wilcal

Such a joke that METRO keeps building these parking garages with hundreds of free parking spaces. (in reference to the 500 parking space garage on Fulton at the new Northline Transit Center) when 3/4 of bus stops in their service area are just a post in the ground.

Pretty sure they are just trying to be a team player. There's always politics at play. The other floating bus stops haven't been a problem, but they haven't really been placed in yuppy neighborhoods for the most part. It isn't like engineers didn't sign off on the design. Who wants to bet there was a bunch of distracted SUV-driving ding dongs behind the wheel that caused these?

Space Use: Industrial *boooooooooo*

Current plan is to have it for final vote before city council next week. Implementation is at their discretion. Typically 30-60 days after passing. I would highly highly recommend you take a minute and write to your city council members and let them know that you support Livable Place as-proposed. And to be clear, they are supportive about most of it, but some developers do not like pushing the garage setback from 17' to 19' (distance between garage door and the sidewalk) and not allowing individual driveways on lots that are narrower than 33'. If dividing a standard 50x100 lot into two 25x100 lots (ultra common) the proposal would make them use one of the new options above posted by Beernut.

Maybe it is a revised batter's eye or lighting? Astros have underperformed at home for several of the last few seasons.

Just as an FYI for everyone: a dual-building line variance allows they to be granted a much smaller building line for their existing structure, which typically couldn't be built today. If/when the historical building is demo'd, then it reverts to the second building line that is being established today.

35MM Studio has now moved into this space https://studio-35mm.com/ https://www.instagram.com/35mm_studio_/ It appears to be space available for rent. A four-hour block for a party/event is $700 and a one-hour block is $85

The city, via Livable Places, is on the precipice of increasing our density requirements from 27 dwelling units per acre to 32. This subdivision was originally platted at 26.34 and they asked the planning commission to grant them a higher density and split a few of their larger lots. Generally, lots are allowed to be as low as 20' wide, but with lot width averaging you can bring it down to 18' average. Lots 14 and 24 were originally 32' wide and they are dividing them into 2 16' wide lots each. Original lots 3 and 4 were 35' wide each and are now 2 17' wide lots. So some of the new ones will actually be even skinnier. HOWEVER, where else would we want ultra dense housing? It is arguably walkable to downtown, a bike lane is going in on Commerce, there are commercial uses close by, the Canal bus is at the end of the block, etc. And these will likely end up being the lowest cost new builds in the neighborhood. New housing = new neighbors = good. I know that you mentioned you are a directly nearby neighbor (I'm about 1.5 miles east of here, but I do ride my bike down Commerce most days), but I don't think a few extra townhomes on this parcel will make that much of a difference.

25' setback required along Westheimer in most situations. You can put parking there, so people end up putting parking in the front.

Another Commerce-related update at the BAC Infrastructure meeting last week. Basically, there had been some... concerns that only a small portion of Commerce was happening. Basically, the city is only doing a small portion, but Harris County would be taking it east to the Harrisburg Trail terminus and the railroad underpass would take it west, and then NHHIP would take it into downtown. It'll take awhile, but will get done eventually.

Another story? Someone told them that highway is going to get knocked down, right?

Revive agent said that they always keep the existing building.

Yeah, I mentioned to him that Slowpokes was going over in Concept Neighborhood, and honestly, something like that would have been perfect here. Coffee, all-day food, beer+wine in the evening. This place is not the best spot, but would love something like a Barnaby's.

There is one in River Oaks. Maybe they're doing better than we thought.

Yep!

A Slowpokes just got announced being part of Concert Neighborhood about a mile NE of here. I wonder if that would be too close. Hrmm.

Yeah, I can definitely see that. There only needs to be one lane of through traffic each direction and then one lane of parking. Could easily pull 5-6' out of the road to add to the pedestrian ROW. This is just a block from Columbia Tap, which might be getting a significant rebuild/improvement.

Construction loan closed: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwC7FF1vPv9/?fbclid=IwAR3LXWn7s6PEQCenvrW3SOy8L34U_ss49TOZgO6FevQHz_RIkTosq3TYuFE

The developer reached out to me after I emailed their leasing email address and said that they plan on developing the space for a food and beverage concept and will embrace the Harrisburg Trail in their plans! They also asked what type of place we would like to be here. Any thoughts?

This is their location with the Segment 3 overlay. I can't imagine it is staying.

Additionally, I noticed a restaurant named Fork & Skewers at the site where Slowpokes is going, and they appear to be new. Here is their website: https://www.forkandskewers.com/ Looks like it might be a home for their food truck. Their Facebook says that they'll be there Thurs-Sat this week.

Very cool! Quick and dirty map of those three locations:

I wish I had seen this thread earlier. If they modify at least 50% of the facade facing a Walkable Places street then they have to meet the requirements of WP which would be 50% fenestration and at least one entrance. I've sent an email so we'll see.

They did say that they expect it to take nearly 20 years to develop the entire site. Grocery has such tight margins, sites almost have to be perfect, and movie theater companies are not exactly doing well. I would like to think they'll start to pick up some momentum when more is open over the next few months. I think it is really a rent situation. Grocery leases last a long time, and I doubt a lower-end grocery could make that work without some type of subsidy. I think we all know it is HEB or bust. The population in the area is steadily increasing. It will happen eventually. There was a Joe V's rumored for somewhere along Harrisburg, but it never materialized. I can't see an ethnic grocery working, really. And yeah, I don't think WF in Midtown is working well, still. Then again, the larger store is so much better and only 1.5 miles away. Really good point about City Centre. Basically, I think that East River needs at least another year before we can even start to be worried.

It had a fence put up with a large dumpster either yesterday or day before yesterday. Very very excited that this is being reactivated. I would love to see some type of use that faces or integrated with the Harrisburg Trail. I looked on their site and they have a bunch of cool sites in the Heights http://www.reviveco.com/#welcome-supplyingdemand I emailed their leasing contact email address and asked if they had any renders or a tenant signed that they could share with me.