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Midtown Development Tower


wxman

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  • 3 months later...

This would be HUGE for Houston. You would have a more walkable continuous stretch of the city from Downtown all the way to the Med Center. Considering how hot development is in Houston, it wouldn't surprise me if this is in the works. In the past we could be very skeptical, but everything is flourishing in this city. Projects that were once dead are now under construction. I'd keep a close eye on this.

Edited by j_cuevas713
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I always considered the area around Wheeler the Pivot of the whole city. Great connects East, West, North and South. Rail (maybe two lines someday). Foot traffic. Highway access. Close to everything. Highly visible and would have great views. Lots of open space...and yet so under utilized. How could this not be considered as something great?! Even if it is just a Kirksey exercise. Something's gotta happen soon. And Sears days are numbered.

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Sears days are definetly numbered. That whole block all the way to where that mechanic shop is at, is prime real estate. Especially with the development of Richmond Landing just right down the way. I e-mailed Kirksey just to see if there is any update on this project. Hope to hear from them soon.

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Id say yes and no, the land values in this area are rising fast. I see a few more developments like Richmond Landing built on both sides of 59. The way the economy is picking up even more gives me confidence that it won't be long before developers begin to take greater risks in this area. It has the potential to become a very dense pocket with rail easily accessible.

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Id say yes and no, the land values in this area are rising fast. I see a few more developments like Richmond Landing built on both sides of 59. The way the economy is picking up even more gives me confidence that it won't be long before developers begin to take greater risks in this area. It has the potential to become a very dense pocket with rail easily accessible.

 

I could not agree more with this.  This is exactly the kind of thing that Houston is SO lacking right now and with all the new multi unit communities going up, seems like the time is right.  People need a reason to come to and live in midtown and this would be a big step in the right direction.

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I could not agree more with this.  This is exactly the kind of thing that Houston is SO lacking right now and with all the new multi unit communities going up, seems like the time is right.  People need a reason to come to and live in midtown and this would be a big step in the right direction.

 

I agree, this would not only make people want to move to midtown, it would make people want to movet to the city period. This is the type of key element that I beleve Houston is missing. Regent Square will have this type of feel, but this one has that Time Square feel. I could see lots of people walking around in this area. The part that many of the similar developments in Houston mess up on is building their entire development on a lot and cuting out their own streets which are disconnected from the areas around them. This development is a part of the rest of the neighborhood which I like. That Fiesta in that area should have been demolished years ago and replaced with smething like this. And by the way, welcome to HAIF qtguy.

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Sure, Fiesta's not especially attractive, new or sexy. What it does best is serve a large and diverse number of people - various ethic groups, incomes and especially neighborhood residents. What many of these so-called 'walkable' developments lack is stores and businesses of a more pedestrian nature ('pedestrian' in both senses of the word.).

 

Fran Lebowitz commented that since the Times Square revitalization she can no longer walk to a bakery or butcher shop. I view Fiesta as an asset to the neighborhood. 

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Sure, Fiesta's not especially attractive, new or sexy. What it does best is serve a large and diverse number of people - various ethic groups, incomes and especially neighborhood residents. What many of these so-called 'walkable' developments lack is stores and businesses of a more pedestrian nature ('pedestrian' in both senses of the word.).

 

Fran Lebowitz commented that since the Times Square revitalization she can no longer walk to a bakery or butcher shop. I view Fiesta as an asset to the neighborhood. 

 

I also view it as an asset, but there are ways to make developments like Fiesta more pedestrian friendly, which I advocate.

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It's funny that Fiesta has become my go-to-store after flirting with New HEB (Alabama) - Randalls Midtown (Closest) - Whole Foods / Trader Joes Alabama - great to have all the options and I use them all but for regular groceries standard weekly stuff that Fiesta has the best prices/ surprising amount of Healthy stuff 1/3 price of Whole Foods. I agree it's an asset and I think if Sears were to become something grand - the Fiesta may naturally give itself a nice facelift.

 

I have a friend who shops at that Sears - he told us at a party and we all laughed. Anyone been in there? Crazy place - there are a couple threads out there on the building and how they covered a pretty nice old facade with the current box shape. I will try to find and link.

 

 

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I lived within a block of the Fiesta for a while; it was great having a grocery store (good produce) literally outside my front door. Easy cooking. I do still shop there occasionally -- it's on my way home when I drive -- but I mostly shop at new HEB now.

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I have a friend who shops at that Sears - he told us at a party and we all laughed. Anyone been in there? Crazy place - there are a couple threads out there on the building and how they covered a pretty nice old facade with the current box shape. I will try to find and link.

 

I bought a Washer and Dryer from them when I lived in Midtown. It's actually not a bad store on the inside (and the prices were right). The sales guy told me that part of it is haunted. He said there is a section behind the appliances (in another basement) that has huge old burners/boilers/etc. and he said someone had died in there in the past. I don't know if he was bs'ing me or what, but was just making conversation while he rang up the W+D.

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I agree, this would not only make people want to move to midtown, it would make people want to movet to the city period. This is the type of key element that I beleve Houston is missing. Regent Square will have this type of feel, but this one has that Time Square feel. I could see lots of people walking around in this area. The part that many of the similar developments in Houston mess up on is building their entire development on a lot and cuting out their own streets which are disconnected from the areas around them. This development is a part of the rest of the neighborhood which I like. That Fiesta in that area should have been demolished years ago and replaced with smething like this. And by the way, welcome to HAIF qtguy.

 

Thanks!!! Great info here! 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sears days are definetly numbered. That whole block all the way to where that mechanic shop is at, is prime real estate. Especially with the development of Richmond Landing just right down the way. I e-mailed Kirksey just to see if there is any update on this project. Hope to hear from them soon.

 

Any reply from Kirksey yet?

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I know that there's a lot of midtown love in this forum, but I have to question whether Midtown is really living up to the hype or is it just a neighborhood that's getting some growth because of the general growth rate of the city?

This isn't meant to be a trolling question, but an honest one. Uptown is booming, the city is focusing on developing residential Downtown and there's a lot of focus on potential growth in the East End, not to mention that there's still huge growth outside the Beltway.

Is it possible that Midtown has peaked?

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I know that there's a lot of midtown love in this forum, but I have to question whether Midtown is really living up to the hype or is it just a neighborhood that's getting some growth because of the general growth rate of the city? This isn't meant to be a trolling question, but an honest one. Uptown is booming, the city is focusing on developing residential Downtown and there's a lot of focus on potential growth in the East End, not to mention that there's still huge growth outside the Beltway. Is it possible that Midtown has peaked?

 

First, how can something have "peaked" if it's still getting "growth" (despite where the growth is from)?

 

Second, I lived in Midtown for five years and loved every minute of it. It's probably the most "real" place in this city where you are exposed to everything, everyone, and every culture. It has African American institutions like The Ensemble Theatre and The Breakfast Klub... street signs in Vietnamese (and awesome restaurants), homeless, yuppies, musicians, museums, mixed use, old mansions, gays, straights, families, walkability, live music, clubs, light rail, parks, graffiti, (i.e all good, bad, and everything in between thrown into one neighborhood).

 

Midtown was just designated an Arts and Entertainment District by the state. They also have a huge new Collaborative Arts complex coming, the superblock being developed this year, more huge complexes coming, and more to come around the Continental Club. Even non-profits are growing and renovating (or building on empty) lots. Saying the neighborhood has peaked just doesn't make any sense.

 

Yes, other parts of town are also growing. Uptown for high-rise living. East End from Dynamo Stadium. Outside the beltway for cheap housing. In fact, I think Midtown's growth will only accelerate as more people move outside the beltway and our freeways (and the overtaxed suburban infrastructure) become permanant parking lots.

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How can something have peaked when everytime , you turn around something is being built  there ?

yes uptown is seeing growth but its the first time in 30 yrs since it has grown

 

at current midtown is building three  200-300 + apartment units, they just closed the deal on the superblock which will give the area its own discovey green type park. plus a section will go to a new camden apt project that will have 300 + units . then there is the Interfaith Ministries which just started construction on their new camus which cover two city blocks and their admin office will be taking over the old bank on main and fannin bring with it a 145 employee.. then their is the match which seems to be well on its way to reaching its goal that two will span two city blocks, then there are alot of business that have expressed intrest into expanding into the midtown area

 

and really I have found areas like eado kinda of lacking, I have thought given its proxmity to downtown,,it would have been a high-rasie gold mine.. I really expected that whole area to have been dotted with high rasies by now

Edited by Moore713
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  • The title was changed to Midtown Development Tower

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