University Of Houston Downtown Developments

[Guest danax]

Bizjournal article

It's easy to forget that we have an independent university downtown UH-D / UHD with over 11,000 students. Once the rail line goes into the Near North, and with student housing there too, could that immediate area north of the campus become the beginnings of a University village, something that the main UH really doesn't have?

If not another Westwood next to UCLA, it should at least add another ingredient to the new, improved recipe for renewal in that area.

[UrbaNerd]

Wow..this is pretty sweet! Plus..imagine if they could expand UHD a bit more in size, and we could have a really massive university community downtown that could support more retail, and entertainment venues...(UT, anyone?)

[jmancuso]

this is a good step for UHD. the dorm culture will definitly have a postive influence on the overall vibe of the school.

btw, UHD class of '01 here. w00t!

[westguy]

I wish it had a different name. I hate having to clarify between UH Downtown and UH Main Campus.

[Houston19514]

They are not building a dorm. It is an acacemic building.

[Guest danax]

They are not building a dorm.  It is an acacemic building.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Whoops. You're right. I'll read more carefully next time.

[MidtownCoog]

I like the new SpawGlass building UHD built on the other side of the bayou.

Looks pretty cool IMHO, and is ped friendly

[shasta]

Bizjournal article

could that immediate area north of the campus become the beginnings of a University village, something that the main UH really doesn't have?

Do you know anything about UH main or what they have built there in the last 5 years? Including new apartments, a greek row, student/ athletic centers, and many more? Not to mention the next light rail extension while be along Scott street. UHD is still light years away from the main campus.

[Guest danax]

Bizjournal article

could that immediate area north of the campus become the beginnings of a University village, something that the main UH really doesn't have?

Do you no anything about UH main or what they have built there in the last 5 years? Including new apartments, a greek row, student/ athletic centers, and many more? Not to mention the next light rail extension while be along Scott street. UHD is still light years away from the main campus.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The last time I drove by there was about a month ago, down Elgin, and all I saw was the little strip center and McDonald's. That's not my idea of a student village, which to me means a retail district designed to cater to the student population. I didn't know about these new residences you've mentioned and maybe that will cause some more development along those lines.

[skwatra]

The last time I drove by there was about a month ago, down Elgin, and all I saw was the little strip center and McDonald's. That's not my idea of a student village, which to me means a retail district designed to cater to the student population. I didn't know about these new residences you've mentioned and maybe that will cause some more development along those lines.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

there's plenty of good student areas that i had no idea existed until i started going there (UH Main). there's the university center, satellites and underground, the new athletic complex is amazing, and there is a new greek row south on calhoun.

i always thought of UH as completely a commuter school, but its really not.

UH Housing

UH Dining and student centers

[shasta]

The last time I drove by there was about a month ago, down Elgin, and all I saw was the little strip center and McDonald's. That's not my idea of a student village, which to me means a retail district designed to cater to the student population. I didn't know about these new residences you've mentioned and maybe that will cause some more development along those lines.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Everytime I go to downtown on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, there is very few people there, 3/4 of the restaurants and retail are closed. I guess, I'm also waiting for new residences downtown to rejuvinate that area as well.

But, UH has gone through a minor building boom here recently.

I guess you've seen the new Cesar Pelli building on Elgin but have you seen the other projects?

[Guest Professional Hornblower]

My grandson goes to UHD and they are projecting that it will be the 197th largest university by 2025. It will pass Marshall Community College (West Campus) in Marshall, TX within the next 5-7 years, if the restroom addition gets passed.

OK so I'm joking but seriously, UH main is far and beyond UHD.

UH main has built the State-of-the-Art fitness center, a $60M Cesar Pelli building for science, a $36M dollar new theater that will be constructed between Elgin & 45. A police building, Channel 8 building, multiple fraternity houses in a cluster. 35,000 students attend the school. Five of which aren't really "students" just slackers. I used to blow my horn all night long in Hoffheinz Pavilion for all the Regents. They paid me $1 each time I blew. And if they paid me $20, I'd sit in their lap and blow. OK I'm kidding but really the school has improved 10-fold since I've been there back in the early 60's.

And to the guy who said he "Drove down elgin and saw a stripper"....well Elgin isn't really the whole campus, just to let you know. You know you might want to turn off of Elgin and actually enter the campus and walk around and actually make a judgement, instead of just driving by every 5 years on your way to MacGregor park and going "yep...still sUHcks."

[Guest danax]

And to the guy who said he "Drove down elgin and saw a stripper"....well Elgin isn't really the whole campus, just to let you know.  You know you might want to turn off of Elgin and actually enter the campus and walk around and actually make a judgement, instead of just driving by every 5 years on your way to MacGregor park and going "yep...still sUHcks."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was referring to the retail that would constitute a "university village". As for the school, I do know that they built that massive health center and I hear the opera house is world-class. It looks like they are trying to move up the ranks of respected universities. I don't know if it's reputation as a commuter college is still accurate or not but there's not much of a supporting retail scene as far as I can see.

[shasta]

Oh, yeah I forgot about another project. Have you seen the plans for the new parking garage at entrance #1- It is going to be mixed use garage- A 'Chicago' style garage that looks like a building but is actually a mix of an outer shell of retail and office space with a inner shell of parking garage. It should add your desired density and retail.

Seriously, take a Sunday afternoon to walk around the campus- you can even feed the squirrels if you'd like.

[MidtownCoog]

If the Scott St. corridor plan comes to fruition, it will benefit the entire area.

[editor]

What is it about colleges that so often attracts the worst elements. Almost every college I have visited or attended has always been surrounded by crap neighborhoods.

[MidtownCoog]

You two can't see the mansions for the ghetto.

Some of those homes are on par with what you see on Lazy Lane in River Oaks.

And FWIW, UH was private until the early 60s.

[LTAWACS]

this is a good step for UHD. the dorm culture will definitly have a postive influence on the overall vibe of the school.

btw, UHD class of '01 here. w00t!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh? What major?

[oaksinger]

What is it about colleges that so often attracts the worst elements.  Almost every college I have visited or attended has always been surrounded by crap neighborhoods.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe you're just familiar with Texas schools. You obviously have never visited some of the best schools out east and west. All the Ivey League schools are pretty much in very affluent areas. and that is the tip of the iceberg. On the west coast I've visited UCLA, UCSD and Stanford and the area they are in are beautiful.

I think you'll find school location falling into all sort of areas across the spectrum.

[kjb434]

Even LSU in Baton Rouge is in an affluent neighbor hood with 100 year old oaks and stately homes. Due north of the Campus going into downtown gets a little worse.

I think the region around UH is due for a major boom soon. It will become a targe for rennovation especially when the light rail moves through it.

[skwatra]

washington univ in st. louis, is a beautiful campus, similar to rice. there were over 10 cases of people being mugged at gunpoint in my years there that i heard about with a couple being friends of mine, all walking from campus. we're bordered by a bad neighborhood, and a lot of student apartments were right on the edge in university city.

but we're also bordered by a nice little neighborhood and forest park (bigger version of hermann park).

[2112]

Maybe you're just familiar with Texas schools. You obviously have never visited some of the best schools out east and west. All the Ivey League schools are pretty much in very affluent areas. and that is the tip of the iceberg. On the west coast I've visited UCLA, UCSD and Stanford and the area they are in are beautiful.

I think you'll find school location falling into all sort of areas across the spectrum.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're in Texas now, boy.

[ssullivan]

Not all local universities are in bad areas. Look at Rice! And the University of St. Thomas is surrounded by some pretty expensive real estate.

My alma matter was fronted by a boulevard once filled with grand Victorian homes (unfortunately only a handful are left). Beyond this street were fairly nice middle class neighborhoods. However, when it came to the neighborhood on the back side of the campus, calling it a ghetto would be too nice. It was worse than that. Fortunately the college, which was private with ample endowment funds, was able to buy out just about all of the houses for six or seven blocks bordering the campus on the two "bad" sides, tear down the ones that weren't worth salvaging, and renovate the rest. Those were then rented to faculty, staff, and students. The city streets were left intact and the area wasn't officially part of the campus, but by the college owning all of the houses and empty lots (which they resodded and kept mowed), the entire area benefited, and campus police patrols at night through the neighborhood made the entire area around the college safer. Today some of the neighborhoods around the school are the most desirable in town.

[ssullivan]

What school?

Austin College.

[MidtownCoog]

Check out this proposal across from UH's Wellness Center. This would be a nice addition.

http://www.lovettcommercial.com/detail.php?propertyid=11

[texasboy]

^^ just awesome. we need more places like that dowtown while they are building this one.

[UrbaNerd]

Well..that one is in the MAIN CAMPUS..not Downtown..

[texasboy]

Well..that one is in the MAIN CAMPUS..no Downtown..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i know

[westguy]

I think there used to be a Kinko's near UH before. They relocated or something and then closed down. They were getting a lot of business from students before the move.

[kjb434]

I think that the commercial development above would be a good step towards making the main UofH campus more of an urban university.

[MidtownCoog]

I also heard they are putting an SRO Sport Bar at ground level in the new parking garage across from Moody Towers.

[Lowbrow]

Kinkos, Starbucks and Chilis. Replace Chilis with a Taco Bell, put a brewpub in back and you'd have my entire graduate career in one building.

[JLWM8609]

I'm a student there, planning to graduate in May 2009. Everyone in Houston knows where UHD is and doesn't get it confused with UH. It's been that way for 35 yrs, why does an outsider (Renu Khator) all of a sudden feel the need to change it?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/5953919.html

[TheNiche]

I'm a student there, planning to graduate in May 2009. Everyone in Houston knows where UHD is and doesn't get it confused with UH. It's been that way for 35 yrs, why does an outsider (Renu Khator) all of a sudden feel the need to change it?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/5953919.html

For someone not very familiar with Houston, seeing "University of Houston - Downtown" and "University of Houston" both on the list of places to send applications to can be confusing. Even after I first moved here and started going to UH, if someone asked me which campus I was going to, I would tell them "downtown" because I didn't realize that 1) UH-D existed, or 2) that there was a difference between "downtown" and "central" in terms of describing the place.

So I can see their motivation, especially as they try to position themselves as a top-tier research university appealing to non-locals. At the same time, I can't imagine what else they might call it that would both sound respectable and not be confusing.

[editor]

I'm a student there, planning to graduate in May 2009. Everyone in Houston knows where UHD is and doesn't get it confused with UH. It's been that way for 35 yrs, why does an outsider (Renu Khator) all of a sudden feel the need to change it?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/5953919.html

Well, I think it's a stretch to say that "everyone" doesn't get it confused with UH. I think it has to be explained to every newcomer to town, of which there are thousands each year. Further, universities have to compete on an international scale these days, so making the name distinct helps with its recognition abroad.

Also, is Khator new to the university? If not, I'm not sure how the chancellor is an "outsider." Moreover, the regents also think it's a good idea, so I don't see any point in trying to make one person out to be the bad guy.

I'm OK with the name change, as long as it's done right.

The article mentioned Houston International University, but that sounds too much like one of those fly-by-night internet operations or a trade school to me. It just sounds like it's trying too hard.

Gulf Coast University: Maybe, but downtown Houston is still a ways from the Gulf. That's probably more appropriate for something in Galveston.

Houston University is OK, but I don't think does enough to alleviate the confusion. People here always confuse University of Illinois at Chicago with University of Chicago, especially when speaking in abbrevitions ("U. of C." versus "U.I.C.")

I can't come up with a better name off the top of my head, but I hope they don't try to name it after a person. Again, the ones you haven't already heard of tend to sounds like diploma mills. Or worse -- I remember when Glassboro State College (New Jersey) because Rowan University because some guy named Rowan donated $100 million to the college.

Lone Star University would be cool, but there would be confusion with Lone Star College.

[TexasVines]

Dr. Khatur is new to UH less than 6 months

and I understood it was the president of UH-D that wanted the change with the idea that UH-D will be growing when UH raises admissions standards in the future

Houston Metropolitan University would be my choice

[Texas Wahoo]

Houston University is OK, but I don't think does enough to alleviate the confusion. People here always confuse University of Illinois at Chicago with University of Chicago, especially when speaking in abbrevitions ("U. of C." versus "U.I.C.")

I think Houston University is more confusing than UH-Downtown. I agree that the abbreviations would be really confusing, especially since a lot of schools that are "University of..." use the _U abbreviation. People might think HU was University of Houston.

[Subdude]

Houston Metropolitan University would be my choice

Not a bad choice at all.

[CoolBuddy06]

I'm a student there, planning to graduate in May 2009. Everyone in Houston knows where UHD is and doesn't get it confused with UH. It's been that way for 35 yrs, why does an outsider (Renu Khator) all of a sudden feel the need to change it?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/hei...ws/5953919.html

Oh yeah some people get them confused. And even more people think the school is part of UH system, you know...with UH Clear Lake, UH Sugar Land, UH Victoria...

I say change the name. How about Houston City University?

[Texas Wahoo]

Oh yeah some people get them confused. And even more people think the school is part of UH system, you know...with UH Clear Lake, UH Sugar Land, UH Victoria...

I say change the name. How about Houston City University?

Is it not part of the UH system??? It shares a Board of Regents. What is the difference?

[skyphen]

Oh yeah some people get them confused. And even more people think the school is part of UH system, you know...with UH Clear Lake, UH Sugar Land, UH Victoria...

I say change the name. How about Houston City University?

It is a part of the UH system.

They could call it University of Houston at Allen's Landing, or University of Houston at Buffalo Bayou.

Edited August 23, 2008 by skyphen

[KinkaidAlum]

If they are going to change it, they should really change it.

I like Cullen University. It honors a family that really helped make UH possible. Too bad the Cullen Center is on the opposite side of downtown though...

[citizen4rmptown]

I like and was thinking the exact same thing before reading skyphens post:

University of Houston at Buffalo Bayou

somone should campaign/run with that

[sarahiki]

I like and was thinking the exact same thing before reading skyphens post:

University of Houston at Buffalo Bayou

somone should campaign/run with that

Bayou University?

Bayou City University?

[citizen4rmptown]

sorry if im a bit ignorant, but does the name change mean that they will no longer be part of the UH system?

[sarahiki]

sorry if im a bit ignorant, but does the name change mean that they will no longer be part of the UH system?

No, nothing would change but the name.

[CoolBuddy06]

It is a part of the UH system.

They could call it University of Houston at Allen's Landing, or University of Houston at Buffalo Bayou.

My bad! Five years ago when I just got here a student of UoH told me UHD is not part of them. So sorry.

[ssullivan]

I guess I see the point of how it's confusing, but none of the names that have been thrown out really appeal to me.

[memebag]

I'd rename it "Harvard Downtown". If you're going to confuse, confuse big.

[RedScare]

Harvard on the Bayou.

Oh wait. We already have a HOB downtown. Maybe Princeton on the Bayou.