Jump to content

Walmart Supercenter At 111 Yale St.


HeyHatch

Walmart at Yale & I-10: For or Against  

160 members have voted

  1. 1. Q1: Regarding the proposed WalMart at Yale and I-10:

    • I live within a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am FOR this Walmart
      41
    • I live within a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am AGAINST this Walmart
      54
    • I live outside a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am FOR this Walmart
      30
    • I live outside a 3 mile radius (as the crow flies) and am AGAINST this Walmart
      26
    • Undecided
      9
  2. 2. Q2: If/when this proposed WalMart is built at Yale & I-10

    • I am FOR this WalMart and will shop at this WalMart
      45
    • I am FOR this WalMart but will not shop at this WalMart
      23
    • I am AGAINST this WalMart but will shop at this WalMart
      7
    • I am AGAINST this WalMart and will not shop at this WalMart
      72
    • Undecided
      13
  3. 3. Q3: WalMart in general

    • I am Pro-Walmart
      16
    • I am Anti-Walmart
      63
    • I don't care either way
      72
    • Undecided
      9

This poll is closed to new votes


Recommended Posts

I know, repaving roads can be a significant undertaking. It's just frustrating because the works seems to have stalled out over the past 2 months or so. The East side of the street is ripped up, and they haven't done anything to it. It's just a big pit.

I think I'm far enough away from Washington Ave to avoid the zombies. Some have been known to make their way all the way up to White Oak on Friday and Saturday nights though. That is worrisome. If they do demolish the bridge, can zombies swim across the bayou? Hmmm. I can't remember a zombie movie where their aversion to water was addressed.

Well, I hope the same thing hasn't happened here as happened to the people doing Kirkwood a few years ago. Work stopped for about 6 months as the company doing the street work was going through bankruptcy (or so I understood).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Repaved or resurfaced? There is a difference.

I guess repaved. When they were doing Shepherd I remember they stripped off the top 1-2 inches, grooved it, then laid down the asphalt. Yale (or the half of yale that's now gone) is all the way down to dirt - looks like 10-14 inches below the existing "road" (I use that term lightly, you'll understand if you've driven on it).

Ironically, they're progressing with the strip center - some kind of SuperCuts or something put up their sign in the past few days. They're probably accessing the storefronts from the Heights Blvd side, since you sure can't get there from Yale.

Edited by Jesse
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a sidenote, my wife made a good observation this weekend. We were coming up Heights from Washington, and I remarked that they were extending the gravel trail from the Heights Blvd median along the new Walmart/Strip center area (between I-10 and Washington). She said, "well, that's stupid, because you have to cross from the trail, across Heights to the East or West sidewalks, and then cross back over Heights to get to the median again around Koehler/2nd street". She was right - there's a bridge across the bayou on Northbound Heights and a bridge on Southbound Heights, but nothing in between except open air and a 50 foot drop. No way to extend the running trail through there, and the Heights bridges don't have sidewalks on the inside lanes.

See here: http://g.co/maps/gvrgx

It was a very astute observation

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is how you are supposed to cross every major intersection with a light along the Heights trail. If you get to 11th or 6th, you will note that there is no crosswalk in front of you that leaves your trail and goes across to the trail directly in front of you. You are supposed to cross right (or left) across Heights with the the light, then cross 6th or 11th, then cross Heights back to the median.

Edited by JJxvi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In other words, even if there was a pedestrian bridge built between the two Heights bridges to continue a path along the median, a pedestrian would be expected to cross to the sidewalks at the I-10 feeder roads regardless. Our lighted intersections are(apparently) not designed to handle pedestrian traffic crossing in the median safely (although most do anyway).

Edited by JJxvi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The new trail on Heights Blvd south of I-10 is just a failed attempt to try to get the community to believe that they are getting something out of the 6 mil of public funds being used to pay for infrastructure improvements mainly for the benefit of the richest corporation in the world. The new trail segment is a joke. No one going for a run or walking on Heights Blvd is going to risk life and limb trying to cross the feeder to get another .3 mile on the new trail segment. The new trail segment was really intended to try to make the new strip malls look more desireable to potential lessees back when they fantasized about chef driven restaurants and boutiques sharing a development with a Walmart Supercenter.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it were a lineup of Ross, Marshall's, and CitiTrends apparel instead of a Wal-Mart, the 380 Agreement with the developer would still have been a worthwhile deal. It didn't matter who the tenants were. The infrastructure would still have been wanted by the developer and the City (even if the City couldn't have been able to fund the improvements as quickly as they would've liked). There would also still be a marginal increase in the traffic count and congestion. The Yale Street bridge would still be unsafe, although nobody would've cared to call it out as such. RUDH and its constituency of high and mighty morally-superior Heights residents would've still whined at the prospect that an area near their neighborhood that isn't their neighborhood would be subject to an influx of townies.

The fact is, this thread is not about Wal-Mart. It's about self-important people that think that the world revolves around them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

TheNiche - specifically what infrastructure are you talking about? The vast majority (90%) of the infrastructure is REQUIRED to build the development. The only reason they are repaving roads is because they HAVE to - they are digging up the roads to connect the development to the City water, storm sewer and sanitary sewer systems. Once you dig up the road, you are obligated to repair it. The Traffic Impact Analysis requires the Koehler Street extension and the traffic light at Yale and Koehler.

There are a few items thrown in that aren't required - the esplanande work, some park work and cosmetic work on the bridges. The cosmetic work on the Yale Street Bridge is extremely suspect from a financial point of view in light of the ratings for that bridge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TheNiche - specifically what infrastructure are you talking about? The vast majority (90%) of the infrastructure is REQUIRED to build the development. The only reason they are repaving roads is because they HAVE to - they are digging up the roads to connect the development to the City water, storm sewer and sanitary sewer systems. Once you dig up the road, you are obligated to repair it. The Traffic Impact Analysis requires the Koehler Street extension and the traffic light at Yale and Koehler.

There are a few items thrown in that aren't required - the esplanande work, some park work and cosmetic work on the bridges. The cosmetic work on the Yale Street Bridge is extremely suspect from a financial point of view in light of the ratings for that bridge.

They would only cut a few feet into the road to access utilities. The 380 agreement allows the City to REPLACE the entire street, as well as REPLACE the water, sewer and storm water utilities. It is the same approach that the City has used on N. Main, Studewood, and 11th Street. The developer would not be obligated to replace the street and utilities just to access them.

This is all work that would be applauded by area residents if not for the Walmart being built nearby. Because of Walmart, (some) residents are now complaining about rehabilitation of dilapidated city streets. It is all quite amusing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"The 380 agreement allows the City to REPLACE the entire street, as well as REPLACE the water, sewer and storm water utilities."

Where did you get this information? The are connecting to existing infrastructure, not replacing it.

The City isn't doing this work - the developer is - and on their schedule. They are doing the minimum required for the development.

And not only is the amount of interest uncapped, so is the interest rate.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They only replaced half of Bonner - because they only tore up half of Bonner to connect to the sanitary sewer. Half is not the entire street. At times they had no permits for this work.

They are doing some replacement of storm sewer infrastructure on Yale - but only because it is required to keep the development from flooding. This will hasten the flow of water from the development's parking lot to White Oak Bayou - causing more flooding issues for Woodland Heights. Lack of retention is grandfathered in.

The infrastructure being developed is so that the development can meet minimum standards.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"The 380 agreement allows the City to REPLACE the entire street, as well as REPLACE the water, sewer and storm water utilities."

Where did you get this information? The are connecting to existing infrastructure, not replacing it.

The City isn't doing this work - the developer is - and on their schedule. They are doing the minimum required for the development.

And not only is the amount of interest uncapped, so is the interest rate.

It may be beneficial for you to define what you think 'minimum required' means, cause from what they are doing, and what I've seen other developers do as 'minimum required' don't add up to the same.

In my mind, minimum required would be cutting out the curb and pouring an entry into the parking lot, not redoing an entire street.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The requirements are set by the City, not by what I think are minimum requirements or by what you observe at other developments.

They have to cut open the street to connect to water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer. They are required to connect to water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer by the City. The City doesn't let them leave the street cut open, therefore they are required to rebuild the street. A lot of this infrastructure runs under streets which is why the street has to be torn up and rebuilt.

They are required to install traffic control devices that are laid out in their Traffic Impact Analysis which the City also requires them to do.

Redscare, yes, but it is required.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The requirements are set by the City, not by what I think are minimum requirements or by what you observe at other developments.

They have to cut open the street to connect to water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer. They are required to connect to water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer by the City. The City doesn't let them leave the street cut open, therefore they are required to rebuild the street. A lot of this infrastructure runs under streets which is why the street has to be torn up and rebuilt.

They are required to install traffic control devices that are laid out in their Traffic Impact Analysis which the City also requires them to do.

Redscare, yes, but it is required.

I should point out that much of this post is extreme exageration. Developers are not required to rebuild entire streets just to access utilities. They simply make street cuts. And going under the street is often not an impediment, as contractors can drill horizontally.

Keep in mind, that even though this is a new poster, he is not immune to making up requirements, just as the older poster does. Leonard, feel feel to link to the City Code sections that require entire street rebuilds for simple street cuts.

I'll be waiting patiently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where did you get this information? The are connecting to existing infrastructure, not replacing it.

So, you're arguing that (almost) six million dollars is being spent on a water/sewer connection. That's just ignorant.

Go research the issue on RUDH's website. Start with this document. Educate yourself before you spew falsehoods into the public sphere; at least then you can bloviate credibly.

The City isn't doing this work - the developer is - and on their schedule. They are doing the minimum required for the development.

According to the RUDH document I just linked to, the developer must make the following assurances and safeguards:

  • Ainbinder is required to construct the improvements up to City standards, obtain City approval of its plans and specifications, and abide by the permitting process. Art. II, §B.
  • The City engineer must certify Ainbinder’s work. Art. II, §B.
  • Ainbinder must hire its subcontractors using the “competitive seals proposal method” which the City may supervise. Art. II, §C.
  • Drainage on the land will be no worse than it was when it was operated as a steel mill. Art. 1, ¶2.
  • Ainbinder will convey to the City all public improvements (except the optional detention ponds) at the competition of each “integral stage” of construction. Art. II, § F.
  • The City may audit Ainbinder’s costs of construction at its own expense. Art. II, §G.
  • The City will require Ainbinder, at the tax payer’s expense, to: (1) Construct sidewalks wider that the standard 4 ft; and (2) plant trees along Yale and Heights that are larger in caliber than the standard 1.5”.

So...the developer is doing the work to the engineering specifications set forth by the City of Houston, however is specifically required to exceed the minimum standards in order to qualify for reimbursement. Your statement is factually incorrect according to people who have organized to agree with the sentiment of your comments!

And besides... If the City were doing it, would you expect that they should exceed their own specs? And if they did, then what would be the point of them having specs in the first place? If the City is either over-building its infrastructure or under-specifying it, then isn't it the City's fault rather than those that play by the City's rules? And shouldn't you just be pissed off in general, understanding that vastly more work is being done by the City to its own specs than is being done at this one inconsequential site?

And not only is the amount of interest uncapped, so is the interest rate.

The effective term of the loan is flexible, providing the City with up to 15 months after the anchor tenant opens to make payment. Payment could be made sooner if the City so desires. Interest rates on a shopping center with Wal-Mart as a pre-leased anchor should be very low; and prime + 1% on any portion attributed to equity rather than debt is also very favorable to the City. In any case, six million dollars in the grand scheme of a much more expensive development does not create incentive for the developer to try to draw out the project or to obtain anything but the lowest-cost financing. The on-time completion of the shopping center is in everyone's mutual and unconflicted interest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I am arguing that the $6M is for water and sewer connections and traffic controls required by the TIA for the project. What do you think it's for?

Which minimum standards are exceeded?

There's nothing that compels Ainbinder to take out a single loan for the 380 items and the rest of the project. There is no cap on interest rate in the 380. Whether or not you think they will get a great interest rate does not change the fact that the contract does not protect the City. In fact, the 380 itself calls for 10% interest rate if the City does not pay on the 15 month anniversary.

The interest does not start accumulating when the Walmart opens, it starts accumulating when Ainbinder borrows it. Ainbinder started accumulating interest on the money they borrowed for the Koehler Street Extension over a year before construction started (they did not start construction for over a year after the 380 passed).

The Orr development started after the Ainbinder development. The Orr development is almost complete. Although there is no schedule in the 380, it's already too late for the Ainbinder development to open "on time".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I am arguing that the $6M is for water and sewer connections and traffic controls required by the TIA for the project. What do you think it's for?

Which minimum standards are exceeded?

There's nothing that compels Ainbinder to take out a single loan for the 380 items and the rest of the project. There is no cap on interest rate in the 380. Whether or not you think they will get a great interest rate does not change the fact that the contract does not protect the City. In fact, the 380 itself calls for 10% interest rate if the City does not pay on the 15 month anniversary.

The interest does not start accumulating when the Walmart opens, it starts accumulating when Ainbinder borrows it. Ainbinder started accumulating interest on the money they borrowed for the Koehler Street Extension over a year before construction started (they did not start construction for over a year after the 380 passed).

The Orr development started after the Ainbinder development. The Orr development is almost complete. Although there is no schedule in the 380, it's already too late for the Ainbinder development to open "on time".

Translation: Because I don't know all of what is included, I will assume nothing other than what we already know is included. Then, we will throw out some terms without context, knowing that everyone who hates Walmart will shriek in horror at said terms, without knowing whether those terms are bad or not.

Meanwhile, we will lambaste those who actually appreciate new infrastructure as supporters of corruption and cronyism.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...