Cypress Village Station Developments

[mrfootball]

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County has fast-tracked its plans to partner with private developers on real estate deals throughout the county.

In its latest deal, Metro will join forces with a private commercial developer to build a $32 million mixed-use shopping and transit center at the corner of Skinner Road and U.S. Highway 290.

The project marks the second joint development agreement engineered by the transit agency in the past month, but the first of its kind for Harris County.

Under the agreement, Metro will pay Houston-based NewQuest Properties $17 million to build a multilevel parking garage and bus transit center on undeveloped land owned by Metro. The garage will accommodate 1,500 cars.

In addition, Metro will contribute 11 acres of public land to a joint partnership led by NewQuest that will develop an adjacent $14.3 million retail project near the park-and-ride facility. In exchange for its contribution, Metro will own 25 percent of the development. The still-unnamed project will be made up of 28,000 square feet of restaurant space and 92,000 square feet of retail space.

UPDATE

Apartments added to retail in new Metro Park & Ride

Houston Business Journal - July 28, 2006by Jennifer DawsonHouston Business Journal

Northwest Houston commuters soon will be able to roll out of bed and board a bus to get to work downtown.

The newest Park & Ride facility being developed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County will include 252 apartment units.

This project was originally described as a RETAIL project, however it is now also to include an apartment component? I'd like to see the plans for this. Metro is a public entity, so this development needs to have a forum for public debate. Further, I'm not sure if Metro has any business doing commercial/residential real estate development anyhow. Need more info.

[mrfootball]

More on this topic...

Currently, there is planning between a developer and METRO move forward on a large New Urban style development just northwest of Barker Cypress on US 290. Just south of the intersection of US 290 and Skinner Road will be a dense New Urban Syle comercial, apartment, and condo development with Cypress Creek and a new lake. At US 290, a new Park-n-Ride will be build provisions for the future commuter rail and HOT lane toll road connections for commuters to the city. Just south of the New Urban town center will lie a 600 acre lake with less dense single family residential. It will be on of the first developments that a town center is integrated into the single family neighborhood and not built as an afterthought.

This could be really cool, or this could really suck. IF they're teaming up with NewQuest...I'm thinking more of the latter. Need more info.

[wakester]

The park and ride is suppose to be open for commuter bus service around March/April 2007. I hope they also extend the HOV lane (Maybe like the diamond lane on I-10 past HWY-6 to the Katy park and ride).

[mrfootball]

I'm not sure where they would put a 600-acre lake? Looking at a recent aerial photo, the only place that would support that would be across the freeway on land I believe is going to be part of Caldwell-Watson's Towne Lake project? Could this be the developer they were talking about? Newquest and CW are competitors...so I'm unsure. Also, are they going to tear down Compaq's old 290 campus?

PDF with Aerial Photography.

Newquest's Cy-Fair Town Center (which is just a strip center...destined to create some naming confusion) is located next to the proposed site.

[Boris]

Nearly $2B Towne Lake construction launches - 8/16/2006

(Northwest Houston) - Caldwell Watson Real Estate Group in Houston has begun construction on its master-planned Towne Lake. The $1.6 billion project in the northwest area carries an estimated build-out of anywhere from ten to 15 years, and will include an approximately $50 million commercial and high-density component. The commercial project is estimated to take up approximately 5 percent of the total project and could support up to 1 million square feet in retail and office space. Caldwell Watson began its land acquisition along Texas 290 in the Cypress-Fairbanks area approximately 18 months ago, with a purchase of 400 acres meant for single-family developments. However, when an opportunity presented itself to add an additional 2,000 acres earlier this year, "That's when we decided to buy it and turn it into a master-planned community," says Peter Barnhart, Caldwell Watson's vice president of land development. Though the initial development phase will focus on single-family homes scheduled for an early 2007 completion, Barnhart suggests there is a push to incorporate high-density residential in the form of townhomes during the early build-out period. At this time, Caldwell Watson is interviewing multifamily developers to assist in that area of development.

[GlobeSt.com]

http://www.globest.com/news/676_676/houston/148256-1.html

[TheNiche]

I'm not sure where they would put a 600-acre lake? Looking at a recent aerial photo, the only place that would support that would be across the freeway on land I believe is going to be part of Caldwell-Watson's Towne Lake project? Could this be the developer they were talking about? Newquest and CW are competitors...so I'm unsure. Also, are they going to tear down Compaq's old 290 campus?

PDF with Aerial Photography.

Newquest's Cy-Fair Town Center (which is just a strip center...destined to create some naming confusion) is located next to the proposed site.

Stranger things that partnerships between competitors have happened.

If Town Lake has a network of navigable lakes so that residents could hypothetically travel by water to any of the community's sections, perhaps this is a ploy by CW to get water taxi funding from the FTA, the same way that The Woodlands was able to in its Town Center project.

[Transit Nut]

METRO has broken ground on the Cypress Park & Ride:

http://metrosolutions.org/go/doc/1068/116856/

If this is successful, perhaps they should convert some of their other suburban P&Rs to a similar layout.

[wakester]

It will be interesting to see how they tie it into the "future" commuter rail line. The tracks are on the other side of 290. Also, looks like no diamond lanes from end of the HOV lanes before Hwy-6. I guess they will just wait for the Hempstead HOV/HOT managed lanes. Too bad because 290 inbound is already getting bad in the morning before HWY-6, it would have been nice to zip past that.

[Trae]

I'm not sure where they would put a 600-acre lake? Looking at a recent aerial photo, the only place that would support that would be across the freeway on land I believe is going to be part of Caldwell-Watson's Towne Lake project? Could this be the developer they were talking about? Newquest and CW are competitors...so I'm unsure. Also, are they going to tear down Compaq's old 290 campus?

PDF with Aerial Photography.

Newquest's Cy-Fair Town Center (which is just a strip center...destined to create some naming confusion) is located next to the proposed site.

Why did they make the Cinemark so small? It has only 12 theaters. For the population there, I though there would be more.

[Guest Plastic]

What they really need to do is build Transit Centers at the malls.

[PureAuteur]

This is all backwards thinking. "Hop out of bed and take a bus to work downtown"?? The bus is still going to be sitting in traffic for hours. I thought it was supposed to be a high speed rail project connecting NW to downtown? If NewQuest is building this bus station/town center or whatever it's called, it's going to suck, just like everything else they've ever built. Harris County residents need to stand up to NewQuest, if even possible, to stop them from ruining the countryside and turning every last acre of trees in Harris County into an ugly strip center or an even more ugly "category killer" shopping area (ie. 290 near Fairfield and I-45 and Spring Cypress).

[TheNiche]

Harris County residents need to stand up to NewQuest, if even possible, to stop them from ruining the countryside and turning every last acre of trees in Harris County into an ugly strip center or an even more ugly "category killer" shopping area (ie. 290 near Fairfield and I-45 and Spring Cypress).

That'd be very unlikely on account of the fact that the Harris County residents are themselves 'ruining the countryside and turning every last acre of trees in Harris County' into housing.

Although strip centers are more VISIBLE, they don't take up anywhere near as much acreage as does single-family housing. Besides, where are they supposed to shop? The Galleria? Well then you'd better be prepared for some monsterously-large freeways to get them there...

[PureAuteur]

Developing neighborhoods and commercial is okay if you absolutely have to it to support growth. Just do it in a considerate way. Make aesthetically pleasing commercial development that blends into the community and the surrounding countryside well. All that stuff around the Target on 290 before Fairfield looks awful.

My aunt used to live on that property for years, and I can't believe how quickly they destroyed it.

[TheNiche]

Developing neighborhoods and commercial is okay if you absolutely have to it to support growth. Just do it in a considerate way. Make aesthetically pleasing commercial development that blends into the community and the surrounding countryside well. All that stuff around the Target on 290 before Fairfield looks awful.

My aunt used to live on that property for years, and I can't believe how quickly they destroyed it.

That's a pretty broad and open-ended objective. Especially given that most aesthetic improvements cost $$$, and that those costs must somehow be passed on from the developer to the tenant, and then from the tenant to the consumer. ...and if you leave it to the consumer, the overwhelming success of Wal-Mart is evidence of the choices that consumers will end up making.

[PureAuteur]

You don't need to have upscale shopping to support quality development. The money should be no problem if you get local-minded developers who care about the community they're developing in. The investment goes beyond profit/money to the more human dimension, and that's why today's commercial development is garbage; companies like NewQuest could give a crap about the people who live where they market. This generation of developers knows nothing about quality or aesthetics. I don't see how anyone could drive down 290 toward Cypress and not cringe at the ruination of the area. Compare a shopping center in Wimberley, TX to the new stuff built in Cypress along 290 and you'll think the 290 stuff looks like junk. Okay, that's my rant for today, now it's off to work.

[KatieDidIt]

Compare a shopping center in Wimberley, TX to the new stuff built in Cypress along 290 and you'll think the 290 stuff looks like junk. Okay, that's my rant for today, now it's off to work.

People vacation ranch in Wimberley, millions live in the Houston area. Big difference.

PA, you aren't gonna get your Boho Shantyville anywhere near the Houston Metroplex..or any other metroplex for that matter. That type of setup CANNOT sustain a large and sprawling community.

[PureAuteur]

Well, I don't mean to say that development in the Houston metroplex should look exactly like that in Wimberley. A Wimberley shopping center in suburban Houston would look out of place (but at least wouldn't be as hideous as NewQuest's mess). My point is that it should be built with the same amount of care and concern for the community it markets to. Residents should be proud of their shopping areas.

You are right that the kind of development I value wouldn't sustain a large and sprawling metroplex, which is why we first need to limit sprawl. The older commercial developments in Houston that are aesthetically pleasing (IMO) were designed and constructed before sprawl got out of hand. I'm thinking 60s-early 90s here.

Some examples of suburban development that meet my standards: the Cypress Creek Country Store convenience stores seen throughout the Great Northwest, the strip centers on Cutten Rd between Cypresswood and 1960 (the ones directly across from the County Line BBQ restaurant most notably), the shopping center in Jersey Village @ 290 and Jones Rd, everything developed at the intersection of Hollister/Tidwell and 290, and the Champions Village @ 1960 between Champion Forest Dr. and Glen Erica.

All you need is some careful planning (most people don't want to waste time on this now days because it "wastes" money), unique architectural styling, character, and charm. The development doesn't have to be upscale, it just needs a pleasant overall look and feel when absorbed into the surrounding community.

[TheNiche]

Some examples of suburban development that meet my standards: the Cypress Creek Country Store convenience stores seen throughout the Great Northwest, the strip centers on Cutten Rd between Cypresswood and 1960 (the ones directly across from the County Line BBQ restaurant most notably), the shopping center in Jersey Village @ 290 and Jones Rd, everything developed at the intersection of Hollister/Tidwell and 290, and the Champions Village @ 1960 between Champion Forest Dr. and Glen Erica.

Give us some photos.

[PureAuteur]

Good idea. I don't have a digital camera, but my father does, and I will try to get a hold of it to take some photos. I should have them put up within the week.

[mrfootball]

I like the way they developed the Pappasitos and Pappadeaux restaurants near 1960 and Cutten. That would be one of my 'model' developments.

[Mom22Blessings]

yeah those are nice....reminds me of The Woodlands.

[PureAuteur]

I agree, MrFootball. That whole Champions proper area is magnificantly planned.

I have taken some photos and still need a few more, so I should have them put up this week. When I mentioned intersection of 290 and Hollister/Tidwell for development that met my standards, I was thinking more of the landscaping. None of the buildings are especially beautiful to look at, but because of the landscaping and the various mid-rises that surround that intersection, it just has a nice semi-urban look. I'd consider the landscaping some of the best I've seen in Houston, rivaling the Galleria. I wasn't able to get a good photo of anything around there for this reason. An aerial photo would be more appropriate. The other developments around town that I mentioned meet my standards based on structure/architecture, while the Hollister Rd @ 290 is purely landscaping, which still creates an overall good aesthetic, but cannot be captured by a still image, but only a video or aerial shot.

Mom22Blessings, you just reminded me of something. While I was taking my photos of Hollister and Tidwell, I decided to visit my old neighborhood, the one off Hollister that got hit by flooding hard about three times in the late 90s. Many of the homes have been torn down, but I'm glad to see that the area is still heavily wooded and untouched by the villainous companies such as NewQuest. If you drive north on Hollister from 290 and go all the way to where it dead ends and there's a sharp curve to the left, there is a clearing and a tree buffer in which you can see pine forests for about a mile all around you. It's like a little mini Woodlands inside Beltway 8. The trees are beautiful there, and I wish I knew a way to see them more closely, because there are no roads or streets, just a giant clearing.

[mrfootball]

I think tree buffers ought to be mandatory. I'd also like to see uniform regulations for signage that limit their height and distance to the road.

[PureAuteur]

MrFootball, have you driven down 1960 lately and seen the latest assualt on the trees? If you go past Stuebner Airline toward I-45, it's just before the new Home Depot. About a week ago, that land was a thick forest of trees right on 1960, and they just cut down every single one with no buffer. It sickens me. There should be a forum specifically for tree destruction. I'm thinking of making signs that say "Don't Mess With Houston" and I'll put a few on that piece of property, visible to motorists.

[mrfootball]

I don't go down there much anymore, but I'm continually disgusted by the idiocy of half-ass developers in this city and the lax standards in Harris County. It pains me to see these dumbasses take what was a beautiful canvas, and ____ it all up. You don't notice it as much in place like Katy, Sugar Land or Pearland, because its mostly barren prairie, with a few trees and some scrub brush, anything built pretty much adds to the landscape. Here, we've got a pretty landscape to begin with, which is being sytematically ruined by poor land management. The neighborhoods are great...but the main thoroughfares (FM 1960 and now part of Louetta) have become like Westheimer.

Harris County needs to enforce the following:

Signage standards

Bandit Signs (let's fine the advertisers...great way for the county to raise much needed $$$).

Development standards that retain Greenspaces & Tree Buffers (retain long term value, livability, natural aesthetic, cleaner air).

Limit new Apartment construction, keeping them zoned in places that make it easier to police them.

Higher standards for obtaining new construction permits (we have enough empty shopping centers).

With that said, Cypress proper is still nice, and there's still time to preserve many of the nice things that residents here enjoy so much. I hope developers will take care to do it right. Preserve those tree buffers. Creating value rather than the fast buck mentality that has turned much of Houston into such a fustercluck.

[TheNiche]

Harris County needs to enforce the following:

Signage standards

Bandit Signs (let's fine the advertisers...great way for the county to raise much needed $$$).

Development standards that retain Greenspaces & Tree Buffers (retain long term value, livability, natural aesthetic, cleaner air).

Limit new Apartment construction, keeping them zoned in places that make it easier to police them.

Higher standards for obtaining new construction permits (we have enough empty shopping centers).

With that said, Cypress proper is still nice, and there's still time to preserve many of the nice things that residents here enjoy so much. I hope developers will take care to do it right. Preserve those tree buffers. Creating value rather than the fast buck mentality that has turned much of Houston into such a fustercluck.

If Houston's dynamism has indeed resulted in a "fustercluck", then I must be a fusterclucker. In fact, it would be my greatest hope and aspiration to become one of the great fustercluckers of our day.

Bandit signs serve a legitimate purpose, but I agree that the County and various municipalities should have a reasonable fee system in place so as to effectively lease out ROW to advertisers. Having a per-sign fee might also discourage builders and developers from placing extraneous signs all over the place, as is currently the case in many areas.

Development standards are an unreasonable expectation. The County wouldn't be able to get away with it legally, and the City of Houston would have to implement zoning or permit a new municipality to be formed within its ETJ. So that's pretty much off the table. Even if it were a reasonable expectation, I'd oppose such regulation. Instead, if I were you, I'd be concentrating on fighting the various environmental regulations enforced at the state and federal level that make it difficult for residential developers to preserve forested areas.

As much as you appear to dislike the prospect of having less affluent people living in close proximity to the more affluent neighborhoods, there is a demand for this type of housing. If apartments were hypothetically to be spatially displaced from their optimal locations as determined by the marketplace, then the region suffers as a result of transportation inefficiencies (i.e. congestion, pollution, decentralization/deficiency of mass transit in suburban areas).

Empty shopping centers tend to be relatively few in number, and even then, they are a short-term phenomenon. Lease-up is inevitable, even if the excess supply of retail space forces rental rates to shift downward. Remember: low rental rates allow the entry of a greater number of firms into the marketplace. That means that you the consumer have a greater variety of retailers to choose from. Variety is a good thing.

[mrfootball]

A) Lack of intelligent Zoning sucks. Retarded land use. I'm not sure how you can argue against this one.

Harris County needs ordinance making power, or Houston needs to give up its stranglehold on us using ETJ laws that limit our ability to govern ourselves and get things done.

C) No problem with less affluent areas, I just don't want the crime. You seem to casually ignore the relationship b/w the two. The Houston area crime rate is skyrocketing.

D) Greater Houston is a city of low standards. Its time to raise standards, demand more from a local/city government which is just fine in knowing the average citizen doesn't have a clue how this city is managed...lots of confusion - helps them deflect accountability. Ultimately affects livability, as the average citizen is left with the short end of the stick.

E) Unchecked speculative construction by half-ass developers. Empty neighborhood shopping centers or centers with the standard formula mix...How many nail salons and donut shops do we really need?

Thanks for hijacking the thread.

[mrfootball]

Instead, if I were you, I'd be concentrating on fighting the various environmental regulations enforced at the state and federal level that make it difficult for residential developers to preserve forested areas.

More explanation required. What environmental regulations necessitate clearcutting?

[TheNiche]

A) Lack of intelligent Zoning sucks. Retarded land use. I'm not sure how you can argue against this one.

Intelligent zoning would be ok by me, since intelligent zoning would entail zoning land to its highest and best uses. The only problem being that the words "intelligent" and "bureaucracy" don't go well together. I don't trust elected officials, and even if they do their job well, they're just a deadweight on society and a hinderance to businesses.

B ) Harris County needs ordinance making power, or Houston needs to give up its stranglehold on us using ETJ laws that limit our ability to govern ourselves and get things done.

Counties cannot enact zoning. Just can't happen. And Houston isn't likely to give you any leeway whatsoever. Hate to break it to you, but that's reality. As a consumer, you should've done your research before buying a home or investing in this area if it is of such great concern to you.

C) No problem with less affluent areas, I just don't want the crime. You seem to casually ignore the relationship b/w the two. The Houston area crime rate is skyrocketing.

Crime is going to come with the less affluent. I won't deny that. But they (and their ramifications) have to go somewhere, and NIMBYism isn't going to help anything. Would you rather that we just concentrate the poor into densely-packed neighborhoods where people like yourself never even have to acknowledge their existence?

D) Greater Houston is a city of low standards. Its time to raise standards, demand more from a local/city government which is just fine in knowing the average citizen doesn't have a clue how this city is managed...lots of confusion - helps them deflect accountability. Ultimately affects livability, as the average citizen is left with the short end of the stick.

Huh? Drop the ambiguous buzzwords and give me something to work with. What's your logic?

E) Unchecked speculative construction by half-ass developers. Empty neighborhood shopping centers or centers with the standard formula mix...How many nail salons and donut shops do we really need?

Nail shops will stop opening up when the marginal costs of their operations equal their marginal revenues. Very simple. If you arbitrarily decide that some number of nail shops or any other type of tenant is adequate for a given number of people, then you'll have to deal with the consequences, which will include and are certainly not limited to 1) less convenient locations and longer trips to use the services, 2) less competition between retailers, meaning higher prices, 3) underemployment of low-skill labor, resulting in more poverty, and 4) less variety and fewer choices.

[PureAuteur]

We need to have about half of this thread made into another thread, because the topic has deflected from the original.