Hardy Yards Developments

[scarface 122]

That's pretty crazy! I thought there was going to be a ribbon-cutting ceremony...

Edited September 24, 2006 by scarface

[houston-development 6]

hardy site is now up for sale

link

[TheNiche 944]

hardy site is now up for sale

link

Just cross your fingers and hope that the price doesn't go too high. The higher the price from this flip, the less likely is short-term development.

[scarface 122]

Just cross your fingers and hope that the price doesn't go too high. The higher the price from this flip, the less likely is short-term development.

i'm just glad that it looks like they're adding retail into the equation. It would have kind of defeated the purpose if they didn't. If i'm not mistaken, that third rendering looks like there may be a farmers market there.

Edited September 22, 2006 by scarface

[TheNiche 944]

i'm just glad that it looks like they're adding retail into the equation. It would have kind of defeated the purpose if they didn't. If i'm not mistaken, that third rendering looks like there may be a farmers market there.

They're selling the land, not the concept. The ideas presented are ENTIRELY conceptual, used only as marketing materials.

Don't count on what you see presented from CBRE as being the end result.

[Subdude 1606]

So this could really end up as anything. I'm wondering if any developer will still have an appetite for a large residential development in a somewhat risky area. Looking at Camden's failure to develop the Midtown superblock, I would guess it may be a long time before anything happens there.

[tierwestah 8]

They're selling the land, not the concept. The ideas presented are ENTIRELY conceptual, used only as marketing materials.

Don't count on what you see presented from CBRE as being the end result.

A little confused here. Your second sentence kind of contradicts your first. First you say they're not selling the concept but then your second statement says that the concept is being used for marketing?

[TheNiche 944]

A little confused here. Your second sentence kind of contradicts your first. First you say they're not selling the concept but then your second statement says that the concept is being used for marketing?

They are using the conceptual land plan as a tool for marketing purposes. The idea is to show prospective buyers what could be possible. And although I'm sure that the rights to the preliminary land planning that has been conducted this far will be sold with the property, the new owner is not bound by some contractual obligation to develop Hardy Yards as shown here.

They will do whatever they damned well please with it and they'll do it at a time of their choosing.

What you see is NOT what you get.

[houston-development 6]

theniche speaks the truth, for better or for worse

[lockmat 2340]

So what does the sale of the property mean? What happened to the investors who bought it a couple years ago? Do yall think they changed their minds, and that's why they're selling it? Or are they just trying to profit?

I don't know how this stuff works.

Confused

Edited December 6, 2006 by lockmat

[TheNiche 944]

So what does the sale of the property mean? What happened to the investors who bought it a couple years ago? Do yall think they changed their minds, and that's why they're selling it? Or are they just trying to profit?

Cypress also had a stake in the Westcreek redevelopment, which they also sold off. It could just be profit taking, or it could be that something spooked them or one of their major stakeholders about the Houston market. Its really hard to say what is going on internally with them...could be nearly anything.

I don't know how this stuff works.

Those who know how this stuff works know enough to know that they don't know either...unless they're an insider...

psst...Houston-development, that's your cue!

[tierwestah 8]

So in other words, it's a big IF if this thing will be built as a residential establishment or even be built at all!

[TheNiche 944]

So in other words, it's a big IF if this thing will be built as a residential establishment or even be built at all!

In a word, yes.

But I can guarantee you that something will be built...eventually. The question is what and when.

[C2H 19]

In a word, yes.

But I can guarantee you that something will be built...eventually. The question is what and when.

Noooo. Houston development, make him stop. Tell us he's wrong

[houston-development 6]

dont have any inside information, honest.

know they cleaned the site and its significantly more valuable than when they bought it. would think they could easily make 3x on their money.

hardy will be eventually redeveloped; probably by an out of state group.

[lockmat 2340]

I've never seen this rendering of Hardy Rail Yard project, have y'all? I got it from here:

http://www.aiahouston.org/udc/CURRENTEVENTS-jun04.htm

Or this one:

Edited January 19, 2007 by lockmat

[TheNiche 944]

I've never seen this rendering of Hardy Rail Yard project, have y'all? I got it from here:

Yep. A long time ago.

[Montrose1100 3878]

Looks like a University.

[buildingunbuildingrebuilding 0]

Cypress is much more of a land speculator/value adder than they are a vertical developer. They are fantastic at identifying a site, cleaning it up, creating a vision, and then selling it off to someone else who will actually develop it. I question whether they ever intended on doing much more on this site than they have.

[Trae 221]

So what will happen with this project. Lets use Dallas' motto for Victory, if you build it, they will come.

[TheNiche 944]

So what will happen with this project. Lets use Dallas' motto for Victory, if you build it, they will come.

And if we build out Hardy Yards, Allen House, BLVD Place, Westcreek, High Street, Town & Country, KBR/Halliburton, and Astroworld nearly simultaneously?

There is no question in my mind that they will come. ...but in what number and at what price point?

[H-Town Man 5131]

Costco.

[wxman 893]

I think I'm more excited about this project than anything. The east side is...well lets face it, ghetto! This will be a nice addition. The only thing is, I haven't heard one thing about it. Is this project dead?

[Subdude 1606]

Merged duplicate topics.

[Vertigo58 46]

I think I'm more excited about this project than anything. The east side is...well lets face it, ghetto! This will be a nice addition. The only thing is, I haven't heard one thing about it. Is this project dead?

Just wonder if you could please clarify on the note about East Side being "ghetto".

Hardy Road area is considered the Near North Side. That's like comparing east coast to west coast. Hardy runs north to south.

These statements are what gives people that are unfamiliar with Houston a bad image/perception of certain parts of Houston. Not angry, just want to see where East side played into this topic?

Finally, East End is so vast to assume all of it is a slum is just not a well thought out comment. The Near East End and the far east side are seperate worlds altogether.

On a happier note we can assume it is all slum and that should raise the flag for realtors to move in and buy up the cheap properties! So maybe your comment will serve as a positive! Now thats turning a negative into a positive. Thanks! >

[The Great Hizzy! 24]

The Hardy Yards area I would classify as the near Northside, which certainly has its struggling areas in the ten to fifteen block area north of the Hardy Yard site. But this is definitely not the East End. The East End is quite diverse, with some areas, particularly north of Harrisburg and Navigation, that one might equate to a ghetto, but with other areas like Eastwood that are pretty solid communities with rising property values and impressive older homes.

As for the near Northside... yes, that area is certainly a shell of its former self. However, over the past couple of years, there's already been a slow but steady expansion of new residential units, including affordable single-family homes. I really like the potential of the area.

As far as the realization of HY itself... I think the most important steps right now in its evolution are the gradual purchasing of defunct structures currently on the site. When the key developers are able to secure those parcels, it becomes that much more of a realistic project.

Edited May 1, 2007 by The Great Hizzy!

[wxman 893]

East as in the east side of DT. Anyway, I've lived in Houston since 89' and I can tell you that Houston deserves it's bad image because it does nothing to clean up slum areas. You can't tell me that the gulf freeway inside the loop or the north frwy all the way to Greenspoint is not ghetto? Not to mention the "energy corridor." What an embarassment. I think energy corridor I think high rises and tree lined streets, lights...I dont' know. When you drive down I-10 (I'm talking about inside the loop) there is grafitti and rusted out overpasses and buildings that havent' been used in years. That's something to be proud of...let me tell ya.

I love Houston...don't get me wrong. It's WAY better than Dallas. But when you drive through other cities, you don't see the poor areas. Houston, which has the most expensive zip code in TX, are all hidden. I just wish they could do something that would clean our image up. Houston has great potential. Somebody told me that Houston is just simply reality. Maybe they are right. It was not my goal to offend anybody...it's just simply my opinion.

About the topic...has anybody heard anything new on the Rail Yards? I think it would be a great addition.

[KinkaidAlum 2866]

East as in the east side of DT. Anyway, I've lived in Houston since 89' and I can tell you that Houston deserves it's bad image because it does nothing to clean up slum areas. You can't tell me that the gulf freeway inside the loop or the north frwy all the way to Greenspoint is not ghetto? Not to mention the "energy corridor." What an embarassment. I think energy corridor I think high rises and tree lined streets, lights...I dont' know. When you drive down I-10 (I'm talking about inside the loop) there is grafitti and rusted out overpasses and buildings that havent' been used in years. That's something to be proud of...let me tell ya.

I love Houston...don't get me wrong. It's WAY better than Dallas. But when you drive through other cities, you don't see the poor areas. Houston, which has the most expensive zip code in TX, are all hidden. I just wish they could do something that would clean our image up. Houston has great potential. Somebody told me that Houston is just simply reality. Maybe they are right. It was not my goal to offend anybody...it's just simply my opinion.

About the topic...has anybody heard anything new on the Rail Yards? I think it would be a great addition.

Uh, why would the wealthiest folks want to live next to a freeway? Additionally, just South of 1-10 outside the Loop is the 77024 zip code. It is mega-wealthy but you can't see it through the trees. Maybe we should cut those down for our image problem?

[musicman 193]

I love Houston...don't get me wrong. It's WAY better than Dallas. But when you drive through other cities, you don't see the poor areas. Houston, which has the most expensive zip code in TX, are all hidden. I just wish they could do something that would clean our image up. Houston has great potential. Somebody told me that Houston is just simply reality. Maybe they are right. It was not my goal to offend anybody...it's just simply my opinion.

About the topic...has anybody heard anything new on the Rail Yards? I think it would be a great addition.

if 45 south is the poorest area of houston.....then we're in GREAT shape!

Edited May 1, 2007 by musicman

[MyEvilTwin 4]

I love Houston...don't get me wrong. It's WAY better than Dallas. But when you drive through other cities, you don't see the poor areas. Houston, which has the most expensive zip code in TX, are all hidden. I just wish they could do something that would clean our image up. Houston has great potential. Somebody told me that Houston is just simply reality. Maybe they are right. It was not my goal to offend anybody...it's just simply my opinion.

Two words explain why a lot of Houston doesn't look so pretty from the interstates: Feeder roads.

They're super-convenient, but nothing obscures blight like a tree-lined buffer along a freeway.

[TheNiche 944]

I think I'm more excited about this project than anything. The east side is...well lets face it, ghetto! This will be a nice addition. The only thing is, I haven't heard one thing about it. Is this project dead?

This was never a project to begin with. The former landowners have a business model that involves sweeping in, buying a high-profile property, cleaning it up if necessary, getting architects and planners to come up with amazing renderings that can be publicized in the Chronicle, and then selling the land to someone else. The 'someone else' is not in any form obligated to follow the conceptualized designs...and thus far, they aren't.

This should be viewed for the time being as nothing more than a land play.

[TheNiche 944]

East as in the east side of DT. Anyway, I've lived in Houston since 89' and I can tell you that Houston deserves it's bad image because it does nothing to clean up slum areas. You can't tell me that the gulf freeway inside the loop or the north frwy all the way to Greenspoint is not ghetto? Not to mention the "energy corridor." What an embarassment. I think energy corridor I think high rises and tree lined streets, lights...I dont' know. When you drive down I-10 (I'm talking about inside the loop) there is grafitti and rusted out overpasses and buildings that havent' been used in years. That's something to be proud of...let me tell ya.

I love Houston...don't get me wrong. It's WAY better than Dallas. But when you drive through other cities, you don't see the poor areas. Houston, which has the most expensive zip code in TX, are all hidden. I just wish they could do something that would clean our image up. Houston has great potential. Somebody told me that Houston is just simply reality. Maybe they are right. It was not my goal to offend anybody...it's just simply my opinion.

About the topic...has anybody heard anything new on the Rail Yards? I think it would be a great addition.

This is BS. I'm an East End property owner and know the folks at the Greater East End Management District very well. They have been publicizing the hell out of their grafitti-fighting efforts and generally have the spraypaint removed within a day or two of it being applied. They also have a clean-up crew to handle litter. It is one of the best-run management districts in the State, especially considering that they have so much on their plate. In fact, they just had a huge Economic Development luncheon featuring Michael Gallis earlier today at the UH Hilton. Big turnout. Not many management districts could pull that kind of crowd.

As for the Energy Corridor, another area with a very good management district and an area in which I work, the rusted-out overpasses at BW8 & I-10 are getting torn down and replaced...but that isn't actually the energy corridor to begin with. ...and it certainly doesn't extend inside the loop! I cannot think of any grafitti that I've seen. And "buildings that haven't been used in years"? What planet are you on? It is second only to the TMC in the amount of new construction!

Also, I see poor areas of Dallas from the freeway very easily. I also see them from street-level.

[tierwestah 8]

Also, I see poor areas of Dallas from the freeway very easily. I also see them from street-level.

The north Central Expressway (75) gives the illusion that Dallas is a perfect, flawless drive throughout the entire 395 sq mi of Dallas. I bet that's what wx is comparing Houston to. Once you travel deep into the neighborhoods or off I-35, you see that Dallas isn't all glitz and glamour, especially areas in South Dallas. Dallas is just like Houston.

Edited May 2, 2007 by tierwestah

[RedScare 1667]

Perhaps wxman should address his complaints to the highway planners and civic leaders of the 1950s. It was they who decided that the interstate highways should not bisect the wealthy neighborhoods, but in fact should cut through the poor and middle class neighborhoods, since those properties were less expensive, and frankly, the rich people did not want highways near their homes. The planners and civic leaders did not care what the view was, because...well...it is a highway, not a scenic parkway.

Houston is not alone in this. Cities throughout the country ran their freeways through the poor neighborhoods. Additionally, TxDOT has historically not used its funds for highway beautification. Only in the last 5-10 years has that been a concern, and in fact, Central Expressway was one of the first highways to get that treatment.

[tierwestah 8]

Only in the last 5-10 years has that been a concern, and in fact, Central Expressway was one of the first highways to get that treatment.

Well not for too much longer. TXDOT is planning on yanking some of the greenery from the median of North Central Expressway and replacing it with rocks. Read and weep!

http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php?t=6775

[Highway6 387]

Well not for too much longer. TXDOT is planning on yanking some of the greenery from the median of North Central Expressway and replacing it with rocks. Read and weep!

http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php?t=6775

Interesting find, Tierwestah

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...ts.31740df.html

[houston-development 6]

Anyway, I've lived in Houston since 89' and I can tell you that Houston deserves it's bad image because it does nothing to clean up slum areas.

huh?

do you remember what midtown, reliant park, tmc south, washington ave, downtown, montrose, etc looked like in the late 80s and early 90s as compared to today?

not a chance you would have found me in those areas after sundown. well, except for going to emos, club some, and that dance club in downtown (cant remember name) on occasion

Edited May 2, 2007 by houston-development

[gto250us 12]

From what I hear this project is now DEAD, thanks to Metro. Metro TOOK something like 12 acres of the 46 acre Hardy Yards project though emanate domain, thus screwing the development company.

[Trae 221]

Hopefully things develop around the Intermodel Station Metro is building.

[TheNiche 944]

From what I hear this project is now DEAD, thanks to Metro. Metro TOOK something like 12 acres of the 46 acre Hardy Yards project though emanate domain, thus screwing the development company.

This project was DOA. ...by design.

[T 2 THA C 5]

I would imagine this area can't stay vacant too long after the Intermodal is built.

[tanith27 308]

Not to stray too far off topic, but whats the timeline on this new station happening?

[RedScare 1667]

From what I hear this project is now DEAD, thanks to Metro. Metro TOOK something like 12 acres of the 46 acre Hardy Yards project though emanate domain, thus screwing the development company.

I think you got some bad info. METRO has purchased land adjacent to land it already owned in the area, but I do not believe it was by eminent domain. If the developer sold 12 acres, it was likely willingly, making Niche's statement more accurate.

Coincidentally, I just heard something about this proerty a couple of days ago, and it did not involve residential or mixed use. I'll check to see if it was speculation or fact before I repeat it here.

[houston-development 6]

i agree with red scare. think you got some bad info but i could be mistaken.

[bkjones98 3]

From what I hear this project is now DEAD, thanks to Metro. Metro TOOK something like 12 acres of the 46 acre Hardy Yards project though emanate domain, thus screwing the development company.

A "taking" is essentially just a forced sale to the state, however both the 5th amendment to the United States Constitution and Art. 1 of the Texas Constitution require "just compensation".

[woolie 138]

This was never a development anyway. It's always been purely a land-hold. Their plan was to resell it down the road to a "bricks and mortar" developer. The renderings are 100% marketing fluff.

[RedScare 1667]

Exactly. That point was made earlier in the thread. Besides, a suggestion that using 12 acres for an intermodal transit facility somehow RUINS the other 34 acres is downright silly. For comparison, 34 acres is equivalent to 16+ downtown blocks with street grids. 12 acres is approximately the size of the new downtown park. Every empty block surrounding the new park comprises less than 16 blocks, yet no one is suggesting that the park ruin possible development of the surrounding area. 34 acres is probably still the largest contiguous tract of developable land in the downtown or close in area.

[kennyc05 336]

yo any updates

[gto250us 12]

There was a thread regarding the Hardy Yards development which is now pretty much dead, from what I have heard. That location seems like a good place to move all of the HPD and HFD garages and warehouses. Moving that stuff would allow for additonal development around the Elder Street lofts area, which now cluttered by all those lousy garages. Any thoughts?

[Vertigo58 46]

There are about 3 very similar if not almost identical topics of this area. I had to laugh when someone called in East End, a riot.

One topic is called Near Northside.

There have been numerous times that articles are written or media sensationalizes planned developements or new construction, get everyone excited and poof! nada, nothing. I recall such a deal on the Hardy Yards a few years ago. Last discussed here it was scrapped, like the scene was cut from the film. Old adage, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

Take a drive one day to area of Quitman and Chapman street and look towards DT skyline. There is so much potential for that huge area. Perfect for a stadium?