Newland To Transform Prison Land Into Telfair

[Guest danax]

From the February 28, 2005 print edition

Residential Real Estate Beat

Newland to transform prison land into Telfair

Allison Wollam

Houston Business Journal

Newland Communities broke ground this week on a 2,018-acre master-planned community located on the former site of a state prison.

The community is named Telfair, after one of the oldest oak-lined squares dotting downtown Savannah, Ga. The Texas version of Telfair is located in Sugar Land on Highway 59 South, with the main entrance at University Boulevard, just south of Highway 6.

Occupying one of the last large tracts remaining open for development in Sugar Land, Telfair is located on prison farm land that San Diego-based Newland purchased from the state in 2002.

Telfair will contain 4,000 to 4,500 homes once it is completely built out in 2011. Lots in the first phase are expected to be delivered to home builders late this year, with the first homes scheduled for completion in Spring 2006.

The community will feature a village center designed to blend a variety of housing styles with civic buildings and commercial establishments, such as shops and restaurants.

The Telfair master plan devotes 417 acres to recreational amenities, including a 70-acre lake and park system that will meander through the community. A City of Sugar Land regional park will span another 70 acres.

In addition, Telfair will have three major recreation centers offering swimming pools, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts and sports fields.

Each of the major internal roadways in Telfair will have an arched bridge designed to resemble the historic suspension bridges around Savannah.

The community will be highlighted by a 16-acre site surrounding the 1939 Central State Farm prison building. Newland is currently studying ways to preserve the former dormitory for potential civic or commercial uses.

Travis Stone, senior vice president of operations for Newland, says Telfair is significant for Sugar Land because it houses one of the city's few historic buildings. In addition, Telfair is an infill project which is surrounded by completed master-planned communities and amenities such as First Colony Mall and Sugar Land Town Center.

"Given these circumstances, we wanted to raise the bar and create a truly unique and highly livable community at Telfair, one that would quickly offer a very established sense of place for homeowners," says Stone.

The Telfair master plan also includes 390 acres designated as commercial space, with most of the commercial acreage fronting Highway 59 and Highway 6.

The City of Sugar Land has an option to purchase a 95-acre tract in Telfair. The land will likely be used to accommodate industry and research centers associated with the Texas Energy Center.

Telfair marks Newland's most recent development in the Sugar Land area. Newland is also the developer of Greatwood, a 2,050-acre master-planned community located just south of Telfair at Highway 59 and the Grand Parkway.

Memorial mansion hits the sales block

A popular Memorial mansion that has hosted such famous faces as Jayne Mansfield, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Stefanie Powers is on the market.

The estate of independent oilman Johnny Mitchell and his wife Alleyne, both of whom are deceased, is selling the couple's 10,681-square foot Mediterranean-style home. The house was originally designed by architect John Staub in 1962 with a 1964 addition by George Paul.

The Mitchell estate is being offered for sale by Agatha Brann of John Daugherty, Realtors. The asking price has been set at $6 million.

The home, located at 215 Carnarvon Drive, has five full bedrooms, 11 and 1/2 baths, 12-foot ceilings and marble floors.

Located on the bayou in Bayou Woods Estates the mansion also offers a guest home, an entertainment pavilion, a rectangular pool and lighted tennis court.

Mitchell, the son of a Greek immigrant, came to prominence as an independent oilman with his brother, George Mitchell, when they founded what became Mitchell Energy and Development, one of the nation's largest independent oil companies.

GHBA schools members on value of higher education

The Greater Houston Builders' Association has joined the University of Phoenix to create more educational opportunities for participating residential home builders.

In an agreement signed earlier this month, GHBA worked with University of Phoenix-Houston to arrange for the transfer of certain credits from the organizations' continuing education programs toward undergraduate degrees from the university.

Erik Cofield, GHBA director of education, says the Houston organization is the first home builders' association in the nation to offer college credit for its courses.

Under the new agreement, 119 courses will be articulated for a total of 121 college credit hours.

awollam@bizjournals.com

[debmartin]

it seems a little creepy to me, homes built over a prison with so much negative energy. maybe not as bad as the homes built in the movie "poltergeist". i suppose most of the people buying them will be from other places and will not find out - probably not something to be included in the advertising though.

debmartin

[swzine]

it seems a little creepy to me, homes built over a prison with so much negative energy.  maybe not as bad as the homes built in the movie "poltergeist".  i suppose most of the people buying them will be from other places and will not find out - probably not something to be included in the advertising though.

debmartin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As far as I know, it wasn't exactly a prison - it was just land that was owned by the prison and farmed by prisoners. I don't mean to bring us off topic, but if you think about it, much of the country is built on land that was once farmed by slaves. That's even worse! (Except the land in question was once farmed by slaves too, and they began using prisoners once slaves were no longer an option).

[UrbaNerd]

And just as bad, this land once was owned (or lived in by, to put it properly) by the natives. The settlers came in, and killed them off.

Still, GREAT news, for SL!

[kayzer]

Yeah, great news....unless you live there! My parents bought their house in First Colony in 1978 and I live there now. I remember cotton growing along Highway 6 and armadillos outnumbering the cars, so I think I have some say here.

Sugar Land was a bona-fide small town unto itself, a cookie-cutter of nowhere. The Palms Theater (built in 1945), The Sugar Burger and the Sugarland (note the OLD spelling) Department Store are gone or unrecognizably renovated. Now, we look like the Woodlands???? Or somewhere in Georgia???? Perhaps I'm in the minority, but the ambiance of SL is completely ruined.

Sure, it's nice not to have to go to Stafford for groceries anymore, but enough is enough! I can hardly get out of my subdivision on a Saturday morning to run errands for all the sightseers, pish-posh shopping mavens, and kids in their Daddy's BMWs. The Ruinization of Sugar Land really began in the early 90s and I blame (former Mayor) Hrbackek and his love of the Almighty Dollar for that.

My neighborhood is still beautiful and quiet, though houses for rent are more plentiful as they are being purchased as "investments". That brings the usual "riff-raff", shall we say, who don't care about the property as it isn't theirs in the first place. The various homeowner's associations do what they can, but they are bound by certain laws and aren't God, after all.

By the by, #1, even the Native Americans didn't want to live here, it was so swampy and mosquito infested in those days. Rice was the only viable crop until they started draining the fields and growing cotton, which took less land to grow and was more cost effective. Sugar cane grew until too many freak frosts in the early 1900s. As for slaves, it was wrong, unfortunate, and corrected 150 years ago. You can't re-write history no matter how the PCs may want to. Deal, OK?

#2: The land west of 59 was indeed a prison, for women and later for minimum security folks. I used to see them working in the fields in their black and white uniforms. They were physically paying their debt to society instead of watching TV and slicing one another with shivs, which should be fine with any taxpaying citizen. They were Self-sufficient, growing their own food and selling the surplus. Regarding the bad vibes: no killers were ever housed here. Likely, they paid their debt and moved on to productive lives. Should be good vibes there, actually, except for #3 below.

#3 Thanks to all this "wonderful" and "great" construction of our precious McCity, our neighborhood is now plagued by raccoons and opossoms, and our ecosystem is also in peril. The City of SL told me I could kill them if I want to, but (get this) it's illegal to trap and relocate them to a remote area! It's not the animal's fault. It's greedy, short-sighted and just plain nuts.

I could go on about this and if anyone wants to ask me a question, go for it. But in my opinion, Sugar Land is ruined. Just look at the vacant strip center store fronts that exist right now. One glaring example: The "old" Target building on Hwy 6 between Williams Trace and Settler's Way has been vacant for at least 3 years, maybe more, I lost count.

And who says there are no slums in SL. Anyone ever hear of Towne West? And I know about slums, as I was born in the urban Rust Belt.

[UrbaNerd]

Yeah, I've heard of Townewest..although, I've never been there. The Settler's way/Chimneystone area is also sort of..old..but not ghetto. That is where the old Target is. I think someone is leasing part of it, though, since I saw them building a new entrance to the right ahndd side of the property.

Oh well, hopefully, Telfair will be kinda "neighborhoody". SL's "small town" side is almost gone, and getting some of it back would be great, although, with the developers of the sugar factory being..part W.C. Perry (son of Bob perry) we may be losing another big piece of history.

[kayzer]

Old does not necessarily mean bad, my friend. The trees are nice and tall and beautifully frame the street. Unless you live in a Perry Home, of course.

I live in one of those. My dad was a old-world trained master bricklayer/stone mason and griped about the house from day one.

Here's one problem: The house is not "square", i.e. at true right angles. I had to replace the floor in my little bathroom last year and almost lost my mind trying to fit the tiles in. My fantasy is to bulldoze the thing and build a new one. Someday...someway....

The crappy brick is something else again. Dad took me outside one day and I watched him tap a brick with a trowel and the see the chips and puff of dust that resulted. This is not a good sign for ANYTHING that involves the two words "building" and "Perry" in the same sentence. I'll save my "I told you so"s for the future, 'cause no one will listen now, of course. I'm just a bricklayer's daughter from Detroit, after all.

The housing prices you pay to move into SL, even now, are NOT for the house, especially a Perry, Hammond, or other McHouse. It's the property, babe...location, location. My folks almost bought a house in Towne West, which now has the highest crime rate in the city. Whew~ That was close.

You were right, Daddy, as always. Miss you so much.

[swzine]

The funny thing about Telfair is that the airport's runway center line goes right through the middle of it. I bet there will be lots of complaints once people start buying houses. Not that they have any right to complain - it's what you get when you move next to an airport. The deeds will all have avigation easements. The SL airport does't get a ton of traffic, but it is growing more and more. It's primarily corporate so it should only be a pain during the day.

The area that's in the main noise zone (right across the street from the airport) will be a park and future high school according to the proposed maps.

[kayzer]

You got it Brother/Sister! The airport, the Warden's House (horribly pillaged and finally demolished), "Smithtown" and Aztec Equipment Rental were the ONLY things existing along Highway 6 between Highway 59 and Westheimer circa 1980. And that includes cross streets. I spent my birthday that year driving along Highway 6 looking for the intersection of Highway 6 and Bellaire. I finally pulled over in tears when a DPS cop pulled up behind me to tell me: It didn't exist.....and he gave me a map! (Which I still have.)

The Airport was here before they were. So was the train, my Johnny-Come-Lately, nouveau-Sugar Landians. Eat their dust. And that of the kiddies peeling out of the HS parking lot in Daddy's Porches and Beemers. And enjoy.

You wanted progress, not me. I miss my town of 9,000 good folks, two cops, the Palms Theater, Sugar Burger and miles and miles of horses, cotton and longhorns. Just wait until the airport rivals Hobby, which is the ultimate goal, you know.

Careful what you vote for! If you seek Urban Sprawl, look around you.

Kayzer

The funny thing about Telfair is that the airport's runway center line goes right through the middle of it.

[LTAWACS]

This is yet another reason to not move outside loop 610

[kjb434]

^^^

Can someone please quiet this member.

Why is this a reason not to move outside the loop. Many couples want to raise their children out in the suburbs. Why should they have nice places to live. I'm sure you would want the government to ban living in the suburbs and force everyone to live in the loop. Do you really want that?

[flatline]

I'm a Heights guy, raising a family inside the Loop. I love everything about living in the heart of the city. But I agree with KJB that if someone wants to live in the exurbs, with all the pre-packaged amenities that go along with it, more power to them. But as for this. . .

^^^

Can someone please quiet this member.

I can't go with you there. Exchange of ideas is what the board is about. Unless of course you mean quiet each other up with rock-solid reasoning and irresistable logic. . .

[kayzer]

I'm a Heights guy, raising a family inside the Loop.

[kayzer]

Mr. Heights: You are off topic.

This is not an "innie" vs. "outie" board. Unless you just scan them all, looking for an apparent opportunity to insert your 2 cents.

This is about concern for THIS area, which you obviously don't have. I guess you didn't realize you were posting to the wrong board? You surely must realize that you're not going to change any minds here. You may be just an obnoxious instigator, but I think you're simply lost.

So take 59 North, exit at Shepherd, go under the freeway, and just keep going. Your choir is there, waiting for their preacher. We forgive you, but just this once. Peace.

[flatline]

You mistake my intentions. I meant only to express my own personal view that members shouldn't be censored short of personal attacks or obscenities.

Your sarcasm meter is too sensitive . . . I believe that exurbs do provide amenties that you can't or don't get inside the loop. I begrudge nobody who wants to live there and enjoy them. (I would certainly like to have fewer warehouses and broken sidewalks, more curbed-and-guttered streets, and better, cleaner grocery stores in my own 'hood). More power to you and godspeed to Sugar Land on its development boom. . .

[The views expressed in this post are my own and almost certainly do not reflect the views of this website, its advertisers, or anyone else, for that matter]

[swzine]

You got it Brother/Sister!  The airport, the Warden's House (horribly pillaged and finally demolished), "Smithtown" and Aztec Equipment Rental were the ONLY things existing along Highway 6 between Highway 59 and Westheimer circa 1980.  And that includes cross streets.  I spent my birthday that year driving along Highway 6 looking for the intersection of Highway 6 and Bellaire.  I finally pulled over in tears when a DPS cop pulled up behind me to tell me:  It didn't exist.....and he gave me a map!  (Which I still have.)

The Airport was here before they were.  So was the train, my Johnny-Come-Lately, nouveau-Sugar Landians.  Eat their dust.  And that of the kiddies peeling out of the HS parking lot in Daddy's Porches and Beemers.  And enjoy.

You wanted progress, not me.  I miss my town of 9,000 good folks, two cops, the Palms Theater, Sugar Burger and miles and miles of horses, cotton and longhorns.  Just wait until the airport rivals Hobby, which is the ultimate goal, you know.

Careful what you vote for!  If you seek Urban Sprawl, look around you.

Kayzer

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Okay, I like a lot of what you have to say. The thing about the trains and airport being here first I've said myself word for word even! Nobody has the right to complain because without the train Sugar Land probably wouldn't even be here today. Or it wouldn't have been what it is.

However, there is one place where I stronly disagree with you - Sugar Land's goal being to rival Hobby. I think you're wrong about this one. I went through a 10 week program the City offered to residents (message me for more info, I suggest you take it. It's free and you'll learn a lot about this great city). One of the sessions was a tour of the airport and we met the manager and staff. The city doesn't seem to have any intentions to ever have commercial traffic - just private, and mostly corporate. Of course they'd probably like to rival Hobby when it comes to corporate traffic. In the big picture, it couldn't compare to Hobby if you take out the commercial traffic. The runway can't even handle anything beyond a 737 and supposedly they have to take extra steps to even get one in. Also, the runway can only handle them from time to time, but not regularly. Another interesting thing I learned is that the airport is open 24 hours, but they strongly discourage anyone landing after 9:00pm out of respect to the residents. Sugar Land will probably be one of the best private airports in the area, but I couldn't see it ever competing with Hobby.

[UrbaNerd]

If you want acres of longhorns, cotton, and all of that other small town stuff, move out to the Richmond/Rosenberg area! You can get a nice home out there now, and still be out in the rural areas. Of course, there is a strong possibility that Richmond/Rosenberg will be the next Sugarland, especially with the expansion of US59(Thanks to Delay) as well as the many new developments already proliferating out there (canyon gate, Riverpark West, Brazos Town Center, etc).

[kjb434]

Don't forget the expansion of US 59 would have occured anyway because of the I-69 corridor.

[swzine]

If you want acres of longhorns, cotton, and all of that other small town stuff, move out to the Richmond/Rosenberg area!  You can get a nice home out there now, and still be out in the rural areas.  Of course, there is a strong possibility that Richmond/Rosenberg will be the next Sugarland, especially with the expansion of US59(Thanks to Delay) as well as the many new developments already proliferating out there (canyon gate, Riverpark West, Brazos Town Center, etc).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think Richmond and Rosenberg are next. You have to move even further and you may be able to live in the country to at least another 10-15 years.

The thing that I find so funny is how there is so much open space once you get down to Ft Bend and further, but we still have average lots of less than a quarter acre in every development. You'd think they'd at least give you a half an acre!

[UrbaNerd]

I think Richmond and Rosenberg are next.  You have to move even further and you may be able to live in the country to at least another 10-15 years.

The thing that I find so funny is how there is so much open space once you get down to Ft Bend and further, but we still have average lots of less than a quarter acre in every development.  You'd think they'd at least give you a half an acre!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thankfully so, actually, or else, our sprawl would be worse.

OH, and if you DO go a bit further out, yes, you'll be seeing these larger lots. An example of this is in Fulshear (closer to Katy), and the various acreage communities in Rich/Ros.

Now, the growth really should explode if they get that proposed commuter rail to Richmond going. Maybe a nice dense station development may pop up, though, and this, will enhance the edge city effect, and it will be probable that even more edge cities will form. Ultra rural towns within a relatively short distance to the rail, such as Beasley, and such may also be seeing some growth. Once again, only time will tell.

[zaphod]

whats creepy is what seems like "new urbanism" creeping into houston. the shops are cool but the lack of parking sucks.

[fewellman]

there are alot of homes and buisnesses built on former prison land in the sugar land area. all of new territory used to be prison land i believe.

[chechnya]

I wonder if Telfair will be gated and whoever isnt a member will be shot to death. I agree, this sprawl-to-make-a-buck needs to stop. Whats the use of having this huge and most likley very expensive neighborhood here? Everyone knows the houses will be more than what everyone can afford. What is Sugar Land turning into? Wikipedia says Sugar Land is in talks to buy Greatwood, New Territory, and River Park, along with the subdivisions of Tara Colony and Tara Plantation to annex in the near future. Seems like Sugar Land wants to become an upscale city. What next? trading Sugar Mill/The Hill/Covington Woods/West to Houston because the homes arent worth $250k? Lets remember the master builder that built Greatwood and Cinco Ranch, yes, the same people that are going to build Telfair. Unless you are a doctor, you dont live in neither subdivision and i doubt you will live in Telfair either.

[TJones]

I just found out that the Old Sugar mill is coming down and a new neighborhood will be going up there also. That should be lovely, right next to that chemical plant.

Chech, there are still plenty of homes under $200k around Sugarland, just look around a little on HAR.com

[citykid09]

I just found out that the Old Sugar mill is coming down and a new neighborhood will be going up there also. That should be lovely, right next to that chemical plant.

Chech, there are still plenty of homes under $200k around Sugarland, just look around a little on HAR.com

Are you talking about the Imperial Sugar Plant? I thought a while back they said that that would become an urban development?

[TJones]

Are you talking about the Imperial Sugar Plant? I thought a while back they said that that would become an urban development?

My wife just saw it somewhere, that it will be houses. I'll do my own fact finding, just too make sure.

[UrbaNerd]

Well, looks like WC Perry dropped out of the partnership to develop the factory tract...

https://svrch13.sugarlandtx.gov:5202/forms/imperialinfo1.htm

[Jeebus]

I wonder if Telfair will be gated and whoever isnt a member will be shot to death. I agree, this sprawl-to-make-a-buck needs to stop. Whats the use of having this huge and most likley very expensive neighborhood here? Everyone knows the houses will be more than what everyone can afford. What is Sugar Land turning into? Wikipedia says Sugar Land is in talks to buy Greatwood, New Territory, and River Park, along with the subdivisions of Tara Colony and Tara Plantation to annex in the near future. Seems like Sugar Land wants to become an upscale city. What next? trading Sugar Mill/The Hill/Covington Woods/West to Houston because the homes arent worth $250k? Lets remember the master builder that built Greatwood and Cinco Ranch, yes, the same people that are going to build Telfair. Unless you are a doctor, you dont live in neither subdivision and i doubt you will live in Telfair either.

What's your point to this rant?

[Sund]

Any idea who all are the builders going to be in Telfair and what would be the prise range? There is no infomration in telfair website or even no contact information. Would appreciate if can pass the information to all of us..

[UrbaNerd]

Any idea who all are the builders going to be in Telfair and what would be the prise range? There is no infomration in telfair website or even no contact information. Would appreciate if can pass the information to all of us..

Probably high end, sort of expensive stuff. You know, typical Sugar land Stuff. I'd expect prices to start in the mid 200s or so, for single family homes.