East River: Mixed-Use Development By Midway

[HoustonMidtown]

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

[HOUTEX]

On 3/27/2020 at 12:31 PM, JBTX said:

 

Soil sample crews are back on site again. Interestingly, the Midway signs have been taken down.

Pretty sure Midway sold that site some time back. 

[I'm Not a Robot]

21 minutes ago, HOUTEX said:

Pretty sure Midway sold that site some time back. 

 

Their signs had been up at the site the last time I was over there about a month ago and had just been put up within the two years or so. 

 

My understanding is that they were trying to hold onto this lot to attract something like a grocery store or an anchor type building for the East End. Unless they sold to Marquette it would surprise me to find that they let this go to another developer. 

[JBTX]

Yeah, the signs literally went down the day I posted that. I live by the lot and see it daily.

[Urbannizer]

New Maritime Museum confirmed for East River.

 

See pg 8

 

https://issuu.com/midway2/docs/district_ss2020

 

[Urbannizer]

threads merged

[Mr.Clean19]

New virtual tours added to website... I dont know how to link!!! Seperated out by Retail and Office tours.

 

https://eastriverhtx.com/

 

[Naviguessor]

Its, Interesting that the property fronting Clinton, is continues to be excluded from the phased development.  Midway has loosely indicated that town-home, or single family residential was likely, I wonder if this is still the case. 

 

[samagon]

every time I see the size of this site on a map I am blown away by the scope.

[HoustonMidtown]

Far East side....

 

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

 

[BuffaloBayouBred]

[Houstonian4Life]

[TheSirDingle]

🤔... interesting.

[Luminare]

[Efkelly25]

What does this mean?

[Luminare]

1 hour ago, Efkelly25 said:

What does this mean?

 

BGE is an engineering firm. They are currently working on storm and sewer infrastructure on site, particularly at the Bayou. My guess is someone decided to have a little fun with the application.

[Efkelly25]

The work that is going on the site. Is that for East River or the Buffalo Bayou. I haven’t seen much activity there in awhile? 

[tangledwoods]

FYI storm troopers are water quality devices designed to improve the quality of discharge storm water from the site.  Cool name and a cool product:

https://parkusa.com/index.php/corporate/241-stormwater-division/stormwater-quality-category/hydrodynamic-separator-product/stormtrooper-aq

[HoustonMidtown]

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

[j_cuevas713]

49 minutes ago, HoustonMidtown said:

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

Is it just me or does the bayou looks cleaner due to all the clean up upstream?

Edited June 16, 2020 by j_cuevas713

[Naviguessor]

There hasn’t been rain. Low flow settles and clears up the water.  

Edited June 17, 2020 by Naviguessor

[ArtNsf]

17 hours ago, HoustonMidtown said:

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

 

although this looks great and is very nice.  it won't be long until mother nature reclaims that part of the trail to herself.  this bayou, like most in Texas meanders on it's own and changes with each big flooding cycle.  It would be nice for them to put our bike trails much higher or further away from the water's edge so that all that incredible work wouldn't go to waste with a constant barrage of 500 year and 1000 year floods that seem to keep happening at an increased rate.  for some reason, mankind, and especially the agency controlling this waterway within Houston, always seems to think we can wrestle, reign in, and generally control our natural habitats and waterways without regard to future consequences.  It is a complicated ecosystem and would serve all of us well to better understand what mother nature has taken hundreds of thousands of years to put in place, for our enjoyment and use.  Yes, if we could only get rid of stuff like concrete lining of the bayou, cutting off sharp turns whenever it suits us, throwing rip rap on the sides to "shore it up" all the time knowing because of past events that all these things do after a number of years is worsen flooding and bank erosion.  I know for sure there is a way to put the bike trails safely at a certain sustainable distance and/or elevation so that we aren't having to tear down and recreate the trails after every big flood event in Houston and Harris County.  But then again, I don't believe working with nature is one of this agency's priorities in the least.  If it were, we wouldn't have bad decision after bad decision create worse flooding and the need for more and more money to "fix" the problems over the long run.

But I digest...

 

[MexAmerican_Moose]

those sheetpiles are definitely deep...should hold up, but mother nature is a mother&#@&

[j_cuevas713]

Would laying a rock bed along the bayou bottom help with erosion?

Edited June 17, 2020 by j_cuevas713

[Naviguessor]

ArtNsf - The sheet piles will prevent the erosion of the bank...that is what they are designed to do.   BBP knows this and they are the ones designing the waterfront.  When they surveyed what residents wanted from the Easter Sector landscaped a big response was the ability to get close to the water, including entry points and water taxi landings.  That is what you are seeing here, as the sheet piles taper down towards water level.  Certainly, during floods, this "hard" edge will become inundated and the water's edge will ascend the slope behind the bulkhead.  But, the bank will is not likely to fail.  Certainly, there will be silting and clean-up will be required...but this isn't terribly difficult.  The Partnership has learned a lot of lessons from Harvey and generally knows what they are doing.  The hard-bank/bulkhead, which is being installed, is necessary to prevent erosion, but IMO, it is good to see that it wont just be a 30ft wall all along edge of the East River property.  It'll make it far more enjoyable to use and enjoy, even if it has to be closed and cleaned from time to time.   

[Montrose1100]

I haven't seen any pictures of this side of Downtown. I'm told by local businesses and residents the area did well during Harvey. It's unlikely Midway would be putting so much bank on the side of the bayou without doing their homework on flooding/erosion.

 

Also, at a certain point past Downtown, tides and wind control the water levels, not rainfall.

[JBTX]

Here is one from there personal archive. Never got higher than this.

2 hours ago, Montrose1100 said:

I haven't seen any pictures of this side of Downtown. I'm told by local businesses and residents the area did well during Harvey. It's unlikely Midway would be putting so much bank on the side of the bayou without doing their homework on flooding/erosion.

 

[samagon]

downstream of downtown is pretty safe from flooding. 

 

all the buildup around the bayou in downtown creates a dam of sorts within the channel only a specific volume of water can get through per unit of time. if the volume of water entering the bayou upriver is greater than that then it backs up and fills up the channel. eventually overtopping the 'banks' and starts going through the streets/buildings.

 

it isn't until after the confluence of the WOB and buffalo that the channel opens up.

 

I'm certainly not a hydrologist, but through observation of how Harvey and previous floods worked their way through the bayou system you can see that there is a severe blockage somewhere in downtown.  I had a really great vantage point to watch from my office that occupied one of the entire upper floors of Chase tower.

[Two]

On 6/18/2020 at 12:55 PM, samagon said:

I'm certainly not a hydrologist, but through observation of how Harvey and previous floods worked their way through the bayou system you can see that there is a severe blockage somewhere in downtown.  I had a really great vantage point to watch from my office that occupied one of the entire upper floors of Chase tower.

 

Right, isn't that do to the many DT bayou bends that are soon to be turned into the (presently funded, but in que with i45 build-outs) north canal? No hydrologist either but if that sharp bend always caused flooding and backups in and around that part of down town what does it mean for east river area when the kink in the hose is released? Other than the phase five bend most looks pretty straight so I'd hope nothing much would change.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Two

[ljchou]

Feels like in the time they've worked on the bayou 2404 Navigation has almost been entirely built. Any reason this is lagging so hard?

Edited July 6, 2020 by ljchou

[I'm Not a Robot]

59 minutes ago, ljchou said:

Feels like in the time they've worked on the bayou 2404 Navigation has almost been entirely built. Any reason this is lagging so hard?

 

I would imagine it is because 2404 Navigation isn't relying on dozens of companies to commit to leases during the biggest health crisis since the 80s. 

[JBTX]

Not to mention the fact that 2404 is one small lot while East River is a massive development that needs utilities, roads, and all that jazz run before you can even start.

[thedistrict84]

24 minutes ago, JBTX said:

Not to mention the fact that 2404 is one small lot while East River is a massive development that needs utilities, roads, and all that jazz run before you can even start.

I think people forget this. They are literally building a (very) small city from scratch for East River.

[ljchou]

20 hours ago, thedistrict84 said:

I think people forget this. They are literally building a (very) small city from scratch for East River.

It just feels like we'd see more of this "small town" development happening other than just waterfront reinforcement. The pending lease commitments make sense.

Edited July 7, 2020 by ljchou

[hindesky]

Rode around the whole perimeter of the project and the only thing being done is the shoreline work.

[j_cuevas713]

1 hour ago, hindesky said:

Rode around the whole perimeter of the project and the only thing being done is the shoreline work.

Has most of the utility work been done? 

[I'm Not a Robot]

6 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Has most of the utility work been done? 

 

I haven't seen a ton of activity over there, although I'm mostly working from home now and rarely leave, so I don't drive by nearly as often as I did pre shutdown. 

[ljchou]

Finally an update (from HBJ):

 

A spokeswoman for Midway said in an email that the company is in discussions with the city of Houston about how the project will be delivered over the next several years.

The spokeswoman said plans for phase one of the project’s infrastructure, including public and private utilities, are in final review with the city, as are plans for its parks and trails.

“We decided last year to proceed with several infrastructure projects, to put Midway in a position to begin work immediately upon phase one approvals,” the spokeswoman said. “This included a new bulkhead along Buffalo Bayou from the existing bulkhead to the Jensen Street bridge, and a major storm sewer line along Jensen and Clinton (streets). In addition to serving part of East River, the new storm sewer will significantly reduce street flooding on the west end of Clinton Dr.”

The spokeswoman said building permits for phase one have been submitted and pre-leasing efforts are on-going.

“As we continue to navigate Covid-19, we are confident the types of amenities offered at East River, including open green spaces, access to Buffalo Bayou Park hike and bike trails and outdoor dining options, will be in even greater demand as we move forward with this exciting and transformative new development,” the spokeswoman said.

[Brendan]

I don't have access to the full article, but I saw this today. Not good news for the project.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2020/07/27/two-midway-vice-presidents-leave-the-company.html

[kbates2]

They just both accepted new positions with other real estate companies.  I don't think it should have too much of an effect on this project.

[ljchou]

The update I posted from the Midway spokeswoman is from that article.

Edited July 30, 2020 by ljchou

[Luminare]

2 hours ago, Brendan said:

I don't have access to the full article, but I saw this today. Not good news for the project.

 

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2020/07/27/two-midway-vice-presidents-leave-the-company.html

 

Its good knowledge to know about change in leadership, but why do people automatically register a change in leadership as a bad thing? This is a pattern that I've noticed for awhile now. Like do you think of it as bad news when a friend of yours goes to another company and gets a better job somewhere else or gets a promotion to a different position? To me this seems like a logical fallacy, or a zero-sum fallacy. Change in leadership is a good thing. It means maybe a better person is coming in or moving up, and a change in leadership means the organization doesn't get stilted and rigid. Maybe this actually benefits projects like East River because someone with different ideas can have input on the project. You would need to supply evidence that the company is at a financial loss or there is bad office culture, etc... to justify that position.

[Houston19514]

42 minutes ago, Luminare said:

 

Its good knowledge to know about change in leadership, but why do people automatically register a change in leadership as a bad thing? This is a pattern that I've noticed for awhile now. Like do you think of it as bad news when a friend of yours goes to another company and gets a better job somewhere else or gets a promotion to a different position? To me this seems like a logical fallacy, or a zero-sum fallacy. Change in leadership is a good thing. It means maybe a better person is coming in or moving up, and a change in leadership means the organization doesn't get stilted and rigid. Maybe this actually benefits projects like East River because someone with different ideas can have input on the project. You would need to supply evidence that the company is at a financial loss or there is bad office culture, etc... to justify that position.

 

To HAIFers, EVERYTHING is bad news.   😉

[H-Town Man]

1 hour ago, Luminare said:

 

Its good knowledge to know about change in leadership, but why do people automatically register a change in leadership as a bad thing? This is a pattern that I've noticed for awhile now. Like do you think of it as bad news when a friend of yours goes to another company and gets a better job somewhere else or gets a promotion to a different position? To me this seems like a logical fallacy, or a zero-sum fallacy. Change in leadership is a good thing. It means maybe a better person is coming in or moving up, and a change in leadership means the organization doesn't get stilted and rigid. Maybe this actually benefits projects like East River because someone with different ideas can have input on the project. You would need to supply evidence that the company is at a financial loss or there is bad office culture, etc... to justify that position.

 

It's because when executives depart, it usually does not presage amazing things happening at a company (since an exec is less likely to leave if the company is about to experience transformative value growth), but it can sometimes presage bad things happening at a company (extreme case being the departure of executives from Enron in the year leading up to its implosion). Though often, as you say, it is just people getting a better job somewhere else, although two leaving at once raises eyebrows. It also can disrupt the development of large projects, since different executives often means a change in direction or a disruption in relationships. An example is when Texas Medical Center had a leadership change back in 2018 IIRC, and it led to a big delay in TMC3.

 

A good sign of health at Midway though is their development of an in-house leasing arm. I am not worried about them as a company.

 

 

1 hour ago, Houston19514 said:

 

To HAIFers, EVERYTHING is bad news.   😉

 

Is that why there's always so many likes and cheers when someone posts good news? 😉

 

[ljchou]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Midway-CEO-on-East-River-post-pandemic-15475755.php

 

I'm locked out from reading this article but if anyone can get some useful info from this, please share!

[j_cuevas713]

So basically they are developing infrastructure for 65 blocks right now. Phase one is dependent on pre-leasing and they see this pandemic as a good time to develop. I think most companies are optimistic about early next year and the opportunity to meet a greater demand when things begin to open up. 

Edited August 14, 2020 by j_cuevas713

[ljchou]

Post on East River's instagram story teasing confirmation of a movie theater lease. Will be announced Monday.

[I'm Not a Robot]

4 hours ago, ljchou said:

Post on East River's instagram story teasing confirmation of a movie theater lease. Will be announced Monday.

 

Alamo Drafthouse is opening up their Katy area theater for the first time since closing in March. Hopefully there is some synergy and they announce their first inner-loop location at East River. 

[JBTX]

On 8/21/2020 at 8:50 AM, ljchou said:

Post on East River's instagram story teasing confirmation of a movie theater lease. Will be announced Monday.

 

Per Buffalo Bayou Partnership FB page, it is a drive-in theatre:
 

 

Theatre website: https://www.moonstruckdrivein.com/

Edited August 24, 2020 by JBTX
Forgot to add theatre website

[Texasota]

Good short-term use. Still want an Alamo in the medium-long term.