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I know one mall that absolutely SHOULDN'T be torn down: Memorial City Mall. Not sure what the story is there, but while nearly every other mall besides the Galleria is struggling, Memorial City is going beyond gangbusters.

 

I went there on a Sunday morning at about 10 a.m. and the place was PACKED. I didn't even know the mall was open yet (I thought malls still opened at noon on Sundays), and I had to park in the back of the lot. I went there in February on a weekday in mid-afternoon (about 2 p.m.) and the place was packed. Aren't people supposed to be at work and school at that time?

 

I wonder if I go there at 4 a.m. will I be able to find a place to park.

 

Anyone know what's going on there? It's a nice mall, sure, but it's not that much nicer than several other malls around town.

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You replace greenspoint mall with a blimp hangar.

Damn Goodyear, leave our fine city...

Honestly, I'd turn it into a Commons area like Gulfgate and Northline have been done. Both have seen a resurgence since being demolished and turned into a centralized group of strip centers, so why not? It'd be more interesting than the decayed and tired mall that sits there now.

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Anyone know what's going on there? It's a nice mall, sure, but it's not that much nicer than several other malls around town.

 

It's in the right location. Same reason why CityCentre is so successful. MetroNational definitely saw that opportunity when they started pouring money into Memorial City a decade ago. I can't imagine it's difficult for them to attract business considering how wealthy many of the neighborhoods around it are (especially the Villages).

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It appears Northwest Mall will be replaced by highway interchanges for 610/290/10

Actually here is a update from northwest mall facebook page saying that they are planning to redevelop the mall 

 

 

 

It is our plan to renovate the mall once the construction is complete or near completion. We also have to take into consideration the planned construction on Hempstead Highway and how that will affect our property. Unfortunately, we cannot get an exact timeline on the Hempstead construction; it fluctuates from one year to 15 years and we are trying to determine the best course of action. We appreciate all our loyal customers and tenants who continue to wait this action out with us.
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With the interchange expansion, and shifting demographics, I think it is a HUGE mistake to revamp the Northwest mall; UNLESS, they plan a two or three floor retail space with 5 floors of parking and a fifteen foot residential tower above all of that. Outline it in blue or red lighting. Greenspoint should do something similar, outlining it with green lights. OR do something really nutty; create a beautiful Greenspoint Parc, complete with human made pond, paddle boats, etc. If enough investors take interest in the area and sink money into it, it could be revitalized. BUT, the more practical approach is to make it into some sort of outlet, wholesale mall. I can see like 4 major retailers, building massive superstores ( Target, Walmart, SAMs and Costco) hiring said renters at lower wages, appealing to the lower socioeconomic clientele, and still providing a nice space to shop and eat. Put a police substation on premises to keep the riffraff at bay.

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  • 2 weeks later...

OR do something really nutty; create a beautiful Greenspoint Parc, complete with human made pond, paddle boats, etc. If enough investors take interest in the area and sink money into it, it could be revitalized.

sounds like the Lake Greenspoint development.. heh. hopefully that happens. it would be a huge boost to the area.

i too have had dreams of redeveloping Greenspoint.. though admittedly they steal bits and pieces of ideas from theGallerias new renovation and the Baybrook expansion, while turning the whole area inside the little loop around the mall into a green mixed use development.

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my Greenspoint Mall redevelopment vision (made better with a connection/people mover to an IAH rail line)..

ilke i mentioned in the comment above, i kind of took a little bit of theGallerias new design, blended with Baybrooks new expansion, with a little bit of the Gulfgate/Northline Commons ambiance. 

i demolished the middle segment of the mall (the red section here [green section on my map].. D7DF1EA9-1789-436C-9E4C-206680F18D8E_zps
), and turned it into an outdoor plaza/shopping/dining area. the blue portion on my drawing is lower end average mall retail, while the red portion of the former mall would become a high end retail/fashion area (possibly renamed to something more snazzy than "Greenspoint Mall", to distinguish the higher end shops from the lower end section.

the pink region in the blue/lower end portion of the mall would be a midrise apartment complex.

the yellow region in the red/high end retail portion of the mall would be a luxury hotel & residences tower.

both the pink and yellow regions are currently vacant department stores, so they could be redeveloped into residential and hotel without disrupting any current business.

there would be stand alone retail box stores and strip mall (orange) scattered around the mall parking lot.

there would be a couple restaurants (burgundy) in addition to the food court.

there would be an office component (blue), built in phases as needed, eventually having 5 mid/high rises of varying height from 5, 10, 15, 20, to 25 stories, staggered with the middle building being the tallest.

there would be a lower end hotel (black).

there would also be green trails through shaded lush vegetation (think The Woodlands.. i realize it would take a few decades for the trees to mature) around the circle surrounding the mall, and weaving in between the box stores in the parking lots.

i made a strip of land between the "loop" and a cross street on the east side a park/wooded area with some more trails and a dog park.

and of course since a good bit of the parking lot is being taken up by box stores and green trails/vegetation, there are two parking garages, one for each sector of the mall.



884301E4-0253-4279-9AE1-D7CD870F73B6_zps

i even went so far as to plan out some of the retail and what not..

the high end retail portion of the mall would be anchored by 2 department stores. Barneys New York, or Bloomingdales would be fantastic/put this place on the map since Houston doesnt have either of those yet. Neiman Marcus could be a decent alternative to one of those though since the only other one in Houston is at theGalleria. since Greenspoint itself isnt the highest income area, it will need to have stores that will draw people from across the city. as for the two stand alone box stores on the east side of the mall, the north one next to the apartment mid rise could be a Sprouts grocery. the southern one next to the condo/hotel tower could be a Saks Fifth Avenue. or it could be an Off 5th, since its a smaller stand alone store. the box retail on the south side of the development is also near the high end retail so that could be something along the lines of a Lord & Taylor. im at a loss for what to put in the box store west of the high end section.. Pier 1 Imports? or maybe some high end furniture store. then the other 2 box stores on the west can be a Belk and a Bed Bath & Beyond. then of course there is a strip center for smaller retail on the northwest part of the development.

the restaurant near the high end fashion section needs to be something classy and high end as well, that will also be a draw for attracting people from all across the city. something like a Fogo De Chao, or other well known high end eatery. the restaurant on the east side can be a more contemporary restaurant.


i realize the demographics immediately surrounding Greenspoint dont support anything high end, but if you make it exclusive/unique enough then you can attract citizens from wealthy areas further away who dont want to drive all the way to theGalleria and/or deal with its crowds.

as for the undesirable teenagers and people who have no business being in high end retail, they can pull a Northpark Center and drop some rules/have security to enforce those rules and keep the people out of the high end fashion area that dont belong.



http://www.northparkcenter.com/Code-of-Conduct



NorthPark Center, including its buldings, gardens, parking garages and parking lots, is private property.  All guests are expected to follow the NorthPark Center Code of Conduct at all times.  Any person not adhering to the Code of Conduct may be asked to leave NorthPark Center.  For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, NorthPark Center kindly requests cooperation and courtesy by following the directions of NorthPark Center management and security personnel at all times and by:
 

  • Accompanying anyone 17 years of age and under by a parent of legal guardian each evening beginning at 6pm, unless coming from or going to employment at NorthPark Center.

  • Any unaccompanied person 17 years of age and under will be asked to produce an acceptable form of identification.  Acceptable forms of ID include state-issued driver's license, government-issued work visa, passport, military ID and school ID with date of birth and a valid photograph.  NorthPark Center management and security personnel reserve the right to ask for ID from all parents and legal guardians to verify a custodial relationship.

  • Parents and legal guardians are expected to maintain full supervision and responsibility for the behavior of any person 17 years of age and under in their care.

  • Parents and legal guardians may accompany no more than six unrelated persons 17 years of age and under.

  • Any person who fails to comply with the request of NorthPark Center management or security personnel may be asked to leave NorthPark Center.

  • Dressing appropriately for a family-oriented shopping center.  Clothing must adequately cover the body.  Visible undergarments are not permitted.  Clothing cannot obscure the face of any guest nor exhibit lewd, obscene, vulgar or offensive language or images.  Guests may be asked to remove masks, hoods or other clothing that obscures the face.  Clothing likely to provoke a disturbance or involve other guests in open conflict is not permitted.  Shoes must be worn at all times.

  • Respecting other guests by not yelling, screaming, using offensive language or gestures, engaging in any conduct of a sexual nature, playing electronic devices loudly without headphones, or engaging in any disruptive behavior that would upset, intimidate, offend or incite any other guest.

  • Not loitering, congregating, blocking access or interfering with the movement of any other guest.

  • Not fighting, using any form of physical force or intimidating other guests, regardless of intent.

  • Not staging any form of public event or protest, soliciting, or distributing information of any kind without the prior approval of NorthPark Center management or security personnel.

  • Not leaving bags or baggage unattended.  Any unattended bags are subject to search and possible seizure. 

  • Observing the hours of operation of NorthPark Center and its merchants, and promptly leaving at the close of business hours or as otherwise directed by NorthPark Center management or security personnel.

  • Respecting the physical property of NorthPark Center by not littering, damaging, defacing or abusing the building, artwork, landscaping or other structure or property.

  • Not sitting or climbing on artwork, planters and plantings, railings, walkways, escalators or any other area not intended for sitting.

  • Not using motorized scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, Heelys or similar items within NorthPark Center or on sidewalks, unless required for health reasons.

  • Not smoking in NorthPark Center or CenterPark Garden.

  • Not consuming alcoholic beverages outside of restaurants licensed to serve alcohol by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.  Guests are not allowed to bring alcohol on NorthPark property.

  • Parking only in designated areas.  No unauthorized overnight parking or camping is permitted.

  • Obtaining prior consent from NorthPark Center management or security personnel for photography or videography of any artwork or storefronts.  Photographing or videotaping other guests without their consent is also prohibited.

  • Using only service animals that are essential for personal safety and access.

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Man, you put a lot of effort into this idea. A couple of things I'd like to address about it and get your thoughts.

Your plan calls for a high end retail center for part of the new mall. Given the economic status of most folks in GP, are you expecting to pull shoppers away from The Woodlands to make this work? There hasn't been a high end retailer in GP since Lord & Taylor, and a large part of the reason they pulled out was due to theft. With Willowbrook and The Woodlands already catering to a more upscale shopper, how would you draw these people back to GP, where accessibility is a little tough and a surrounding area is a little more than suspect?

You mention an office component, which has already been discussed, planned, and sat on for over 10 years, w/o the first slab of concrete being poured. What does the GPCOC know, that we don't? There sits Montgomery Ward's, 14 years after it closed, not drawing a dime in rent. If there was demand for more office space in GP, one would think the planned office tower would already be built on the MW parcel, and occupied for several years now.

Your plan also calls for a residential/hotel component in, I assume, Sears old spot. This is the very thing GP doesn't need, more housing and more hotels. There's way too many hotels up here now, with an Embassy already being built just down 8 @ Hardy, and a Holiday Inn Express at Airline @ Bender. Higher end properties already include Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton and Sheraton. The lower star properties are a dime a dozen up here, and more than half of them are stuck with low occupancy, and an aging building in need of an overhaul.

As for housing, CityView overhauled many of the old dilapidated complexes up here a little over a decade ago, which was supposed to revitalize GP and get it rerailed onto the right path. Instead, you now have the same complexes, with the same problems, only now there's a fresh paint job and a pretty water fountain in the front to hopefully distract you from noticing.

Hey, I'm all for restoration of the once mighty Greenspoint and its once top notch mall. It would certainly be better for my clientele to not be wary of walking around the area and have a feeling of security while in the area. I mean, that has been one of the biggest challenges we face, the perception of the surroundings, but bringing in high end retail, housing, and office space, unfortunately isn't (imo) the solution to GP's many problems. The plan would start of with a lot of promise, and ideally would be an exceptional concept for the tired, old GP Mall, but once you give the folks with higher incomes a nice place to shop in GP, you give the folks with lower incomes a new set of targets. Let the first person get robbed, or worse yet killed, and you'll think it's 1995 again with all the flight.

I know I'm coming off as a real Debbie Downer, but we need to be realistic about this. Greenspoint's biggest attraction when it was in its heyday was it's location. Away from the big city, and nothing around for miles. That very location, 30 years later, is a lot of the reason all of these grandiose plans have been stifled over the past few years. It's not the same area it was in 1976 when it was built, and that charm can never be recaptured because of what now surrounds the mall itself. Willowbrook put a knife into GP's heart, The Woodlands gave it a twist. GP Mall is dead, someone needs to pull the breathing machine away and let nature takes its course.

I do appreciate the time and effort you placed into this plan, cloud. You have a keen mind, and a great passion for redevelopment that's hard to match. I fully admit, I'm a tad biased against what the area has become, because I remember just how beautiful and pristine it once was. Everyone that works, lives, or regularly visits GP has at one time or another come across one of these grand plans for the mall, but all of it has been talk, talk, talk and no action. Whether or not that ever changes, remains to be seen...but it sure doesn't look good here in the heart of it all.

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About 4 or 5 years ago, I created "Lone Star Lake at Houston", an outdoor mall that I designed and traced from a Greenspoint Mall aerial and preserving the anchors at the time (I wrote in Foley's, in an alternate universe where the name was preserved somehow). LSL@Houston was extensive and featured "Astro Pavilion", a scaled down theme park taking salvage from a certain theme park. It was somewhat forward-thinking, too--the Tower Records at the mall would end up becoming a Trader Joe's (this was before TJ's actually opened in Houston). The mall area featured a mini-train and a star-shaped lake, too.

Reality, of course, is different.

One of the big problems of your Greenspoint is you can't create something out of nothing in a largely unproven area. Search around on HAIF, for Tang City Mall, for instance, an Asian strip mall built in the 1980s that never gained more than three tenants (ever). There has been a plan circulating for years called the Renaissance at Greenspoint, but that's never amounted more than a new movie theater.

Adding apartments isn't likely going to work--typically new mid-rise apartments build in gentrifying areas, not where the area is depressed. If it's competitively priced with other areas, it won't work since Greenspoint is so undesirable (at least comparatively), if it's lower-priced you risk running into the same problem that ruined Greenspoint and Gulfton--a glut of cheap apartments that turn into slums.

Greenspoint has been in trouble for years (a miracle it managed to last this long, really). It has just two things that could be considered anchors...a Dillard's Clearance Center and a Macy's, the latter wanting to close as early as the late 1990s (as Foley's) but convinced to stay (possibly by giving them virtually-free rent), and even then the department store has one floor open only (Dillard's too).

On the upshot, Greenspoint Mall is one of the worst parts of Greenspoint in many ways, so good could come from taking it down. My idea? Demolish the entire thing and put it up for sale. Any remaining tenants have good selection in nearby vacant strip malls.

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Man, you put a lot of effort into this idea. A couple of things I'd like to address about it and get your thoughts.

Your plan calls for a high end retail center for part of the new mall. Given the economic status of most folks in GP, are you expecting to pull shoppers away from The Woodlands to make this work? There hasn't been a high end retailer in GP since Lord & Taylor, and a large part of the reason they pulled out was due to theft. With Willowbrook and The Woodlands already catering to a more upscale shopper, how would you draw these people back to GP, where accessibility is a little tough and a surrounding area is a little more than suspect?

You mention an office component, which has already been discussed, planned, and sat on for over 10 years, w/o the first slab of concrete being poured. What does the GPCOC know, that we don't? There sits Montgomery Ward's, 14 years after it closed, not drawing a dime in rent. If there was demand for more office space in GP, one would think the planned office tower would already be built on the MW parcel, and occupied for several years now.

Your plan also calls for a residential/hotel component in, I assume, Sears old spot. This is the very thing GP doesn't need, more housing and more hotels. There's way too many hotels up here now, with an Embassy already being built just down 8 @ Hardy, and a Holiday Inn Express at Airline @ Bender. Higher end properties already include Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton and Sheraton. The lower star properties are a dime a dozen up here, and more than half of them are stuck with low occupancy, and an aging building in need of an overhaul.

As for housing, CityView overhauled many of the old dilapidated complexes up here a little over a decade ago, which was supposed to revitalize GP and get it rerailed onto the right path. Instead, you now have the same complexes, with the same problems, only now there's a fresh paint job and a pretty water fountain in the front to hopefully distract you from noticing.

Hey, I'm all for restoration of the once mighty Greenspoint and its once top notch mall. It would certainly be better for my clientele to not be wary of walking around the area and have a feeling of security while in the area. I mean, that has been one of the biggest challenges we face, the perception of the surroundings, but bringing in high end retail, housing, and office space, unfortunately isn't (imo) the solution to GP's many problems. The plan would start of with a lot of promise, and ideally would be an exceptional concept for the tired, old GP Mall, but once you give the folks with higher incomes a nice place to shop in GP, you give the folks with lower incomes a new set of targets. Let the first person get robbed, or worse yet killed, and you'll think it's 1995 again with all the flight.

I know I'm coming off as a real Debbie Downer, but we need to be realistic about this. Greenspoint's biggest attraction when it was in its heyday was it's location. Away from the big city, and nothing around for miles. That very location, 30 years later, is a lot of the reason all of these grandiose plans have been stifled over the past few years. It's not the same area it was in 1976 when it was built, and that charm can never be recaptured because of what now surrounds the mall itself. Willowbrook put a knife into GP's heart, The Woodlands gave it a twist. GP Mall is dead, someone needs to pull the breathing machine away and let nature takes its course.

I do appreciate the time and effort you placed into this plan, cloud. You have a keen mind, and a great passion for redevelopment that's hard to match. I fully admit, I'm a tad biased against what the area has become, because I remember just how beautiful and pristine it once was. Everyone that works, lives, or regularly visits GP has at one time or another come across one of these grand plans for the mall, but all of it has been talk, talk, talk and no action. Whether or not that ever changes, remains to be seen...but it sure doesn't look good here in the heart of it all.

 

first.. you seem to know an awful lot about Greenspoint/be from the area. admittedly I don't know a whole lot about the area besides the fact its fallen out of its hey day and some people even called it "gunspoint" for a while. it just seemed like a prime candidate for redevelopment and if the Lakes at Greenspoint ever happens, could together be a boon to gentrifying Greenspoint.

TBH I didn't put too much effort into this. just fooled around with the idea one evening when I was bored.

yeah the idea would be to draw shoppers from The Woodlands, Kingwood, and other nicer areas that are further out from theGalleria. it would be a more convenient location for the booming north side than theGalleria, and could also start out at least as a less crowded alternative to theGalleria. the theft could be prevented by not having a bunch of undesirable teenagers roaming around the high end sector. the idea was to have retailers so exclusive that they would draw the crowd for the mall, without the mall having to do much advertising/effort besides the rebuild. if there were a Barneys, a Bloomingdales, or even a Neimans, it would be a draw for people.

good point about the office component. I had always wondered why there wasn't any office component to Greenspoint, given all the vacant land around the mall. I didn't know they had been sitting on plans for 10 years, though admittedly my office plans were meant to be long term, unlike the rest of the development.

I agree there are a lot of hotels around there, which is part of why I thought another one might not be so bad.. I figured those high end hotels must be successful to still be around. its right near the airport and a short drive from the Woodlands, ect. I guess the lower end hotel would definitely be a no go, but still like the idea of a higher end hotel/condo residences combo attached to the high end fashion sector of the mall. maybe a W or something? nothing uber exclusive, but high end and rare enough to attract its own draw.

agreed its not a very fitting development for Greenspoint, but I think between this and the Lakes at Greenspoint, the area could really start to gentrify (especially if it got a commuter rail stop for Greenspoint/IAH). and yes, security would have to be beefed up, especially around the outside/parking lots of the high end sector. thanks for an insiders perspective.

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Glad to be able to provide it to you, cloud. As IronTiger recalls (correctly, I might add) I have worked in Greenspoint for many years now, and have seen a lot of changes occur in that time up here. The unfortunate part is that basically none of it has been for the better. I do work for the "hotel biz"(lol, hospitality industry to be PC) starting my career at the aforementioned Hilton Inn for just over 6 years (that's how I know as much about its past as I do, Iron Tiger) and the last 21 within the Marriott chain.

When you have the chance, cloud, give "The Renaissance at Greenspoint" a search. As the good tiger mentioned, the only thing that has come from this grand plan has been the demolition of the long empty J.C. Penney's building, which was replaced with the new movie theater. That is it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Greenspoint Mall actually has an HPD substation between the old Sear's and what they call a "Dillard's". That has curtailed some of the mischief, but it certainly hasn't eliminated it. Being in this area for a long time now, I concur with IronTiger completely. If the dream of recapturing the charm and prestige of the once great Greenspoint is to ever be fulfilled, it will start with the complete and total demolition of the mall, the strip malls across Greens from the mall, including the old Finger's and Best buildings. Then, you can start from scratch and build something high end up here, but it all starts with the removal of the mall, and I truly believe that, in itself, is what has stalled any further developments with regards to the Renaissance project.

You've got to know that things are beyond bad when Sears closes a store in a mall. My God, they are still open in Westwood and Westwood isn't even Westwood anymore!

I hate to say it, but if people are adamant about saving the mall, then there is only one solution I see that will make it break even, as it currently stands.

Mirror what Sharpstown is trying to do. It's now PlazAmericas and caters to a Hispanic clientele, which is who predominatly lives around the mall itself. You turn Greenspoint into the Urban mecca of shopping. Completely cater every store and facility to Blacks. I'd even repurpose the old Sear's into a 2 story, 4 club music epicenter named "Chocolate Town". If you can't rebirth the mall with a concept like that then, again, it's time to break the wrecking ball out. A high end retail center just can't work, when it would be surrounded by low end housing.

This is where GP would have to draw from. You are not going to get people from The Woodlands to drive all the way down here for the same high end retail experience they can get right near home. Same can pretty much be said for Willowbrook and Deerbrook. GP Mall has to go after Greenspoint itself, Aldine, Northside, and Bammel to reclaim some of its past glory. Even then, I'm not sure it could be done, but I would certainly hope.

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As for the general question I wouldn't do anything to Greenspoint, I feel as if there is no point in trying to save it considering all the competition it has from Deerbrook, Willowbrook, and The Woodlands. So I would demolish Greenspoint, Northwest, West Oaks, and San Jacinto and leave the land to create a strip mall with low end discount retailers as those cater more to their surroundings than high end retailers. Northwest since it competes with Memorial, and Galleria. West Oaks since it competes with First Colony, Memorial, and Galleria. San Jacinto since it has no reliable source of income living around the mall. 

 

Now as for Almeda Mall, which I feel has a sliver of potential, here's what I would do. 

1. Destroy the entire mall except for Macys. 

2. Since it's a relatively confined footprint, the layout would be the same as the original mall. 

3. Instead of a one floor center, it would be two floors and most of the mall would cater to the young adults. It would have Macy's and then Forever 21 as anchors if the mall survives maybe a sears which would force the one in Pasadena to close. 

4. In the center of the mall would be an H&M adjacent to a foodcourt. 

5. The center would adopt that arched glass ceiling the Macy's wing contains (except it would mimic theGalleria's) throughout the entire center with a glass dome in the center. 

6. A typical retailer inside the mall would be along the lines of Aeropostale, PacSun, Hollister, American Eagle,Nike,Vans,Old Navy,Zumiez,Game Stop,Hot Topic, Perhaps a bookstore or Spencer's Gifts, Claires, etc. 

The Macy's wing would cater to a slightly older group with stores like the existing New York and Co. 

7. ALL shoe stores which cater to urban wear such as Footlocker, Footaction, Champs MUST be forced out of the center. Considering they usually attract the wrong crowds of people to malls. (I think you know what I mean)

8. Add services such as eyebrow waxing (girls love that), and hair salons, etc. 

9. Enforce a code similar to Northpark, except less stringent but with a stringent police force to match.

10. Force Palais Royal, and DD's discounts out of the center to take space at one of the dead strip centers which could be demolished and rebuilt more attractively.

11. Lastly add landscaping both inside and out, a new parking lot, some water features, nice lighting, a revamped logo, maybe a new name "The Shops at Almeda" and one of those police patrol cars you see at baybrook. 

 

 

 

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As for the general question I wouldn't do anything to Greenspoint, I feel as if there is no point in trying to save it considering all the competition it has from Deerbrook, Willowbrook, and The Woodlands. So I would demolish Greenspoint, Northwest, West Oaks, and San Jacinto and leave the land to create a strip mall with low end discount retailers as those cater more to their surroundings than high end retailers. Northwest since it competes with Memorial, and Galleria. West Oaks since it competes with First Colony, Memorial, and Galleria. San Jacinto since it has no reliable source of income living around the mall. 

 

Now as for Almeda Mall, which I feel has a sliver of potential, here's what I would do. 

1. Destroy the entire mall except for Macys. 

2. Since it's a relatively confined footprint, the layout would be the same as the original mall. 

3. Instead of a one floor center, it would be two floors and most of the mall would cater to the young adults. It would have Macy's and then Forever 21 as anchors if the mall survives maybe a sears which would force the one in Pasadena to close. 

4. In the center of the mall would be an H&M adjacent to a foodcourt. 

5. The center would adopt that arched glass ceiling the Macy's wing contains (except it would mimic theGalleria's) throughout the entire center with a glass dome in the center. 

6. A typical retailer inside the mall would be along the lines of Aeropostale, PacSun, Hollister, American Eagle,Nike,Vans,Old Navy,Zumiez,Game Stop,Hot Topic, Perhaps a bookstore or Spencer's Gifts, Claires, etc. 

The Macy's wing would cater to a slightly older group with stores like the existing New York and Co. 

7. ALL shoe stores which cater to urban wear such as Footlocker, Footaction, Champs MUST be forced out of the center. Considering they usually attract the wrong crowds of people to malls. (I think you know what I mean)

8. Add services such as eyebrow waxing (girls love that), and hair salons, etc. 

9. Enforce a code similar to Northpark, except less stringent but with a stringent police force to match.

10. Force Palais Royal, and DD's discounts out of the center to take space at one of the dead strip centers which could be demolished and rebuilt more attractively.

11. Lastly add landscaping both inside and out, a new parking lot, some water features, nice lighting, a revamped logo, maybe a new name "The Shops at Almeda" and one of those police patrol cars you see at baybrook. 

lol.. i just started sketching up a renovated Northwest Mall development last night. ill post my reasons for trying to redevelop that area when i finish figuring out these last 3 buildings and upload the plans.

interesting Almeda plans. ill have to look into that one.

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First off.. I'm not happy with the layout/design of the upper 3 retail buildings, so they are just cut outs taped to the original sketch so I can change the designs later. Heh..



Northwest Mall redevelopment.. I would totally demolish the mall. I don't see any reusing of the existing structure like I did with Greenspoint. Outdoor plaza style shopping with some of those big triangular canvas sail shades webbed out overhead in the pink corners, and retractable horizontal roman shades overhead in the "alleyways", to provide shade for shoppers. Above the retail facing the park would be 2-3 stories of apartments. In the middle of it would be a 1.5 or so acre greenspace with concessions/rentals stand (small grey triangle) in the middle of that, and a tall steel/glass abstract sculpture/centerpiece centered in the middle of the development. The restaurant on the lake would have an outdoor eating area on a platform that juts out over the water.

The reason I think this area is prime for redevelopment are the proposed plans for a Hempstead commuter rail line, and the possibility of extending the Uptown/Post Oak BRT/LRT line up to the Northwest mall site. This could become one of the biggest transit hubs in Houston, with a commuter rail station/stop where people go up to the elevated light rail portion which also serves as a pedestrian bridge, to cross the train tracks and Hempstead Rd/Hwy to enter into a grand steel/glass arch station sort of like the Toronto Glass Arch Galleria(?), except I didn't envision the arch being attached to the buildings along side it.

A5294C70-D77F-401E-A39C-C26177646CD3_zps

Toronto glass arch galleria - the elevated light rail station would come in down the middle of it.
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Exterior of the arch. I didnt plan on my arch statio. Being attached to the buildings, just having a few walkways connect them and open archways along the bottom sides to walk into the structure on the ground floor from the condo/hotel tower or the bus transit center/parking garage.
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Another part of the Toronto development that could make a great bus terminal/drop off/pick up area (assuming the roof isn't completely enclosed) on the north side of the parking garage. (I originally envisioned the bus terminal to just be one level of a garage with parking above it but I really like the glass/steel arches and think it would flow/connect the bus terminal to the light rail station and commuter rail connector bridge more elegantly incorporating both of these structures together than just opening up the arches above the light rail to a concrete garage.
Photo-by-Flavio-Serafin.jpg

Horizontal roman shades.. The wires they retract on would span between the two buildings on either side of the alley ways between the retail components, and the shades would come out from both sides to meet in the middle.
The-Grand-Del-Mar-Horizontal-Roman-Shade

Triangle canvas sail shades, though I'm sure everyone has been familiar with these for at least the last 5-10 years. Lol. These would go in the 4 90* retail corners, attached to the sides of the buildings.
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lol.. i just started sketching up a renovated Northwest Mall development last night. ill post my reasons for trying to redevelop that area when i finish figuring out these last 3 buildings and upload the plans.

interesting Almeda plans. ill have to look into that one.

Whatever the reasons, I'm sure they're way more justifiable than my "I think it has a sliver of potential" excuse haha. 

Maybe I should sketch out my plans rather than just typing them up. I'm gonna need a lot of paper and a few thousand years..... 

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heh. 

i also have a NRG Park redevelopment plan i sketched out a week or two back and never really posted anywhere. idk if it would be appropriate here or not. its obviously not a mall, but all the other reasons you listed for redevelopment match the criteria of NRG. should i post it?

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You know, with a couple of exceptions, Towermaniac's plan could be adapted to Northwest. His #7 I could do without. I buy shoes from Foot Locker, and I don't consider myself a part of the "wrong crowd". Money is money, friend, regardless of whose pocket it comes out of.

That aside, #10 kind of stinks for Palais Royal. You've been a tenant since the mall opened. You've shared in the great times of years past, you've struggled in the more recent years that haven't been so good, but you've stuck it out and remained a loyal tenant that has carried both malls as a junior anchor when neither had a full anchor due to the closure of both Penney's and Foley's. Now, we're going to completely rebuild Almeda/Northwest, and Palais Royal, you're on the outside looking in. Thanks for the memories! I don't see how you do that to someone you have had a longstanding relationship with, and not have an immediate backlash when it comes time to start leasing this new development. Potential suitors for your new space are going to hear about how you threw Palais Royal out on its ear when the time came for redevelopment, and it'll reflect on their decision to not do business with you.

Other than those two points, it's really a good concept of what could be done with Almeda or Northwest. I have to say, I'd hope it'd come to Northwest first. Last time we were down at Almeda last year, it looked to be bustling with a good deal of foot traffic inside. I know the Picadilly's sure was good! I hate that Northwest's is closed!

I look forward to viewing your take on Northwest, cloud. Please, return my Picadilly to me...lol. O:)

Edit: well, I was rambling while you were posting. Cloud, that is beautiful! Call me an idiot, but is the dark line on your map Hempstead or 610? I'm trying to picture what's there now to your map for perspective.

Further Edit: Never mind! Obviously Hempstead with the track running adjacent to it. I like your lake with the little bridge, but can we move it to the other side of the property, by the hotel/condos? That's going to have a view of the new massively expanded West Loop in your current configuration. Good idea on the transit center. With Pinemont closed, this would help take a load off of Little York and Northwest.

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Glad to be able to provide it to you, cloud. As IronTiger recalls (correctly, I might add) I have worked in Greenspoint for many years now, and have seen a lot of changes occur in that time up here. The unfortunate part is that basically none of it has been for the better. I do work for the "hotel biz"(lol, hospitality industry to be PC) starting my career at the aforementioned Hilton Inn for just over 6 years (that's how I know as much about its past as I do, Iron Tiger) and the last 21 within the Marriott chain.

When you have the chance, cloud, give "The Renaissance at Greenspoint" a search. As the good tiger mentioned, the only thing that has come from this grand plan has been the demolition of the long empty J.C. Penney's building, which was replaced with the new movie theater. That is it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Greenspoint Mall actually has an HPD substation between the old Sear's and what they call a "Dillard's". That has curtailed some of the mischief, but it certainly hasn't eliminated it. Being in this area for a long time now, I concur with IronTiger completely. If the dream of recapturing the charm and prestige of the once great Greenspoint is to ever be fulfilled, it will start with the complete and total demolition of the mall, the strip malls across Greens from the mall, including the old Finger's and Best buildings. Then, you can start from scratch and build something high end up here, but it all starts with the removal of the mall, and I truly believe that, in itself, is what has stalled any further developments with regards to the Renaissance project.

You've got to know that things are beyond bad when Sears closes a store in a mall. My God, they are still open in Westwood and Westwood isn't even Westwood anymore!

I hate to say it, but if people are adamant about saving the mall, then there is only one solution I see that will make it break even, as it currently stands.

Mirror what Sharpstown is trying to do. It's now PlazAmericas and caters to a Hispanic clientele, which is who predominatly lives around the mall itself. You turn Greenspoint into the Urban mecca of shopping. Completely cater every store and facility to Blacks. I'd even repurpose the old Sear's into a 2 story, 4 club music epicenter named "Chocolate Town". If you can't rebirth the mall with a concept like that then, again, it's time to break the wrecking ball out. A high end retail center just can't work, when it would be surrounded by low end housing.

This is where GP would have to draw from. You are not going to get people from The Woodlands to drive all the way down here for the same high end retail experience they can get right near home. Same can pretty much be said for Willowbrook and Deerbrook. GP Mall has to go after Greenspoint itself, Aldine, Northside, and Bammel to reclaim some of its past glory. Even then, I'm not sure it could be done, but I would certainly hope.

TBH the Rennasaince at Greenspoint plans dont look very "grand" (or what plans i was able to find in a 2010 swamplot article). it looks like a nice outdoor shopping plaza built in front of the existing Greenspoint Mall (minus whatever the department store at the northeast corner used to be, which they planned to turn into a parking garage), an office high rise, and a park. interesting none the less.. i hadnt seen them before.

the police presence was more supposed to be for outside the perimeter of the high end retail section and in the parking lots/garage surrounding the high end fashion sector. on the interior of the high end fashion part there would be rules for no teenagers unaccompanied by adults and what not, kind of like NorthPark.

yeah starting from scratch may be the best bet. i just figured the existing Greenspoint Mall had a good skeletal structure that could be reused for the two major shopping areas.. plus it would be cheaper (good for someone who doesnt want to invest too much into a risky area/be forced to charge higher rents due to higher initial costs). i still agree this mall/development alone isnt going to completely revitalize Greenspoint. but this along with the Lakes at Greenspoint (and hopefully new developments both of these would draw), could really change the area IMO.

heh.. too true about Sears.

interesting idea.. it would certainly be a hit with the locals, without having to make any drastic changes to the demographics. my ideas were more to bring Greenspoint out of the dumps because i dont think thats a good image for being a succesful "CBD" since its already so built up.

but can the people from those areas (TW, WB, DB) get the "same retail experience" if they dont have a Barneys or Bloomingdales to shop at, like Greenspoint (hypothetically) does? i dont think there is a Lord & Taylor at any of those locations either. surely Greenspoint can find a few high end exclusive stores that arent already at every mall in town.

 

I look forward to viewing your take on Northwest, cloud. Please, return my Picadilly to me...lol. O:)

Edit: well, I was rambling while you were posting. Cloud, that is beautiful! Call me an idiot, but is the dark line on your map Hempstead or 610? I'm trying to picture what's there now to your map for perspective.

Further Edit: Never mind! Obviously Hempstead with the track running adjacent to it. I like your lake with the little bridge, but can we move it to the other side of the property, by the hotel/condos? That's going to have a view of the new massively expanded West Loop in your current configuration. Good idea on the transit center. With Pinemont closed, this would help take a load off of Little York and Northwest.

thanks!

i put the lake there because i was originally envisioning that eastern sector to be kind of a suburban-esque office park (kind of strange, since the development is geared around an Intermodal Transit Center, heh, but for some reason the more sprawled suburban office parks seem to be more popular than a mixed use office tower in a pedestrian/transit oriented development), though the buildings would probably be connected by skybridges or just have vegetated/shady walkways across a podium/garage that all 3 sit on top of, depending on if its a one tenant complex or multiple tenants. idk, i just envision lakes with a fountain spraying in a central location/focal point of the complex when i think of the more suburban style office parks. but putting the lake on the other side could be cool/a nice visual for the shoppers/residents to set the ambiance, since most of the retail/residential is toward the northwest side of the property.

the office highrises would have a great view of the 610/290 interchange, but im not too worried about the views of office workers, and i dont think many employers are either. the condo/hotel tower would have views southeast and southwest, and north, since its a triangle shape. true about relieving stress on the other TCs.. and Northwest TC doesnt have much room to expand.

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You know, with a couple of exceptions, Towermaniac's plan could be adapted to Northwest. His #7 I could do without. I buy shoes from Foot Locker, and I don't consider myself a part of the "wrong crowd". Money is money, friend, regardless of whose pocket it comes out of.

That aside, #10 kind of stinks for Palais Royal. You've been a tenant since the mall opened. You've shared in the great times of years past, you've struggled in the more recent years that haven't been so good, but you've stuck it out and remained a loyal tenant that has carried both malls as a junior anchor when neither had a full anchor due to the closure of both Penney's and Foley's. Now, we're going to completely rebuild Almeda/Northwest, and Palais Royal, you're on the outside looking in. Thanks for the memories! I don't see how you do that to someone you have had a longstanding relationship with, and not have an immediate backlash when it comes time to start leasing this new development. Potential suitors for your new space are going to hear about how you threw Palais Royal out on its ear when the time came for redevelopment, and it'll reflect on their decision to not do business with you.

Other than those two points, it's really a good concept of what could be done with Almeda or Northwest. I have to say, I'd hope it'd come to Northwest first. Last time we were down at Almeda last year, it looked to be bustling with a good deal of foot traffic inside. I know the Picadilly's sure was good! I hate that Northwest's is closed!

I look forward to viewing your take on Northwest, cloud. Please, return my Picadilly to me...lol. O:)

Edit: well, I was rambling while you were posting. Cloud, that is beautiful! Call me an idiot, but is the dark line on your map Hempstead or 610? I'm trying to picture what's there now to your map for perspective.

Further Edit: Never mind! Obviously Hempstead with the track running adjacent to it. I like your lake with the little bridge, but can we move it to the other side of the property, by the hotel/condos? That's going to have a view of the new massively expanded West Loop in your current configuration. Good idea on the transit center. With Pinemont closed, this would help take a load off of Little York and Northwest.

Before HAIF unexpectedly lost it's domain name I was going to ask cloud why he isn't a developer. Cloud your a genius! 

Now okay so perhaps I should Include Palais Royal in the plan considering how it has been there from the start and never left when both malls declined. So ill rework my plan to include Palais Royals except It will be moved near the macy's wing

 

As for your suggestion on #7 considering how the area isn't exactly squeaky clean I was afraid it would attract crime since criminals who wish to be gangsta usually purchase their shoes and sometimes apparel from those stores. Considering how it would be necessary to gain profit, ill allow those stores in the plan and the code can be modified. 

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Before HAIF unexpectedly lost it's domain name I was going to ask cloud why he isn't a developer. Cloud your a genius! 

Now okay so perhaps I should Include Palais Royal in the plan considering how it has been there from the start and never left when both malls declined. So ill rework my plan to include Palais Royals except It will be moved near the macy's wing

 

As for your suggestion on #7 considering how the area isn't exactly squeaky clean I was afraid it would attract crime since criminals who wish to be gangsta usually purchase their shoes and sometimes apparel from those stores. Considering how it would be necessary to gain profit, ill allow those stores in the plan and the code can be modified. 

heh.. thank you, thank you. you are too kind. honestly i would love to be a developer, ive just had my struggles with school (25 years old.. i took some time off after highschool and didnt really get into the swing of the whole college thing until a few years ago).. spent a few years at Baylor but now it looks like ill be transfering to UofH. hopefully ill be able to get into a program where i can turn my focus towards development or urban planning or something. when i was a kid i used to draw out neighborhoods and stuff (they were even "mixed use" before i had any idea what mixed use was.. i would leave space for retail near the front or off on a side street or something, so there could be room for a small grocery store, a walgreens/CVS, and some little strip mall type retail shops for everyday needs. i included restaurants inside some of the bigger neighborhoods too. i would definitely never make it in the architecture/design world (dont get me wrong, i love architecture and IMO have an eye for nice designs).. my building renderings usually come out looking like a 5 year old, and the footprints of my designs look like kids building blocks. lol. but i guess its the layout and the whole vision that makes a developer, not small details like exactly how each of the buildings are going to look.

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Wow you have opened my eyes, as someone who is about to enter the whirlwind of college I've been very anxious about my future, I still don't know what to do. From your story it's pretty much clear that you were born to be a developer and yes it is the vision that counts most when developing, leave the details to the architects! 

 

Now I'm going to post the first section of my Almeda Mall redevelopment. Warning, it is EXTREMELY conceptual and also my drawing skills aren't the best. 

 

Ok now lets start with the current site. Which I have conveniently labeled. 

post-12418-0-43303700-1405566755_thumb.p

 

Now this is The current layout of the mall. 

post-12418-0-60811500-1405566830_thumb.p

 

Now the following pictures are my two conceptual plans for the layout of levels 1 and 2. You can click on them for a better view.

post-12418-0-68459400-1405566918_thumb.j

post-12418-0-17094700-1405566944_thumb.j

 

As you can see I have included Palais Royal, along with Old Navy as Junior Anchors for both wings. The walkways are slightly curved for a little touch of style. No worries about Picadilly Cafeteria, which I preserved, it is located somewhere in the first level on the rotunda circle which is the food court. 

 

Now we look at the exterior of the building, don't cringe I assure you it is purely conceptual and I will draw a closeup of it because I'm still trying to think about how it should look. 

post-12418-0-94491200-1405566876_thumb.j

 

I also drew a small section of the macys wing but because it isn't exactly the best I decided to work on it some more. 

So what do you guys think?

 

EDIT: I thought about it and I know exactly what the exterior of the mall would look like. Since the mall is next to major road Almeda-Genoa, and Genoa is a city in Italy, I'm going to go for an Italian Romanesque exterior, furthermore, the vaulted glass ceilings are taken from the Galleria in Milan which again ties with the Italian exterior, not to mention Rome was where the rotunda was born.

 

 

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Maniac, that's awesome! I like the big dome in the middle giving your center court natural sunlight. The movement of Palais Royal down by Macy's is a good touch. All of these years with it in center court, and now moving it into the Foley...er uh Macy Wing would take some getting used to, but I think it's a good idea.

Great concept for Almeda, nicely done Maniac! With Northwest, Macy's has abandoned the store, so what would you propose moves into the old Northwest Foley's? Would Carolyn Thompson's Antique Center, which currently occupies the Penney's store, remain in the mall at all? Using your concept for Almeda, I would personally flip Forever 21 to the other end of Northwest, demoing the old Foley's, and replacing it with F21 with a slightly smaller footprint. Carolyn Thompson would then shift to the old Palais Royal location at Center Court, PR moves to the new Forever 21 wing, and H&M takes over the Penney's wing.

The only negative that pops into my head with this, is whether or not F21 and H&M can support the mall as full anchors. This is why I like cloud's idea of taking its roof off and making an outdoor shopping plaza out of it. It takes away that old perception that a mall requires a big name box tenant to survive.

You are much more familiar with Almeda than I, Maniac. When was the DD's building added to the footprint? Or is that the back half of the old Battelstein's/Beall's department store? Northwest doesn't have a DD's, and from what I'm seeing in your Almeda layout, it appears that this may have been an add on to the original mall space.

Thanks for keeping the Picadilly's too! It's got to remain in its original location though.

The whole charm of Picadilly's Almeda is that it remains frozen in time and looks as it did when it opened back in the 60's. It reminds me of my childhood, gobbling down a cornbread stick, and watching the trays ride down the conveyor belt for all to see. It's one of the few things I get to satisfy my nostalgic itch. My wife doesn't get it, you know, with the long drive from north Houston and all, but it sure does take me back to a much simpler time and always brings a smile to my face to visit it occasionally.

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I read that Piccadilly closed earlier this year, unfortunately.

While Greenspoint can be wrecked (well, maybe leave the theaters), I think NW Mall still has legs. First, move Macy's from Greenspoint to NW Mall, reopening it. While NW Mall isn't too healthy it's far better than Greenspoint, because what made it special and unique was stripped out over two decades ago (trees!), it was becoming a mess even in the 1990s, and a realistic window for saving it has come and gone (yes, in 2008 I would've happily jumped on that bandwagon, but no longer!). Even the food court isn't good (Brothers Pizza departed several years back). When downtown malls in other cities failed, the thing that always tends to survive is the food court because of office workers in the area. While Greenspoint has office buildings nearby, even the Greenspoint food court isn't a viable place for that anymore.

At best, it is far too big for the neighborhood it's serving, and a vacant lot is going to be better than a blighted "redevelopment" or anything like that. Did I tell you that I have friends of a friend who will defend Greenspoint EXCEPT for the mall. Time to pop the festering zit on Greenspoint's face. Game Over.

Northwest Mall on the other hand, despite having some of its parking lot marred, isn't in deep trouble like Greenspoint is. It has fountains, a nearly full food court, and a few stores. It's a lot quieter, and I think with some more aggressive marketing, some new stores, and the like, it can still remain.

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