight Burger sold to The Periwinkle Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that supports the fight against cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The foundation benefits families who are being treated at the Texas Children’s Hospital.

[HootHoot]

I noticed that the building next door to Hopdoddy - at the corner of Times and Morningside - is for lease again.  I believe it used to be a co-working/incubator space.

 

Given all of the activity around it, it would seem to be a prime candidate for another restaurant/patio.  That 2 block stretch all the way to Coppa has to be one better outdoor dining "districts" in all of Houston.

 

Anyone heard any news?

[Nate99]

Sweet! We're getting an Entablature!

[mkultra25]

1 hour ago, Nate99 said:

Sweet! We're getting an Entablature!

 

Not too excited. I was hoping for a Pediment.

Edited May 10, 2017 by mkultra25

[houstontexasjack]

14 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

Are there going to be more high-rise apartments here? If not, should this thread be moved out of Going Up since most of this are renovations of existing buildings?

I've heard rumblings from the folks at Shiva that a developer is approaching landlords on that block to cobble up land to build a high rise. 

[Urbannizer]

http://swamplot.com/rice-u-apparel-store-preparing-to-nest-next-to-coming-rice-village-shake-shack/2018-02-02/

 

NOW ON ITS way to a portion of the Village Arcade building on Amherst that La Madeleine restaurant abandoned last March: Shop Rice Owls, a clothing and merchandise store selling exclusively Rice University gear. The 1,071-sq.-ft. off-white-walled space beneath the rooftop Rice Village parking garage was once the east end of La Madeleine’s space on the corner of Amherst and Kirby. A partly-built Shack Shake has since taken over the French bakery’s former home — but not all of it, leaving room for the off-campus store to squeeze in between the back side of the fast-food spot and the staircase leading up to the garage.

 

[bobruss]

I know there are several new retail operations that have opened, but the number of stores and restaurants closing

or already gone must be a little disturbing to the management of the Village.

I have never seen quite so many vacant or soon to be vacant spaces. 

I wonder if their plan to put in parking meters has hurt their business?

[Houston19514]

32 minutes ago, bobruss said:

I know there are several new retail operations that have opened, but the number of stores and restaurants closing

or already gone must be a little disturbing to the management of the Village.

I have never seen quite so many vacant or soon to be vacant spaces. 

I wonder if their plan to put in parking meters has hurt their business?

 

Other than La Madelleine, which was replaced by Shake Shack, What businesses have closed/are closing?

[bobruss]

Miss Saigon,  The Gingerman, El Paso Furniture, Giggles on the corner of Kelvin and Rice, clothing store next to Saigon, two restaurants on the second floor of the arcade across from Jasons. There are a couple more that i cant recall the names right now so yes there are many more than La Madeline. I work in the neighborhood and walk to lunch quite often so I think I know the area. 

[bobruss]

I think most people eye the Village as a contiguous shopping area that is bounded by Kirby,  University, Greenbrier, and Sunset.

I understand that there is a major player in Trademark properties and I hope their plan works. I just mentioned that I had not seen so many empty retail sites in years.

If Trademark is  so involved they should be thinking about entertaining a grocery store, hotel and park, in the area and then they would have a walkable city and people would flock to live there. I haven't seen any plans for any of these types of developments which would make the Village whole. 

I also think that one of the things that made the Village a popular spot was the fact that there was such a mix of mom and pops and the variety of restaurants and bars.

I hope this doesn't turn into the Village District.

[rechlin]

The Ginger Man isn't closing.  They have 5 years left on their lease, I believe.  They are opening a second location (complete with full liquor license) in the 4th ward, but their Village location is staying put.

[bobruss]

I thought I read in  Swamplot  last week that  they were moving to West Gray.

[swtsig]

15 minutes ago, bobruss said:

I thought I read in  Swamplot  last week that  they were moving to West Gray.

 

not moving, expanding. second location.

 

and i agree that a boutique hotel - a low or midrise concept a la south congress hotel - would do wonders in the village. no idea if it's feasible financially but the idea itself would blend in seamlessly there and be a huge draw imo.

[bobruss]

Theres a cool studio building on Kelvin a couple of doors from our gallery, that could be a very small bed and breakfast with some design changes. Its next to the IBC bank garage and I think it now rents to artists. It's not very big but how delightful would it be for people coming to Houston for doctors or shopping or the arts to have an area like the Village to operate out of. 

[thatguysly]

I miss the days when Two Rows was in the Village. Best happy hour on Wednesdays. 

[texas911]

La Madelleine was doomed when they stopped making eclairs. 

[mkultra25]

10 hours ago, bobruss said:

I also think that one of the things that made the Village a popular spot was the fact that there was such a mix of mom and pops and the variety of restaurants and bars.

I hope this doesn't turn into the Village District.

 

That ship sailed years ago IMHO when the Village Arcade was built.

[mkultra25]

8 hours ago, bobruss said:

I thought I read in  Swamplot  last week that  they were moving to West Gray.

 

They updated that piece the day after it was posted to remove the claim that it was closing. 

[bobruss]

I agree. It seemed to lose its small town charm. My favorite was the five and dime, Alfreds, and I loved the small Rice Food Market.

Also back in the days there used to be a bar where the Compass bank is on University called the Poor Mans Country Club, run by a 

great proprietor named Al. 

[mkultra25]

16 hours ago, bobruss said:

I agree. It seemed to lose its small town charm. My favorite was the five and dime, Alfreds, and I loved the small Rice Food Market.

Also back in the days there used to be a bar where the Compass bank is on University called the Poor Mans Country Club, run by a 

great proprietor named Al. 

 

I thought I'd posted this here before, but an admittedly cursory search didn't turn it up. Wish I had a higher-resolution version, as it's difficult to read as is and too fuzzy when enlarged, but it's better than nothing. 

 

 

[gene]

On 2/9/2018 at 10:13 PM, bobruss said:

I agree. It seemed to lose its small town charm. My favorite was the five and dime, Alfreds, and I loved the small Rice Food Market.

Also back in the days there used to be a bar where the Compass bank is on University called the Poor Mans Country Club, run by a 

great proprietor named Al. 

 

The Five and Dime was the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I too loved the small town charm of that development! I also miss the anime/toy/collectible store that was there! 

[LBC2HTX]

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/10/01/several-new-to-houston-restaurants-on-tap-for-rice.html

Edited February 12, 2019 by LBC2HTX

[LBC2HTX]

 

 

Renderings for renovations on the corner of Amherst and Kelvin, where Talbots used to be. These are NOT the renovations mentioned in the HBJ article.

 

 

[talltexan83]

They need to carve out more green space wherever possible.  Or create a pedestrian mall by converting one of the shorter blocks.  The upgrades thus far have been underwhelming.  

[nate]

Are we sure that this is going in the location reflected in the 2016 plans? Those 2016 renderings don't identify which particular space the food hall would be located in, but all the first floor space along University is currently leased and occupied by national retailers. The second floor space is partially leased and occupied currently, with only ~7200sf of contiguous space shown on the Site Plan as available. 

 

However, Rice owns a ~22,000sf two story building at 5555 Morningside that is currently under renovation. The only current occupant is Doc Holliday's, but the buidling has otherwise been totally gutted. It was previously occupied by Gorgeous Gael and a few other tenants. This would seem like a good food hall location since Monringside is a big restaurant focus of Rice Village and would be available for occupancy sooner than the University Site, I would think.

 

 

RV_Lease-Plan-Website_2018_0919-colored-compressed.pdf

Edited January 9, 2019 by nate

[Houston19514]

"currently abandoned"??

 

The renderings indeed suggest the Market is going to be located in the former Rice Village Arcade on the corner of University Blvd and Morningside Dr., as Crockpot has assured us.  But the statement in the linked article that it will "replace currently abandoned Rice Village Arcade property..." suggests  it is going elsewhere.  Of course it's entirely possible this is just another case of journalistic malpractice. Perhaps the Rice Thresher student journalists interned with the Chronicle.  😉

Edited January 18, 2019 by Houston19514

[talltexan83]

There is a construction fence up around the entire old Gorgeous Gael property on Morningside and active remodeling going on.......food hall or not, I'm very curious to see what they do with this space.  It'd be great to see them re-purpose the adjacent parking lots for some public shared use or patio space.

[nate]

49 minutes ago, talltexan83 said:

There is a construction fence up around the entire old Gorgeous Gael property on Morningside and active remodeling going on.......food hall or not, I'm very curious to see what they do with this space.  It'd be great to see them re-purpose the adjacent parking lots for some public shared use or patio space.

 

Agreed on very curious what's going on there.

 

As I mentioned above, I suspect that if there is a food hall at Rice, it would be there. Certainly just speculating at this point though.

 

It is an outstanding location for a food hall since, as you suggest, the parking lots at the property could be used for patio space just like they did across Morningside. There is no need for those surface parking lots since there is easy garage access. The property is two levels and would have nice late night synergy with the adjacent bars.

[nate]

6 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

 Also the St Roch Market guys have a history of building their food halls from large prominent existing buildings that are two stories (as is the Village Arcade) and occupies a large space (as is the Village Arcade shown in the renderings being renovated into a food hall).

 

We are both speculating here so I'm not saying that you are incorrect, but I'll note that 5555 Morningside is a two story building with almost 22k improved square feet per HCAD.