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X Houston: Residential High-Rise At 5501 La Branch St.


Urbannizer

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The Property Market Group, developer behind X Houston, will be holding a meeting at Hotel ZaZa, Imaginiation Board Room on July 23rd, from 6 to 7pm. I wonder if they got wind of all the whining and decided to have this townhall meeting. I'll probably go just to ask if we can get some retail, or something like a yoga studio, or anything really, on the first floor. If they say no, I'm gonna tell them that I hate the development and that I might protest outside the development 😁

 

In the words of my friend in commercial real estate "Its time to find out how many cat ladies live in the neighborhood and how many people will be watching your day to day construction just to complain."

 

 

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54 minutes ago, X.R. said:

The Property Market Group, developer behind X Houston, will be holding a meeting at Hotel ZaZa, Imaginiation Board Room on July 23rd, from 6 to 7pm. I wonder if they got wind of all the whining and decided to have this townhall meeting. I'll probably go just to ask if we can get some retail, or something like a yoga studio, or anything really, on the first floor. If they say no, I'm gonna tell them that I hate the development and that I might protest outside the development 😁

 

In the words of my friend in commercial real estate "Its time to find out how many cat ladies live in the neighborhood and how many people will be watching your day to day construction just to complain."

 

 

 

I plan on bringing some tiki torches.

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5 hours ago, X.R. said:

The Property Market Group, developer behind X Houston, will be holding a meeting at Hotel ZaZa, Imaginiation Board Room on July 23rd, from 6 to 7pm. I wonder if they got wind of all the whining and decided to have this townhall meeting. I'll probably go just to ask if we can get some retail, or something like a yoga studio, or anything really, on the first floor. If they say no, I'm gonna tell them that I hate the development and that I might protest outside the development 😁

 

In the words of my friend in commercial real estate "Its time to find out how many cat ladies live in the neighborhood and how many people will be watching your day to day construction just to complain."

 

 

I'll see you there, buddy. 

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On 7/11/2019 at 7:58 AM, Angostura said:

(BTW, aside from a lack of adequate wastewater infrastructure and the bullets whizzing by, favelas are an urbanists wet dream: low-rise, high-density, mixed use development; zero setbacks, narrow streets, and entirely pedestrian oriented.)

 

 

 

FIFY

 

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For those of you that were planning on going:

 

Quote

 

PMG, developer for the proposed 5501 La Branch project, informed us that today's meeting (July 23, 6:00 p.m. at Hotel ZaZa) is by invitation rather than open to the public.  This meeting is not the community meeting that MPNA and MPSN have requested numerous times. We are disappointed and apologize for any inconvenience due to prior meeting notification.

CM Boykins, Museum Park Super Neighborhood, and Museum Park Neighborhood Association remain committed to broader community engagement on this project that will have significant impact on our neighborhood. 

We look forward to your input at the Planning Commission meeting, Thursday, July 25, 2:30 p.m., City Hall Annex, 901 Bagby Street.  Anyone who did not speak on July 11, may speak at the July 25 meeting.  Please contact info@museumparkna.org or president@museumparksn for further details.

Sincerely, Museum Park Neighborhood Association

 

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48 minutes ago, nate said:

For those of you that were planning on going:

 

 

 

A great laugh out loud moment. When read their first email, I did wonder why X Houston chose hotel ZaZa. I was like "damn, they are going all out, hope theres a free drink or something." But now we know why.😅

 

People probably had canceled their mid-afternoon tennis match to make this. 😂

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5 hours ago, X.R. said:

 

A great laugh out loud moment. When read their first email, I did wonder why X Houston chose hotel ZaZa. I was like "damn, they are going all out, hope theres a free drink or something." But now we know why.😅

 

People probably had canceled their mid-afternoon tennis match to make this. 😂

 

And now they are going to raid the planning commission meeting. I'm sure that will be successful (says no one). There a few select times NIMBYS have a real legit complaint, but what are they going to do when they are at the commission meeting. 'Hey commission, we are here to tell you to vote against the cities interests (growing its tax base), so we don't have a shadow cast over our lawns in the afternoon.....and traffic.....and homeless.....we don't like it!" I mean really? What do they expect the commission to do for them in this circumstance that is so similar to nearly every other highrise development that is happening in the city that they approve of. What do they think makes them so special or the exception to the rule?

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The developer indicated they would proceed without the variance at the hearing. Given that Councilman Boykins’ office spoke against it along with a fair number of other folks, the committee had a political disincentive coupled with a lack of apparent harm in which to deny the variance. The plat was approved without the variance as I recall. 

 

We’ll see if PMG actually moves forward sans variance.

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The plat was approved without the variance as I recall. 

 

 

For us untutored in this business, like me, I take this to mean the builders can still proceed with construction within the parameters of the plat. Just cannot stray from the plat designation. Correct? So I suppose the variance was not essential for the construction of this building.

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9 hours ago, houstontexasjack said:

The developer indicated they would proceed without the variance at the hearing. Given that Councilman Boykins’ office spoke against it along with a fair number of other folks, the committee had a political disincentive coupled with a lack of apparent harm in which to deny the variance. The plat was approved without the variance as I recall. 

 

We’ll see if PMG actually moves forward sans variance.

 

Wait, Boykin's office was against the variance? Smh. But it makes sense, if his constituents didn't want it.

 

Shenanigans.

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36 minutes ago, X.R. said:

 

Wait, Boykin's office was against the variance? Smh. But it makes sense, if his constituents didn't want it.

 

Shenanigans.

 

Shenanigans is right.

 

Time always wins. They can fight time all they want, but it is a losing battle. Maybe the area isn't ready for wholesale development like other areas in town, but it will come. This area is to prime of a location to stay the way it is right now (even with townhomes). While we've seen a few proposals for this area its clear that developers understand that there is very vocal group who will oppose them at every turn. Why develop here when there are other areas which will embrace their development. Let the market do its work, right? If they don't want any development then fine. Plenty of others else where do, and the opponents here can have their "quiet" neighborhood for the time they can have it. They will get nothing in return though.

Edited by Luminare
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too many nimbys, crybabies, and old conservative thinking still holding onto the development thinking in Houston.  That's why places like Miami and other large cities always out build us with new and exciting towers and ideas.  It's too bad as well, since we are a technology hub and aka "space city u.s.a." or is that now a misnomer ?  staying in middle of the road and only playing it "safe" usually tends to get one run over and out done.  Houston money people and developers take note !

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Whats weird is the neighborhood is OK with the boone property going away and becoming a mid-rise apartment complex (the Allen Harrison Complex). But the more I talk to people, its because the houses weren't well kept (but who give a F). Like, if you build two mid-rise apartments, as opposed to one high-rise, whats the difference other than that you don't get the retail that you would if you let the high rise be built. Crazy. To be fair, some of my neighbors have been in the District since 2003-4 (and they are much older than I), and they don't bother with the MPNA. When I told them I joined their collective reactions was "Why would you do that to yourself." So its not everyone, lol. 

 

I texted a friend whose firm competed for that land (the price was just too much for them eventually), and he said if X doesn't take it, they know they will. His assumption is this goes forward, its just the balconies won't look as nice (aka the stuff that juts out above the first like 6 floors). 

Edited by X.R.
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4 minutes ago, Urbannizer said:

So what does this mean, larger parking garage? 😣

 

The developer mentioned it would add 2 floors to the garage and 1 floor to the residential building.

 

if he goes through with it, it’s a true lose-lose situation for the developer (extra costs)and the neighborhood association (taller building). 

 

I think the intent of having a smaller meeting was that they could negotiate with the heads of the association to offer up some concessions. Unfortunately, 50 people showed up saying this site wasn’t right and the developer should study the outcome to the Ashby high rise. 

 

The extra costs probably could’ve been shared with the neighborhood for some streetscape enhancements. Truly unfortunate outcome that helps no one. 

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Thanks for the explanation. What does this mean for the drop off driveway?

 

It's mind boggling the ones against the variance can't grasp that the denial is a worse outcome for everyone and that the project will move forward either way. 

 

Also, it is they who should study the outcome of the Ashby high-rise. The developer did win the right to build, they just have yet to do so.

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5 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

Thanks for the explanation. What does this mean for the drop off driveway?

 

It's mind boggling the ones against the variance can't grasp that the denial is a worse outcome for everyone and that the project will move forward either way. 

 

Also, it is they who should study the outcome of the Ashby high-rise. The developer did win the right to build, they just have yet to do so.

 

I think the drop off on calumet was removed from the project. The only vehicular access point is la branch.

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4 hours ago, MarathonMan said:

I thought the developer was going through with the project even though the variance request was denied.  There would be design changes, but the project would move forward, yes?

 

That’s correct. No new information comes from the Chronicle article, just late on reporting the story (as always).

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I was just joking. 

7 hours ago, MarathonMan said:

I thought the developer was going through with the project even though the variance request was denied.  There would be design changes, but the project would move forward, yes?

 

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2 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

 



And it's why I wrote it's sort of an update. Besides the blog Virtual Builders Exchange, none of the local media reported the X Houston development being proposed. The article shared from Houston Chronicle is the first report of it from local media and the first local media to report what happened at the city planning meeting. So, with that in mind, it''s important to note because it means more Houston residents learning about it who don't follow forums like HAIF or visit the city of Houston website to read up on these items.

Yes, we all know 98.99% of the time Houston Chronicle reports news late (late like it's been discussed on this forum months or years before, or the paper reports news other local media sites reported days to months before). Outside of editorials, police & fire scans, and investigative journalism, over 90% of the news on Houston Chronicle are press releases, AP or Rueters newswires, best of food lists and slideshows from Yelp, and click-bait slideshows. 

But usually, proposed developments like this aren't reported by the big news agencies. One reason is because either editors or whomever is in charge wants their reporters to have something more concrete than a proposal. And renderings of proposed projects can't be published without permission from the developers or artists. If the developer doesn't want their renderings shared or dodge requests for comments on proposed projects, there's nothing the reporters can publish.That's why we see mostly press releases about these, because that's when the developers decide to share details.
 

Blogs or sites like Virtual Builders Exchange, Curbed, and others are the exceptions. But old-school media like Hearst-owned publications and others have stricter guidelines they adhere to. It shouldn't be that way.

 

 

Whats interesting is how the media doesn't touch buildings that have opposition to them until there is momentum by the opposition. This was the case while updating info for Aspire Post Oak on the map. Literally zero press releases by any outlet until the Cosmo legal action went into full steam, and the media were clearly on the side of the Cosmo legal action. So if you see a building that has even a minimal amount of opposition to it then it won't get coverage until the opposition grows to a point where it interests the media to cover it.

 

Just think about it there are others with this same thing happening as well. For years barely any outlet did reporting or updates on the reroute until opposition groups gain a little momentum. Its quite pathetic honestly. It shows that these people have a clear bias. Here...we clearly don't. The only agenda on this site is to be informed as much as possible whatever, wherever, and whenever something is constructed. Thats the way it should be, but oh well.

Edited by Luminare
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