Hardy Yards Developments

[cjmalek]

I understand all of that. All of the improvements you mentioned are apart of the Transit Corridor plans the city introduced some time ago. The same improvements are occurring along the southeast line and east line as well (They really need to come up with better line names, something simple like 1, 2, 3, etc.). What I'm trying to say is I don't believe that the city is that concerned about the future of that SITE at the moment. The city is clearly concerned about the development of downtown, midtown, and east downtown. Because this is such an amazing site location wise, I firmly believe that we have to address the issues of connection to the site. Just extending San Jacinto is not enough, there needs to be serious work done to make the site more accessible. Without those numerous connections to downtown (pedestrian, bike, car, bus, and rail) it will be never live up to its full potential. It will become just another Houston island. Take for example highland village or greenway plaza. Imagine how much better highland village would be if it were in a more walkable, connected, urban setting. Greenway plaza is even worse, they are building a lot of housing along richmond and in the surrounding areas. This makes for a completely miserable experience. You are forced to use your car to go anywhere, there are no real walkable options. This is why I believe that there needs to better connections to north downtown and to the site. Also the architecture and planning visualized in the rendering is completely mediocre for a site with such potential. 

[tierwestah]

The inclusion of an elevator doesn't mean anything. It's an ADA requirement, also I wouldn't take the giant stairs coming outwards as a indicator that something will be developed there. It's more poor design. I would personally love to see something happen there, but it is not really a priority for the city and really isn't deserving of development at this point in time. We need to focus on making midtown better and actually develop the east side of downtown. I think once all of that is fully in progress then we should focus or attention there. There is such a disconnect between the rail yard site and downtown and until that is addressed I don't think it will be a very successful project. You need much more than a transit stop to make it well connected. That being said I think if they got a proper architect, and had pedestrian, bike, bus, car, and rail connections to downtown this would be amazing. Without those factors it would be severely lacking and be a sort dissconnected island. Which we have to many of already.

 

Look i'm not a professional, nor am I going to try to pretend like I am one. But my one question for you is, in a city where many different projects are happening in various parts of the city; midtown, downtown, uptown, rice village, medical center, memorial city, upper kirby, etc. Why does the city only have to be limited to midtown and eado in terms of focus. They each have their own management distrcits ie midtown management district, and east end management district.

 

I understand all of that. All of the improvements you mentioned are apart of the Transit Corridor plans the city introduced some time ago.  Without those numerous connections to downtown (pedestrian, bike, car, bus, and rail) it will be never live up to its full potential. It will become just another Houston island. Take for example highland village or greenway plaza. Imagine how much better highland village would be if it were in a more walkable, connected, urban setting. Greenway plaza is even worse, they are building a lot of housing along richmond and in the surrounding areas. This makes for a completely miserable experience. You are forced to use your car to go anywhere, there are no real walkable options. This is why I believe that there needs to better connections to north downtown and to the site. Also the architecture and planning visualized in the rendering is completely mediocre for a site with such potential. 

 

The better connection problem you speak of is already happening with the opening of the North rail Line being the first step. I could be wrong, but i think the improvements/expansions UHD made a few years ago was also apart of that first step. I'm thinking they knew that area would possibly become something when the openings of the rail line finally came through. Those pedestrian/bike plans will be an easy addition after that.

[cjmalek]

The city isn't focused on the development of the other areas, those all develop on their own. Unlike how the city is focused on downtown, midtown, and east downtown. Which is evident by the developer tax incentives, park improvements, rethinking parking, improving sidewalks, countless studies, etc. I'm not saying the city should ignore this area and they are not. They are looking into ways to better connect north downtown to the rest of downtown and extending San Jacinto to Burnett. But until they have any thing certain you can't properly build something there, sure you can build something now with no knowledge of how the city aims to improve the infrastructure and connections to the area. It would end up being counter productive. IMO. Essentially the only connection to the site is via rail or main, it's not enough. Creating pedestrian and bike access is not an easy fix. There are significant impediments, such as 1-10, the train tracks, industrial nature of area in-between the site and downtown.  Houston has to develop it's core if it wants to compete with other cities and attract top talent. We need to improve the livability of our city. This would be a good addition, but there are better places for resources to be used. I think this area won't develop until east downtown has good momentum going. I mean the east downtown area didn't receive attention until midtown already had good momentum. Developers learned that people wanted to live in downtown/downtown adjacent. I think developers are aware of the rail yards site, but are waiting to see if east downtown can gain momentum similar to midtown. 

[xsatyr]

I understand all of that. All of the improvements you mentioned are apart of the Transit Corridor plans the city introduced some time ago. The same improvements are occurring along the southeast line and east line as well (They really need to come up with better line names, something simple like 1, 2, 3, etc.). What I'm trying to say is I don't believe that the city is that concerned about the future of that SITE at the moment. The city is clearly concerned about the development of downtown, midtown, and east downtown. Because this is such an amazing site location wise, I firmly believe that we have to address the issues of connection to the site. Just extending San Jacinto is not enough, there needs to be serious work done to make the site more accessible. Without those numerous connections to downtown (pedestrian, bike, car, bus, and rail) it will be never live up to its full potential. It will become just another Houston island. Take for example highland village or greenway plaza. Imagine how much better highland village would be if it were in a more walkable, connected, urban setting. Greenway plaza is even worse, they are building a lot of housing along richmond and in the surrounding areas. This makes for a completely miserable experience. You are forced to use your car to go anywhere, there are no real walkable options. This is why I believe that there needs to better connections to north downtown and to the site. Also the architecture and planning visualized in the rendering is completely mediocre for a site with such potential. 

 

Such a horrible suggestion.

[Triton]

What I'm trying to say is I don't believe that the city is that concerned about the future of that SITE at the moment. The city is clearly concerned about the development of downtown, midtown, and east downtown.

 

Ok, when I say Northside (aka, Northside Village), I'm talking about an entire area, not just a specific location or site. My entire paragraph was about the hundreds of improvements that the city is either currently working on or finished within the past 2 years. The city is concerned with downtown, midtown, and EaDo but again it is also clearly trying to make over the Northside Village area to attract developers. And then my point was that it looks like it is working... CitySide just recently set up a sign for a new project right on the rail line and then another row of townhomes is starting up near this Burnett Station. "If they build it, they will come."

[cjmalek]

Ok, yeah sorry about that then. I was only talking about the the rail yards site. If talking about the whole area surrounding the north line, I'm glad to see the improvements made and hope the city move forward fith full force!

[cjmalek]

I don't see how it's a horrible suggestion seeing as how it is the standard system of naming for most inner city rail transportation. The actual route should be named, not the line of tracks. It allows for only 4 options movement along the lines. It would allow for multiple routes, like an east end to northside route or southeast to northside route. It would allow for the possibility of express routes, n

[cjmalek]

ot sure if there would be the capacity for express routes with out more tracks to pass non express routes.

[xsatyr]

I don't see how it's a horrible suggestion seeing as how it is the standard system of naming for most inner city rail transportation. The actual route should be named, not the line of tracks. It allows for only 4 options movement along the lines. It would allow for multiple routes, like an east end to northside route or southeast to northside route. It would allow for the possibility of express routes, n

 

Our rail is not that extensive where numbers are needed. I am sure they have a system in place for direct routes but then again it's Metro...

[cjmalek]

True. As of now it is not as extensive, but based on Metro's 2050 vision there will probably be a system in place that could support the "numbered routes"

[Specwriter]

Someone let me know if this is not more universally the case but in the cities with which I am familiar (Chicago, Washington D. C, and the San Francisco Bay Area primarily) the train lines are referred to by color, e.g. The Blue Line, The Yellow Line, etc. This is useful to the visitor or tourist because the "maps" at the stations or on the trains are usually schematic (not to scale and not accurately representing the geographical route of the trains). This is especially true it seems of subway trains.

I think if Houston winds up with no more than 8 major light rail lines (wouldn't that be something), giving each line a color name would work just fine. After all my first box of Crayola crayons had 8 different colors.

[Ross]

Someone let me know if this is not more universally the case but in the cities with which I am familiar (Chicago, Washington D. C, and the San Francisco Bay Area primarily) the train lines are referred to by color, e.g. The Blue Line, The Yellow Line, etc. This is useful to the visitor or tourist because the "maps" at the stations or on the trains are usually schematic (not to scale and not accurately representing the geographical route of the trains). This is especially true it seems of subway trains.

I think if Houston winds up with no more than 8 major light rail lines (wouldn't that be something), giving each line a color name would work just fine. After all my first box of Crayola crayons had 8 different colors.

London intra-city rail (the Underground) has names for all of th elines. Bakerloo, Jubilee, District, Circle, etc.

[Montrose1100]

London intra-city rail (the Underground) has names for all of th elines. Bakerloo, Jubilee, District, Circle, etc.

 

Just like our Freeways. The only name of the line I don't like is the Brown line. There are a million other colors I could think of other then Brown.

[Houston19514]

Just like our Freeways. The only name of the line I don't like is the Brown line. There are a million other colors I could think of other then Brown.

 

Are you referring to Houston Metro??   We don't have a Brown line, nor do we have one planned.

[Triton]

Are you referring to Houston Metro??   We don't have a Brown line, nor do we have one planned.

It was originally referred to as Brown Line but was changed when people complained that it went through a Hispanic/black area.

 

Edit: The Green Line.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Triton

[Montrose1100]

Wow shows how up to date I am. Yeah that's the one I was talking about.

[totheskies]

Word on the street is that UH-D wants a piece of this action too. They plan on locating student housing in the immediate vicinity of this station, as well as establishing special leases with existing apartments in the Near Northside. I've heard this both from members of UH-D's student government, and from a member of the upper administration.

Regardless of what else happens, student housing for UH-D will be in this area within two years' time.

[scarface]

Word on the street is that UH-D wants a piece of this action too. They plan on locating student housing in the immediate vicinity of this station, as well as establishing special leases with existing apartments in the Near Northside. I've heard this both from members of UH-D's student government, and from a member of the upper administration.

Regardless of what else happens, student housing for UH-D will be in this area within two years' time.

 

This would be great news. But part of me feels for those owners of those crappy, decaying homes who will be displaced. But that might be the spark that revitalizes that area.

[lockmat]

This is listed in the variance section of the summary plat report.

Found this: http://udsonline.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=49&Itemid=18

http://www.ridemetro.org/AboutUs/Board/working_meetings/2011/Presentations/12-2011/122011-Board%20Meeting/20-CRV-Hardy-Yards-Settlement-Agreement122011.pdf

http://www.707walnut.com/sketches/proposed-buffalo-bayou-diversion-channel/

 

Looks like townhomes might be in the northern area

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2013 by lockmat

[JamesL]

I think if Houston winds up with no more than 8 major light rail lines (wouldn't that be something), giving each line a color name would work just fine. After all my first box of Crayola crayons had 8 different colors.

 

Believe it or not, they thought of that. North, East End, and Southeast are the project names. They will be operated as the Red, Green, and Purple Lines.

[cloud713]

(i cant really tell whats going on in the drawing/plans, though i noticed some plans were a couple years old)..

i hope they save some space for a high speed rail terminal at the Hardy Rail Yard. it would be awesome to have the high speed rail line from Dallas come into the city along the Hardy Tollroad since there are already existing train tracks and ROW in place.. the trains could follow the new Hardy Tollroad Downtown Connector to the Hardy Rail Yard. 

i know the idea is a stretch but it makes perfect sense IMO. do they really want a terminal way out of the city, or at an airport (in this case, BOTH)? the high speed rail needs to be connected to the light rail system and light rail doesnt go far enough north to for the HSR terminal to be anywhere else but inside the city, and the Hardy Rail Yards is the perfect place.

Edited July 22, 2013 by cloud713

[musicman]

Years ago on a thread, there's discussion where the owner of the rail line stated it will NOT be used for passenger rail because the line is too busy commercially.  The article was originally in the chronicle.  This article came out because METRO kept pushing for the intermodal but the owner stated they were not even contacted by METRO about this "plan".   UHD is a good bet that they try and get in on the action.

Edited July 22, 2013 by musicman

[LTAWACS]

Any updates?

[Urbannizer]

 

 

 

Hardy Yards Redevelopment Plan and Landscape Architecture

 

http://www.designworkshop.com/steven-spears/#

 

Mixed–use, transit-oriented redevelopment of the former Union Pacific railyards, located adjacent to downtown Houston, that links the site to 250,000 jobs. 

• Reclaimed 100% of the site from railyard to development.
• Preserved 37% of the development edge facing the city skyline for the public through parks and street right of way.
• All units within a five-minute walking distance to a park.
• Increased walkability by 35% over City standards, allowing for more direct connection to and from the adjacent light rail station.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Urbannizer

[Houston?]

Sooooooo, is this STILL a go? I love it!!!

[shasta]

From that rendering, it looks like it still is a proposal.

[lockmat]

From that rendering, it looks like it still is a proposal.

This is at least the second or third rendering that shows that same exact park. Looks as final as the regent square renderings to me

[Houston?]

I hope someone has more info on this thing!

[arche_757]

I'm not clear on that rendering?  It looks like a hodge-podge of different apartments with different styles.  Far from some sort of unifying masterplanned center (think City Center or any of those Uptown projects of similar scope).  And the firm with the rendering is a landscape architecture/urban planning firm it would seem.

 

I don't see how this project has legs with just residential and parkscape (as is presented in that rendering), and not to mention the fact that there are plenty of brand new (or soon to be finished) apartments targetting the exact same demographic as depicted here all over the inner loop.

 

A shame they didn't have the forward sort of vision needed to incorporate Dynamo Stadium into this overall development.

[Texasota]

It's possible to have one firm design the infrastructure, landscaping etc and have other firms come and plug their buildings in. I believe Hines is doing something similar north of Memorial.

 

Honestly, I prefer that approach. Real cities are not like City Centre; they *are* a hodge-podge.