wilcal

Also didn't they just have a baby as well? I would imagine that the extra space would be welcomed.

No matter what he is getting a massive raise. Hundreds of millions. So I'd like to think he is just moving to a nicer spot with better security.

More sitework continues. So excited to see more development on Harrisburg!

Owner on HCAD is listed as Mighty Equities Venture Capital/Private Equity firm from Austin. They own a few lots in the area: 702 Hyde Park 704 Hyde Park 708 Hyde Park 2406 Stanford (the house next to the parking lot aka 702) 1753 W Alabama (A fourplex or duplex?) 1749 W Alabama (A single family next door, that is two lots down from HEB) So yes, they have four contiguous lots right there. I'm guessing something is going in and a bar makes sense.

Spirit launching IAH-MTY on June 22 https://ir.spirit.com/news-releases/news-details/2022/Spirit-Expands-in-Mexico-with-New-Daily-Nonstop-Flights-from-Monterrey-to-Austin--Houston/default.aspx

Details from variance request: * All parking on eastern block that will connect with sky bridge. * Building setback along Emancipation to 26'. 9' safety buffer, 8' sidewalk, and "private yards" for apartment units. * Bell will have added parking that will act as a safety buffer and have a 12' sidewalk. I can't imagine that this won't go through.

Very cool! Ouch. Yiiiiiikes. I'm sure that is better than some alternatives to get to Guyana.

Little bit of construction movement inside. This complex is looking nice! I emailed with Sam a few weeks ago and he said that their working goal was to try to have the reno done this month and start selling groceries in March.

A few days ago Turner came out and said that the plan would move forward as designed. I guess you could say, he put the Kibosh on the discourse. https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/buchanans-11th-street-bike-lane-16938432.php

Looking forward to this one!

nope

Honestly, it does look pretty good. Kind of looks like a theater. It looks amazing compared to the one on Richmond in Montrose.

That is great to hear!

Nope, it will be part of the normal Planning Commission Agenda. I wish they were posted as they are filed, like with permits :/

New variance sign up that is facing Leeland. For a March planning commission meeting. I did not see exactly what was being requested and I don't think that there is an easy way to see pending variance requests online without emailing.

According to the Houston Press, Van Leeuwen opens Feb 23. https://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/a-new-kind-of-sports-bar-opens-van-leeuwen-montrose-debuts-soon-12868572 Special flavor will be available:

Exciting it is open! They also have signage above the entrance to the parking garage entrance facing Emancipation as well.

Looks like they have an O&G-focused product. I wonder if they are making headway there. https://darkpulse.com/oil-gas/

That is a very Pepperoni's delivery vehicle.

City permit issued on 2/11 for a 5,933 sq ft restaurant here

City permit filed for a 2,088 sq ft "shipping container retail store" for this site.

City permits are in for a 33,847 sq ft podium parking garage with a 111,428 sq ft apartment building. So slight changes to what was posted here before?

Interesting that the old article talks about using Commerce, the chagrin of many cyclists/drivers with the old rail tracks still in the street. I honestly don't think there is anything to the East End streetcar. I would assume that there will be a METRO adjustment to the area once there are more residential units. I think the bus right now is on 60 minute headways, which is rough.

There are many produce vendors. This corridor has a bunch of produce wholesalers, even to this day. With that being said, little to none of it is local.

I certainly don't think it lowers property values. I think that the additional flexibility makes the land worth more, particularly in a redevelopment situation. Chopping a larger home into a four plex can face difficulties because of the parking requirements and those would be effectively eliminated. As j_cuevas713 addresses, there are a large number of people that want to live in communities with amenities that are within walking distance and the TOD ordinance provides for a significantly improved pedestrian experience, so this also increases desirability which increases value. But also, TOD has been in effect for 15 months, and there haven't exactly been a ton of projects that have taken advantage that I've seen. In the pic I posted above, all of the streets in Montrose are pink, which is the Secondary TOD standard, which will exist until the BRT station is actually built and activated. The blue Primary TOD streets in the museum district are there because the light rail is of course built and operating. There is a formula that decides where Primary and Secondary designations fall. So right now, TOD is really "half-baked" in Montrose until the BRT stations are done. Secondary designation only allows a business to go down to 50% of the required parking (residential is market-based, so 0% required). Here is a link to the User's Guide for Walkable Places and TOD I have an acquaintance that got a quote to build a decent sized parking garage in the suburbs, and the quote came back at $35,000/spot. This is quite a bit higher than a developer I talked to in Midtown that said that they paid about $20-$25k/spot for their garage in like 2018/9ish. That is some serious cash when you think about how much parking this site needs/is required to have and each 30 parking spots may add $1,000,000 in development costs. Sorry, this got long, but I think it's an interesting question and something that more property owners will bring up as these ordinances may continue to be expanded. Edit: I think a more interesting question: is what does an ordinance like TOD do for housing affordability? You create a more desirable area, but you unlock more affordable housing by dropping some parking requirements. But that is something to talk about in the TOD thread.