Kinglyam Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 10 minutes ago, hindesky said: One of the biggest developers currently building mid rise apartments in the Houston area. I count 2 in the Heights, 1 in the Museum district, 1 in Eado, 2 going up in the lower Heights area around Washington Ave. Alliance Broadstone is an Aggie Alumni led company building lots of places around Houston and around the southern USA. Should we be concerned if their portfolio is all mid-rise apartments? Hardy Yards has been developing on the promise of mixed use. If the infill with all apartments, there will be no easy space for retail, and the development boom will likely bust hard. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMIKA! Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 1 hour ago, Kinglyam said: Should we be concerned if their portfolio is all mid-rise apartments? Hardy Yards has been developing on the promise of mixed use. If the infill with all apartments, there will be no easy space for retail, and the development boom will likely bust hard. It will be very disappointing if all these tracts end up being apartments only. May feel like one of those Robert Moses super blocks along the East River... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 (edited) Do we know if they do any mixed development? Looking at their website I don't see a list of past projects. Never mind. They have a list of apartment properties after looking for awhile didn't spot a mixed use... damn. Hopefully they have more in mind for it than just apartment spam. Although that many apartments insures that the neighboring mostly abandoned warehouses get flipped into something commercial. What about see attached, is that our only hope of something that isn't an apartment? Or is that already planned too? (also anyone else constantly running into stray dogs in this area, holyshit people put your dogs up, have 311 on speed dial) Edited January 31, 2020 by Two 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMIKA! Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I just talked to one of the representatives for the Hardy Yard TIRZ and it sounds like not only will this project likely not have any retail, Cypress has scrapped any park or green space for the project. They said the TIRZ feels Cypress sold them on mixed use and parks and is now just proceeding without any of that. Very disappointing if true. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinglyam Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 That is extremely disappointing. All this tax money spent on utilities and the road, and now Hardy Yards means squat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 As a side-note, but perhaps it has more to do with it as a long-term trend... Why does it seem like north-side management is in particular completely inept? Just compare their website's to midtown's, it's beyond embarrassing. They can't sell themselves at all. It's a train wreck. Seriously think we should set up a coup. (maybe I am just pissed atm...) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 15 minutes ago, Two said: As a side-note, but perhaps it has more to do with it as a long-term trend... Why does it seem like north-side management is in particular completely inept? Just compare their website's to midtown's, it's beyond embarrassing. They can't sell themselves at all. It's a train wreck. Seriously think we should set up a coup. (maybe I am just pissed atm...) Eh. I feel the same way with Montrose sometimes. Areas with demo's that are in flux, shifting around, or have been the same make up for a long time will kind of just settle into a rut. Montrose was that way for awhile, but seems to just now be shaking it off. Midtown was non-existent, but now is one of the key examples one should follow in create a redevelopment authority. Same goes for Downtown. The Heights is now full steam ahead. Upper Kirby was a drive-by between Uptown and Downtown, and now has its own thing. Uptown is going through a renaissance. All of this took a lot of work to do, and while some will complain about it, gentrification is necessary to re-energizing a community. It brings new people, new ideas, and new perspectives on what is possible. The East as a whole is the next frontier. East Downtown is getting going. We got a couple cranes in East End now. 3rd Ward is getting its first real wave of people to come in. Near Northside has so much potential, but the logistics at the moment is a real nightmare. There are so many moving pieces and chips that have to fall infrastructure wise before people will even consider it. Until new people with new ideas move in then the ineptitude will continue. Stagnation is a breeding ground for corruption and ineptitude, and that cycle will not break if its the same people with the same ideas who also refuse to change and adapt. As for Hardy Yards in general, its been really disappointing as a whole. There are so many large scale mixed-use concepts getting off the ground. If East River can happen, and GID with Regent Square can finally after years get off the ground than so should Hardy Yards. With that being said: 52 minutes ago, TOMIKA! said: I just talked to one of the representatives for the Hardy Yard TIRZ and it sounds like not only will this project likely not have any retail, Cypress has scrapped any park or green space for the project. They said the TIRZ feels Cypress sold them on mixed use and parks and is now just proceeding without any of that. Very disappointing if true. Yeah kinda stinks, but the city and these developers have been lowering the bar for years. Honestly it should have just been all Private development from the beginning because the city still has no clue how to implement these ideas themselves. If they had more experience previously then this would have happened at some point. The City just has never had the kind of robust planning experience to be a force in the conversation with private developers on what to do. Instead they should have backed off and let market forces drive the conversation, ala East River. With that being said its a slight setback for now. The important thing is getting more people into this area. Buildings can be altered, and retail added later. There is no retail because there is no people yet. Plain and simple. Burnett St is key really. That street has all the opportunities to become a viable retail/commercial destination and be a spine for that area/community. Lets see what happens with migrations and gentrification begins in earnest, and then retail/commercial will follow suit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinglyam Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Yeah, don’t tell me about turning Burnett all retail. We’re building our house right there! 😛 The real question is, now that we know nothing interesting is going up there, is this thread dead? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 33 minutes ago, Kinglyam said: Yeah, don’t tell me about turning Burnett all retail. We’re building our house right there! 😛 The real question is, now that we know nothing interesting is going up there, is this thread dead? Nah. Development is development. Even if all residential its better than what was there before, vacant lots, or even before that an abandoned industrial site. Build a backbone of residential first and then you can layer in the good stuff later. I know sometimes it can seem like a "chick and egg" question, but often times it is as simple as just getting people there first. I've driven and walked that area many times now, and its a ghost town. Of course no retail is going to go there! By all means build the house! Good luck to you pioneer, but the architect in me just looks at this street splines from a metro transit node, and immediately I go...yeah this is your next potential commercial hub. Its so obvious it hurts nobody is taking advantage of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 San Jacinto connection still proposed by the City of Houston to TXDOT. This material was just released yesterday. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinglyam Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 Plot twist! It looks like the Red Line Apartments have been axed, and Hardy Yards C/V is selling the property. 2 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 Wow what a load of bullshit. Excuse my language. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CREguy13 Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 This doesn't bother me all that much and I actually welcome it. I always felt this project was not highest and best use being this close to CBD and on the Red line. There have been several quality mixed use projects completed, are under construction or have been proposed since the initial Hardy Yards plans were released. Also consider the amount of added density to the core, and I would think a number of big time developers would be very anxious to bid on this. It may sit on the drawing board for the near future with the amount of developments in the pipeline, but I'd expect a much larger project than the one it is potentially replacing. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinglyam Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 1 hour ago, CREguy13 said: This doesn't bother me all that much and I actually welcome it. I always felt this project was not highest and best use being this close to CBD and on the Red line. There have been several quality mixed use projects completed, are under construction or have been proposed since the initial Hardy Yards plans were released. Also consider the amount of added density to the core, and I would think a number of big time developers would be very anxious to bid on this. It may sit on the drawing board for the near future with the amount of developments in the pipeline, but I'd expect a much larger project than the one it is potentially replacing. Your lips to developer's ears. I'd love to see HEB grab this. It's a second chance, but I'm no longer sanguine about anything but apartments coming in here once they announced they were infilling with that Prose East and Prose West. It sure seems like the perfect place for a new grocery store, which can capture both the new apartment dwellers in Hardy Yards, as well as the apartment dwellers in north downtown around Market Square. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hindesky Posted April 11, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 11, 2020 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hindesky Posted May 6, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 6, 2020 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HoustonMidtown Posted June 27, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted June 27, 2020 (edited) Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr Edited June 27, 2020 by HoustonMidtown 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 (edited) Wow, it’s amazing what solid infrastructure is able to create as new development rises. Edited July 9, 2020 by j_cuevas713 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Urbannizer Posted July 28, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2020 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hindesky Posted August 29, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted August 29, 2020 They were loading out the crawler crane that built the 2 story precast parking garage. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hindesky Posted September 7, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted September 7, 2020 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalay Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Any update on these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hindesky Posted October 11, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted October 11, 2020 The second set of apartments are called the "Exchange" https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Mixed-income-housing-project-breaks-ground-near-14973901.php The 300-unit complex, called the Exchange, will have 50 percent of its units reserved for renters making between 60 and 80 percent of the area median income (or as much as $42,750), said Alastair Jenkin, vice president of development at the NRP Group. The remainder of the units will be set at market-rate rents. The lower-income demographic, Jenkin said, often includes teachers, police officers, nurses and young professionals who earn too much money to qualify for low-income housing but can’t afford Houston’s new apartment complexes in the urban core. “They’re just not in a place in their career where they make $100,000,” Jenkin said. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalay Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 They’re moving fast 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidCenturyMoldy Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 On 7/27/2020 at 7:48 PM, Urbannizer said: Am I a jerk for hating that dumb clock tower? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Not at all. That is in fact the correct way to feel about it. 3 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 I like it better when they break the development up with a few little side streets as opposed to building it like some insular fortification. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 On 10/22/2020 at 12:16 PM, Texasota said: Not at all. That is in fact the correct way to feel about it. I don't mind the clock tower but I do mind that was over 10 minutes behind when I rode by this afternoon. Why even bother with it if you can't keep the time right. 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalay Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 I’ve been trying to get more info on these, any one has updates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 I don't think anyone pays attention to ornamental clock towers. If it claimed to be 13 o' clock it would have taken months for anyone to notice and they'd all be on this site, lol. I like to be honest, its inoffensively kitchsy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 That's kind of my problem with it. Inoffensively kitschy is kind of an oxymoron. If you're going to be kitschy, be kitschy. Lean into it; make it a statement! This is just ...beige. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 On 11/7/2020 at 8:56 AM, Shalay said: I’ve been trying to get more info on these, any one has updates? The eastern portion is a lot further along than the western part. I could possibly see them start leasing the east sometime in the late spring/early summer. The western portion of the Exchange. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 @Shalay Spotted a Leasing Trailer on site. It was a Sunday on Christmas weekend so there was nobody there but you might want to check during the week to see if they are open. I don't think any thing will be available for months but they might have started pre-leasing. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 (edited) Relevant article: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/neighborhood/houstons-near-northside-is-still-going-through-a-transition-107254 They aren't wrong when they say the bones of the near north are perfect for capitalizing on and making it into a much more dense livable, walk-able, commercial and residential environment. It's too bad (depends on your view, its also more opportunity) that - for now - most everything past Hardy Yards and to White Oak Music is basically dead with spotty barely afloat strip centers from the 80s and dilapidated buildings with a few regular homeless people camping out front on the other-side of the rail. Hopefully that White Oak Development draws more attention to that otherwise forgotten portion of Main. One of those buildings is talked about in the article, evidently they're putting more money into it and a coffee shop. What gets me is in short bike-able distance maybe even walk-able ... Between The post office renovation into basically a mall UofH Downtown expansion Neighboring the Heights Future bikeable Neighbor to East River Easy to bike to Washington etc. Warehouse district under dev Future North canal with 3 planed walk-able connectors on the I-45 plan to DT Bike Path's everywhere Two local breweries Downtown is just right there I seriously have to question the leadership of the Near North-side Development district... What the hell are they doing? This place should be an easy sell, even the crime data is about the same as everywhere else. It will be surrounded by large development. Constantly fumbling about with Hardy Yards I guess that Austin real-estate group that Houston dev pawned it off to is none too moved to get much going? Did Covid kill those Aggie Developer's complexes? Even still 2 bars and no movement on comercial... The most brilliant idea the executive director can come up with is 'well they need some washaterias' - oh-hell, really??? That's it? Thats your VISION.? They need some coin operated washingmachines stores? The neighborhood has-em thanks though... Does she step out of Greens Point often enough to realize modern apartments come mostly with washing machines and dryers? I wonder about those Austin owners still, are they the ones holding out or they just can't sell it? It's been a decade now and just now seeing progress trickle in. Maybe I'm just impatient... economic plan of the century 'we'll build some washaterias' Dry cleaners, sorry. Still besides the point.. Edited January 6, 2021 by Two 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Two said: It's too bad (depends on your view, its also more opportunity) that - for now - most everything past Hardy Yards and to White Oak Music is basically dead with spotty barely afloat strip centers from the 80s and dilapidated buildings with a few regular homeless people camping out front on the other-side of the rail. Hopefully that White Oak Development draws more attention to that otherwise forgotten portion of Main That says "infill development opportunity". Of course, it also says "more midrise blocks than you can stand..." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 You might be surprised just how many midrise blocks some of us can stand... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 7 hours ago, Two said: One of those buildings is talked about in the article, evidently they're putting more money into it and a coffee shop. What coffee shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 9 hours ago, Two said: Relevant article: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/neighborhood/houstons-near-northside-is-still-going-through-a-transition-107254 They aren't wrong when they say the bones of the near north are perfect for capitalizing on and making it into a much more dense livable, walk-able, commercial and residential environment. It's too bad (depends on your view, its also more opportunity) that - for now - most everything past Hardy Yards and to White Oak Music is basically dead with spotty barely afloat strip centers from the 80s and dilapidated buildings with a few regular homeless people camping out front on the other-side of the rail. Hopefully that White Oak Development draws more attention to that otherwise forgotten portion of Main. One of those buildings is talked about in the article, evidently they're putting more money into it and a coffee shop. What gets me is in short bike-able distance maybe even walk-able ... Between The post office renovation into basically a mall UofH Downtown expansion Neighboring the Heights Future bikeable Neighbor to East River Easy to bike to Washington etc. Warehouse district under dev Future North canal with 3 planed walk-able connectors on the I-45 plan to DT Bike Path's everywhere Two local breweries Downtown is just right there I seriously have to question the leadership of the Near North-side Development district... What the hell are they doing? This place should be an easy sell, even the crime data is about the same as everywhere else. It will be surrounded by large development. Constantly fumbling about with Hardy Yards I guess that Austin real-estate group that Houston dev pawned it off to is none too moved to get much going? Did Covid kill those Aggie Developer's complexes? Even still 2 bars and no movement on comercial... The most brilliant idea the executive director can come up with is 'well they need some washaterias' - oh-hell, really??? That's it? Thats your VISION.? They need some coin operated washingmachines stores? The neighborhood has-em thanks though... Does she step out of Greens Point often enough to realize modern apartments come mostly with washing machines and dryers? I wonder about those Austin owners still, are they the ones holding out or they just can't sell it? It's been a decade now and just now seeing progress trickle in. Maybe I'm just impatient... economic plan of the century 'we'll build some washaterias' FWIW, the linked article says nothing at all about the area needing washaterias. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 "One example is Houston-based retail developer Rain Hollow, which is working on a small-scale retail project at North Main and Quitman Street. The development involves the renovation of an existing building that already houses a long-term popsicle retail tenant, as well as the construction of a second building. Both will have upstairs private office space. In addition, the developer is converting two shipping containers into a coffee shop on the adjacent corner." Where they talk about putting more money in the building and adding a coffee shop to some shipping containers adjacent to it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC2HTX Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 Wife and I looked into buying in the near north side and couldn’t see us living anywhere outside of Lindale Park. The area has a LONG way to go which is crazy to me given all the development elsewhere inside the loop and its decades long proximity to the redline. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 6, 2021 Author Share Posted January 6, 2021 (edited) 4 hours ago, LBC2HTX said: Wife and I looked into buying in the near north side and couldn’t see us living anywhere outside of Lindale Park. The area has a LONG way to go which is crazy to me given all the development elsewhere inside the loop and its decades long proximity to the redline. "decades long proximity to the redline" is a bit of stretch, considering the original portion of the red-line (which almost but didn't quite brush up against the near north side) is not yet "decades" old. The portion that serves the near north side has not even been operating for a single decade, let alone decades. This is the time to buy. Development in the near north side has been percolating along slowly-but-surely, and seems to be accelerating. Edited January 6, 2021 by Houston19514 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 I live in Near Northside and I'm really glad I did 8 years ago. I see a lot of potential here. You have to realize the red line was just added a few years ago and I think what dramatically changed this area was not just WOMH but honestly the closure of the Salvation Army. Before that, there were all sorts of people walking the streets and it felt quite dangerous. I remember going to several superneighborhood meetings and business owners were constantly talking about people using the restrooms in their parking lots and on their shrubs. And you just don't see that as much anymore. I think you will see a dramatic change to this area in the next decade. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Houston’s Near Northside Is Still Going Through A Transition Most of Houston's inner-city neighborhoods have been transforming over the past two decades, the beneficiaries of investment dollars, revitalization projects and developer interest. While other neighborhoods are further along, Near Northside is still transitioning. Though it sits immediately north of Downtown Houston’s grid of high-rise office buildings and commercial developments, the neighborhood has remained mostly residential in nature. Near Northside has historically been defined by working-class homes, the Hardy Rail Yards and occasional pockets of commercial or industrial development. But as the pool of affordable land close to Downtown Houston continues to shrink and the district gears up a new business development strategy, Near Northside's evolution may start speeding up. Near Northside emerged as a residential neighborhood during the 1880s and 1890s, when expansion of the nearby Hardy Rail Yards spurred housing development. About two-thirds of the neighborhood is still composed of wooden-frame, Victorian-era homes that once housed European immigrants drawn to work at the rail yards. Much like the nearby Houston Heights, Near Northside declined after World War II, when the expansion of the road system led to residential development in Houston’s outer suburban areas and rail traffic began to decrease. Around the same time, the demographics of the area shifted from European to majority Hispanic, and it has remained that way for the last seven decades. The neighborhood’s approximate geographic boundaries are Interstate 45 to the west, Frisco Street to the north, Elysian Street to the east and Burnett Street to the south, 4.3 square miles. The major commercial arteries of the neighborhood are North Main Street and Fulton Street. Near Northside is one of several neighborhoods overseen by the Greater Northside Management District, which was created by the Texas Legislature in 2001 and began operating in 2006. Greater Northside Management District Executive Director Rebecca Reyna said that Near Northside has seen the majority of new development activity in the district, which also includes Independence Heights and Northline, owing to its proximity to Downtown Houston and the presence of the expanded METRORail red line. While the light rail’s 5.3-mile northern expansion has been beneficial, subsequent development has not occurred as fast as some observers had originally hoped. That may be partially due to the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009, according to Reyna. The project broke ground behind schedule and didn’t open to the public until December 2013. “I think a lot of people anticipated [development] would be sooner with a light rail,” Reyna said. “And I think it took a little longer for various reasons. But we are starting to see that.” Near Northside is composed of smaller land parcels than some other neighborhoods, offering fewer large-scale commercial opportunities for developers. Many are family-owned residential properties and have been for generations, limiting the number of suitable sites that come onto the market, Reyna noted. Despite the obstacles, developers have a good reason to give Near Northside a second look: The entire neighborhood is contained within an opportunity zone, providing tax benefits since 2017 to developers and investors who introduce new business and physical improvements into the area. Chicago-based developer Marquette Cos. has chosen to do exactly that. The firm is developing an unnamed Class-A, 260-unit multifamily community at North Main and Boundary Street, close to White Oak Music Hall. Marquette Cos. Director of Development and Acquisitions Chris Yuko said the location of the land tract within an opportunity zone was a big reason the company was able to purchase the land in 2020 when most investment activity had slowed to a halt. “It was because of that program, and the need to deploy capital, that allowed us to get this project done in the middle of COVID,” Yuko said. One of the most prominent redevelopment projects in the Near Northside area is Hardy Yards, formerly the location of the Hardy Rail Yards. The 43-acre site was acquired by Houston developer Avi Ron, who then sold the brownfield propertyto Austin-based Cypress Real Estate Advisors in 2005. The first project at Hardy Yards came after Houston-based developer Zieben Group purchased nearly 5 acres from CREA in 2015. Zieben partnered with the city of Houston, Houston Housing Finance Corp. and Community Bank of Texas to build Residences at Hardy Yards, a Class-A, four-story, 350-unit mixed-income apartment community. That project was completed in 2018. The second project underway at Hardy Yards is The Exchange, a 300-unit mixed-income housing project being developed by NRP Group in partnership with the Houston Housing Authority. The project is expected to complete this year. Though Hardy Yards has secured two residential projects, the redevelopment site is still lacking in much-needed commercial activity. Reyna said the Greater Northside Management District has been in conversation with the city of Houston about how to change that. “The dry cleaners, the coffee shop, the sort of small-scale retail, I think that's what has been needed in the neighborhood,” Reyna said. The Greater Northside Management District is holding a public hearing on Jan. 8 to present its updated service plan for 2021-2030. Reyna told Bisnow the plan will include a proposal for building out a business development strategy to draw more commercial activity to the district, including Near Northside. Yuko said he sees the availability and ease of transportation in and out of the neighborhood as a positive for the growth of commercial activity. He is optimistic that entertainment projects like White Oak Music Hall and new multifamily developments in the area will attract more businesses in the long run. “I'm placing a big bet that the neighborhood is going to continue to develop well. You'll see more activity and more businesses moving in,” Yuko said. Commercial developments in the Near Northside area tend to be smaller in scale, reflecting the residential character of the neighborhood. New development tends to occur along the North Main transit corridor to capture as much traffic as possible. One example is Houston-based retail developer Rain Hollow, which is working on a small-scale retail project at North Main and Quitman Street. The development involves the renovation of an existing building that already houses a long-term popsicle retail tenant, as well as the construction of a second building. Both will have upstairs private office space. In addition, the developer is converting two shipping containers into a coffee shop on the adjacent corner. Rain Hollow Director of Operations and Asset Manager Brett Huey said that on a micro-level, the company liked that the site is directly on the METRORail red line. On a broader level, Near Northside has proximity to Downtown Houston, access to major transit options and a local resident population that is proud of the neighborhood. “We really think that the neighborhood's got the best potential to be a walkable, livable neighborhood in Houston, probably more so than anywhere else, just because of all the pieces that it already has in place that really haven't been capitalized on very well,” Huey said. Near Northside has gained more attention from developers and businesses over the last 10 years, but there are still misconceptions that the neighborhood is less safe than other inner-city neighborhoods, according to Reyna. There were 1,588 crime cases in Near Northside during 2019, according to Rice University’s Kinder Institute’s HCDC dashboard, which uses data from the Houston Police Department. The number of crime cases falls within the same range as Montrose, the Greater Heights, Washington/Memorial Park and Uptown Houston during the same year. Reyna said there is also the perception that Near Northside doesn’t have much to offer in the way of dining or entertainment options. “I think there's almost [a] perception that there's not much here, that you can't get a variety, there's not a place to shop or anything,” Reyna said. Fans of the area would disagree. Aside from long-standing businesses in the area, several new businesses have opened in the last few years, including White Oak Music Hall, The Raven Tower, Monkey’s Tail, Local Group Brewery and Canary Café. The hope is that other small businesses will choose to follow. The other issue is that the neighborhood still has many areas that appear neglected or dilapidated. To that end, the Greater Northside Management District has been working on several capital improvement and urban design projects. Those include the Butterfly Pocket Park, pedestrian and bicycle transit improvements, colorful columns at the Crosstimbers and I-45 underpass and the Elysian Viaduct, and a variety of other street murals in the neighborhood. Huey said larger developments like White Oak Music Hall and Hardy Yards remain on the fringes of Near Northside, but that nobody has really penetrated the interior of the neighborhood. As a developer who specializes in smaller retail projects, he is optimistic that more opportunities will appear in the neighborhood for his firm. “We're hopeful that those have drawn enough interest in the area to cultivate a little more traffic toward the interior of the neighborhood, [so we can] really capitalize on some of these things,” Huey said. Contact Christie Moffat at christie.moffat@bisnow.com 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBC2HTX Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 9 hours ago, Houston19514 said: "decades long proximity to the redline" is a bit of stretch, considering the original portion of the red-line (which almost but didn't quite brush up against the near north side) is not yet "decades" old. You’re right, but everyone’s known about the expansion since at least 2009 and not much has happened. It’s pretty obvious that the area will eventually turn around, and if I were an investor then I’d buy but LIVING there is out of the question at the moment. Perhaps if I were a bachelor I’d make it work. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Uh, it's a little sleepy and scruffy-looking, but Near Northside is not a bad part of town at all. It wouldn't be my first choice of areas to live in, but that's because of a lack of close-in retail and restaurants (with a few notable exceptions). And house prices close to N Main are already surprisingly high. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 (edited) Two of the other sites adjacent to the two apartment buildings now have small "fences" around them. They've also dredged along the sidewalks. Looks like they're doing prelim work on the sites for construction. Edited January 24, 2021 by Two 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Anyone know if this is the same Aggie group pushing forward or someone else? Can't seem to find any info. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 They've flattened the fields today, other than the company sign of the people doing the prelim stuff didn't see any builder signs etc. of what they're doing. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) They put up some of the paperwork. And real fencing. *for the east field, the neighboring field has a fence too but I didn't see any signs. Edited January 27, 2021 by Two 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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