Booming Land Of Pears

[WestGrayGuy]

Growing up in Brazoria county, I have watched Pearland grow over the years. There is no doubt that highway 288 has enhanced the speed of development to this outlying community.

Things are really popping up now. Just driving down 288 you can see many new restaurants and retail spots. I wonder if this area can support all the traffic that is emminent with all the new places to go. Can this corner of Pearland support two move theatres within a mile of each other?

I have also read somewhere that the next big mall will go here. Can anyone confirm this?

[texasPaul]

WGG...

As shopping centers have evolved, I wonder what incarnation it would assume? A look at the Woodlands Mall indicates a return to open air concepts. Possibly incorporating an enclosed or partially enclosed structure.

Either way, I agree and an anxious to see what does occur in the corridor.

p

[UrbaNerd]

Yes, Pearland is going to be a great suburban city, maybe like Katy and Sugarland, with a huge advantage- commute times. If you jump on 288, you can reach downtown in 15 mins or less. Plus, once the area grows, any expansion of the freeway willb e easy, thanks to the large Right of way and reserved space. I mean, look at Shadow Creek alone- it is selling faster than lattes!

[MidtownCoog]

15 mintues on the weekend.

You could not pay me to live on the West side of 288 until they build some connectors to 288 N.

Otherwise, you are going to be sitting a very long light to get downtown.

[GovernorAggie]

Well, I can honestly say that Pearland is on the top of my list when I finish here at A&M and move to Houston.

[WestGrayGuy]

Governoraggie:

When I left A&M I took a job in Sugarland and lived in Stafford. I wasn't very happy in the burbs. Every restaurant had a young family with howling babies. Don't get me wrong. The suburbs serve a purpose. They have better schools and more of a family atmosphere.

As a young graduate you should consider inside the loop. I moved to midtown in the olden days in 98. I have lived here every since. I now own a townhome here. Granted Pearland is nice but I can guarantee a young college guy would get bored on weekends.

I am of course making assumptions about you. One, you are a young graduate (early to mid twenties). Two, you do not have a family. If these assumptions are true, you won't regret living inside the loop. ITL (inside the loop), as my friends and I call it, is the heart and soul and cultural capital of Houston.

[MidtownCoog]

I like the old Pearland near Dixie Farm and 518. Its lost some of its country charm, but is much better looking than the new part along 288.

[GovernorAggie]

WGG,

Thanks for the advice! However, I think that my family could very well be one of those with howling babies! I have a wife and daughter (who turns 1 on the 14th, btw). Ironically, the reason for living in the 'burbs in affordability. My wife and I would prefer a great neighborhood with calm streets, low crime, sidewalks, and plenty of amenities nearby. We have family memberships to the Zoo, the Museum of Natural Science, and the Children's Museum. Couple that with the fact that my wife have a very young half-brother (7 years old) and we make plenty of trips to Herman Park and the Museum District. If we could afford to, we'd live inside 610. Maybe later. The schools aren't an issue since my wife plans on homeschooling our daughter--and part of her curriculum would be numerous trips to the museums and zoo. She also longs for a good park and walking/running areas.

She's not so hot on Pearland, either. I think that we will end up buying a house (still a few years away) in the Pearland/Friendswood area or the Woodlands or maybe even the new Bridgelands area.

So you can see that I am learning quickly that "when wife's happy, life's happy", lol.

[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

Pearland is booming, thanks to its Shadow Creek Ranch. This is what is adding 35,000 people to Pearland's 35,700 city limit population. A big reatiled mall could be served here.

[UrbaNerd]

Yeah, they hope to build one on 288@ BW8.

[WestGrayGuy]

Per the Real Estate babe (Nancy Sarnoff) from the Chronicle this past Sunday:

Pearland shops follow people

Expected growth along Texas 288 brings developers and merchants

By NANCY SARNOFF

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Johnson Development was considered a pioneer when it created the Silverlake residential community in Pearland in the mid-1990s.

The project was followed in 2001 with a major retail development by Lasco Development Corp.

The Silverlake Village Shopping Center, at the southeast corner of Texas 288 and FM 518, includes national retailers such as Target, Ross, Marshalls, Linens 'n Things, Kohl's and Chili's.

These developers now have plenty of neighbors.

The Crossing at 518 is well under way at the northeast corner of Texas 288 and FM 518.

Cencor Realty Services is building the 500,000-square-foot retail center, which will have a Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as other restaurants and shops. The project also includes a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Smaller centers are starting to go up near the Crossing.

Shopping mall developer Simon, which owns the Galleria, has even been rumored to be scouting the area for sites.

The city of Pearland and nearby areas along the Texas 288 corridor are now getting a movie theater, more big box retailers, banks and its first car dealership.

Much of the commercial development is taking shape because of the growing number of rooftops.

Pearland's population is expected to grow from about 50,000 to more than 144,000 by 2020, according to CDS and the city of Pearland.

Shadow Creek Ranch, the area's newest master-planned community contains 3,400 acres.

More than 700 homes are currently occupied, and 1,200 more are under contract or under construction.

Ultimately the community will have 12,000 homes, including townhomes, apartments and senior living units, according to the developer.

Last year alone, residential developers applied for more than 1,680 building permits, compared with 818 in 2000.

Hospitals have been jockeying to get in on the land grab.

HCA purchased more than 40 acres near Shadow Creek Parkway and Texas 288.

Memorial Hermann Health-

care System also controls a large tract at the corner of FM 518 and Texas 288.

[CincoRanch-HoustonResident]

Wow! Katy is getting a new Texas Childrens Hospital on the Katy Freeway@Barker Cypress. Isn't there a big retaled mall going to be built near Cinemark Theaters?

[StixnBrix]

Pearland is a HUGE surprise to me. I too was born and raised in Brazoria County. I must admit I had ignored the town until about two or three years ago.

About the only thing I remember about the area is the dove hunting we used to enjoy in fields that are now buried under thousands of new homes.

Now I hear it will soon be what us natives used to call a "wet" town.

Imagine that, being able to have a glass of wine with dinner, in Brazoria County! I guess not ALL change is bad after all.

[Casual Observer]

Brazoria county is a dry county?

[kjb434]

I don't know if it is dry, but it is nowhere near wet. I don't know if they just have strong laws on drinking or completely dry.

If Pearland is smart, they will legalize all forms of liquor. Some restraunts will chose not to locate in an area even if the population can support it because the liquor laws.

In college, the small town I was in legallized hard liquor and after that 10 new restraunts opened up. 6 were large chain restraunts and the rest were local outfits.

[MidtownCoog]

It's Damp.

[WestGrayGuy]

I can confirm that portions of Brazoria county are wet. For example, Lake Jackson is dry meaning you have to be part of a club to buy alcohol. While Freeport is wet meaning you can buy liquor as you can here in Houston.

[StixnBrix]

Restraunts make a place more desirable in my opinion. There are several places I would like to live but would have to sacrifice good food to do so.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE chicken fried steak, BBQ, and catfish. I just don't want to have that every time I go out. That is pretty much your only choice once you get 30 to 50 miles away from the city.

Those backward liquor laws do keep good restraunts away. I'm glad to see Pearland "grow up" about this issue.

[PureAuteur]

You cannot trust suburban developers to create a true community these days. I'd be very skeptical about Pearland. The "new Pearland" will be a cookie-cutter community with cookie-cutter housing just like Clear Lake, Sugarland, Katy, Kingwood, etc.

If you want to live in Houston, you shouldn't be afraid to actually live "in Houston". It's all these suburban gimmicks that are ruining the encircling land between 610 and Beltway 8, excluding the Memorial Area on the west side.

The suburbs are basically like Taco Bell: same ingredients with all sorts of different ways to market them.

And what's with the name Shadow Creek Ranch?? It doesn't say "welcome to Pearland" in my opinion. It is a generic name that could be found anywhere around Houston.

The plus side to living in Pearland would be a nice location between downtown and Lake Jackson/Galveston. I would worry about the infrastructure (streets/roads) and bottlenecks getting to the freeway and on the freeway once the population explodes in the area.

[VicMan]

The problem with Pearland is 288. If 288 isn't widened, the commute will be like hell.

Also, I wonder why all of the Pearland ISD schools require that strict dress code.. A dress code should be something left up to the school.

[kjb434]

Teachers will tell you a strict dress code can do wonders for behavior problems.

It prevents the display of gang colors to start a riot. It also keeps all students whether poor or rich on the same level in the facilities.

going to Catholic school for 13 years was nice. Especially when you are a teeanger. You don't have to think about what are you going to where. Just put on the uniform. My parent and I also saved a lot money from not having to buy all kinds of clothes.

[VicMan]

"Teachers will tell you a strict dress code can do wonders for behavior problems.

Here goes a slightly off topic debate.

It prevents the display of gang colors to start a riot. It also keeps all students whether poor or rich on the same level in the facilities.

going to Catholic school for 13 years was nice. Especially when you are a teeanger. You don't have to think about what are you going to where. Just put on the uniform. My parent and I also saved a lot money from not having to buy all kinds of clothes."

1. Gangs get around that. They just have handkerchiefs, non-verbal communication, and stuff written on their shoes. They get around it. Gang members are not stupid. A better solution is to get involved in the community and break up the gangs.

2. Wouldn't the rich move on to accessories? Cell phones, purses, etc.

But most of all, if uniforms do help, they only help on certain campuses (as not all campuses have gang problems, and not all campuses have friction between socioeconomic classes due to clothes). It should be up to the individual campus (as is Houston ISD, which happens to have most schools opting for uniforms anyway), not the school district (e.g. Pearland ISD).

Also, not everyone has an issue with choosing what to wear in the morning.

[2112]

You cannot trust suburban developers to create a true community these days. I'd be very skeptical about Pearland. The "new Pearland" will be a cookie-cutter community with cookie-cutter housing just like Clear Lake, Sugarland, Katy, Kingwood, etc.

If you want to live in Houston, you shouldn't be afraid to actually live "in Houston". It's all these suburban gimmicks that are ruining the encircling land between 610 and Beltway 8, excluding the Memorial Area on the west side.

The suburbs are basically like Taco Bell: same ingredients with all sorts of different ways to market them.

And what's with the name Shadow Creek Ranch?? It doesn't say "welcome to Pearland" in my opinion. It is a generic name that could be found anywhere around Houston.

Wow. What a narrow view generalization.

Not that long ago, I use to be so anti-suburb that I couldnt see past the smoke I was creating myself. Now, I can hardly bear the arrogance that comes with the almost nazi-like anti-burb crowd. I, as many suburban dwellers, love the city of houston: the entire city - not just some arrogant definition created by the elite who can affod to live in it's central parts. I am confident that people who otherwise would consider living in the loop would do so if they could afford to. It's an affodability issue and you cannot make broad sweeping generalizations on people who dont live in a place because they cant afford it. I have news for you: the burbs have a lot to offer, just like many parts of central houston do too. You need both. Yes, there are some closed-minded suburbanites out there. But believe me, there are just as many closed-minded inner-loopers too.

By the way, when Neil Armstrong said "Houston, tranquility base here, the eagle has landed". He was addressing what was back then a suburb of Houston. How hypocritical are those inner-loop purists who choose to claim that famous phrase.

My address says Houston, and I'm damn proud of it.

[RedScare]

Wow. A guy makes a single comment about "developers" in the suburbs, and you go off on some tangent about NASA. The fact is, few, if any, developers in the outlying areas do give a rat's ass about "community". This is not an indictment against suburban living. It was a statement about the builders of suburbia. Frankly, there aren't many Houston developers that care about inner Houston either. The only difference is that at least in town, they can't wall off their development from the rest of the community, leaving one entrance and exit.

Get the chip off of your shoulder. If more suburban home buyers complained about these issues, more developers might pay attention to it.

[2112]

Wow. A guy makes a single comment about "developers" in the suburbs, and you go off on some tangent about NASA. The fact is, few, if any, developers in the outlying areas do give a rat's ass about "community". This is not an indictment against suburban living. It was a statement about the builders of suburbia. Frankly, there aren't many Houston developers that care about inner Houston either. The only difference is that at least in town, they can't wall off their development from the rest of the community, leaving one entrance and exit.

Get the chip off of your shoulder. If more suburban home buyers complained about these issues, more developers might pay attention to it.

Maybe that was a little harsh. If so then please accept apology. BUT, there was an undercurrent there in the original post that has been around for some time, it's an attitude that generalizes inner-loop life - including everything from its inhabitants to its developments - agains a perception of the rest of Houston. There is an arrogance out there about it, and I am pretty sure I am not the only one who sees it. If you want to call a responce to all of that a "chip", then a chip I have.

[dbigtex56]

Good points, RedScare.

In addition to design issues, there's also the matter of unregulated homeowners' associations. Can one buy a new suburban home without being locked into an agreement which can go sour at any time? I've heard too many stories about associations which are power-drunk or outright corrupt.

Maintaining some standards is desirable - necessary, even. But IMHO, the relationship between homeowners and their 'associations' is much like that between a buck private and a drill sergeant. That's not a home - that's a barracks.

[RedScare]

Maybe that was a little harsh.

And, maybe my response to your response was a bit harsh, as well. Rereading the post, I did notice the dig about not being afraid to "live in" Houston.

However, suburban developers and builders should not be let off the hook so easily. Being suspicious that Pearland will become nothing more than a patchwork of subdivisions, with no connecting thoroughfares and no sense of community other than the word "Pearland" on your mail, is a very real fear, based in no small part on the past experiences all over the Houston Metro. I know there are planning commissions in both county and city governments, and these commissions need to work diligently at making this patchwork development feel like a town or city when it is done.

I don't know how far Pearland's city limits extend, but I hope they do a little better job than we have seen elsewhere.

[MidtownCoog]

You goobers don't even know where the real Pearland is.

The crap near 288 is faux-Pearland.

[2112]

You goobers don't even know where the real Pearland is.

The crap near 288 is faux-Pearland.

[gnu]

You goobers don't even know where the real Pearland is.

The crap near 288 is faux-Pearland.

I thought it was funny that when you go into the "real" Pearland on Dixie Farm Rd (and in other places too - probably faux-pearland as well), some entity has placed large signs directing you to the various subdivisions under development. The heading on the signs reads "Pearland: A Master Planned Community"