Visitor

https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/39117-broadstone-shepherd-n-shepherd-dr-at-w-15th/

15 hours ago, Angostura said:

Site says 15,000 sf of retail and 375 units on 5 acres. 

 

5 acres is almost a quarter of the total area, so the site layout must have changed significantly.

Wonder if stacked retail is still in play or if they are going to go the more traditional mixed use route. 

I've got a retail/non-residential wishlist for this area and the large blocks of land are drying up fast.

There has to be an update site plan now right? Wonder how this fits in...

1 minute ago, Naviguessor said:

Sorry. Couldn't resist. 

 

When a building, under construction, reaches it full height, or the last piece of structural steel is set in place, a tree is often put on the hiegest most point to mark the occasion.  

Ha, without being "in the industry" there is a minimal chance I'd know of that ritual.

2 minutes ago, Naviguessor said:

And which planet did you say that are you Visiting from?  

Because I'm not aware of what a top out tree is? It's not like I asked "what is whataburger"

Just now, hindesky said:

Spotted a top out tree on the northwest corner 

What is a "top out tree"?

Okay so 60-70% of the current rail system shares a lane with cars? I guess my opinion is that none of it should. 

1 hour ago, ADCS said:

 

Mostly cost. Light rail is seen as cheaper, and it is already hard enough to get transit funding.

 

As far as commuter, the existing rail lines around Houston are heavily trafficked. Instead of piggybacking on existing infrastructure, expansion would be needed on existing corridors (owner railroads would not like that), or construction on new/repurposed corridors (like the freeways). The latter option has generally been politically unpopular, seeing as it may take capacity away from the freeways, and irrespective of whether it would actually help traffic as a whole.

That's unfortunate, might as well just be buses with how Houston designs it (and FWIW I don't support bus expansion). Trying to think of other metros I have been where the main "train" system shared street lanes with vehicles. Closest I can think of is SF and their street cars.

Too bad really, Houston has so much potential I don't expect will ever be realized. 

On 9/7/2018 at 6:07 PM, EllenOlenska said:

From my apartment's parking garage I saw an excavator on this property.  

Clearing/excavating a drainage channel it appears. 

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/09/10/heres-what-a-bullettrain-station-in-houston-could.html

One potential rendering of the HSR station. The most interesting component is the "proposed light rail" that heads south on 610.  Knowing Metro, they will put in a rail to to NW transit station....everybody hop on the bus!

As an aside, why is Houston so focused on Light rail for any type of passenger rail?  I'd like us to be more like Chicago with actual commuter rail. (And this is not in the context that it has to go all the way to Katy or other suburb intially. More a comment on the technology/rail and car style) The light rail downtown is a glorified bus.

17 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

More on 1818 Washington Ave, part of the Sawyer Yards expansion.


PaperCity:
 

There will be other tenants, depending on how it shakes out so far as square footage. Likely another couple of large restaurants and quite a bit of unique urban entertainment concepts,” Lovett Commercial’s Erin Dyer tells PaperCity.
 

 “A tenant we’re working with is an axe-throwing concept. It’s a fun experience we’re bringing to the campus. We’re able to do that because we have large buildings we’re able to repurpose. It’s hard to find that amount of space in urban Houston.”
 

“These old buildings — you can’t really create them. It’s an experience in addition to going to a salon or fitness. It’s an experience that you really can’t recreate or mirror simply because of the unique feel to the area,” Clay Mealy of Lovett Commercial adds.

https://www.papercitymag.com/real-estate/sawyer-yards-expansion-barbecue-brewery-artists-concerns/#166090


 

 

Are you sure this is relative to 1818 Washington and not the "two building expansion" of Sawyer Yards over the next 2 years?  There is no building being repurposed at 1818. It's all new construction.

They are all owned by the same group, and I believe these are lumped together as it seems this is the longer term vision for Buffalo Heights. 

As an aside, Buffalo Heights is sort of on Waugh since Heights turns into Waugh basically at 100 Waugh.

4 hours ago, jmitch94 said:

 

I think this is what is rumored to be what 100 Waugh becomes?

Deleted*

9 hours ago, Angostura said:

 

It's tricky. Even in the absence of city-mandated parking minimums, tenants are going to demand a certain amount of parking, since they're aware that most of their customers are likely to arrive by private automobile. You can only really reduce the amount of parking consumed when arriving some other way becomes cheaper, faster and/or easier than temporarily storing your car at your destination. 

 

There's a certain level of activity density at which it becomes no less convenient to walk than to drive for daily necessities. It won't necessarily get commuters out of cars, but you're more likely to walk to a restaurant or grocery store than to drive. It's pretty much impossible to get to that level of density when there's high levels of surface parking. So parking structures are a gateway to getting to the kind of density needed to be a truly walkable neighborhood.

 

The problem is that, since all that parking limits density, most neighborhoods never achieve land values high enough for structured parking to make sense economically, so they get stuck in a suburban development pattern where car dependence never really goes away. Which is why a parking system that can make structured parking economical at land values of $60/sf rather than $100/sf (not to mention on smaller footprints) has a real chance to transform how neighborhoods develop.

 

(BTW, this can be done without going THAT vertical. There are a lot of very dense, walkable neighborhoods in cities around the world with typical heights of 4, 5 or 6 stories.)

 

Agree with you. The lack of commerical districts in Houston and zoning in general is how this random development happens. Personally I'd like to see Washington become a commercial district with overall planning and cohesive development. I could see more vertical dev working there and fitting in. 

4 hours ago, thedistrict84 said:

 

I am concerned about how this parking garage will fit into this area visually. Given the number of spaces they’ve stated it will provide and the dimensions of the lot on which it will be built, I imagine it will have to be a good bit taller than any neighboring buildings, right?

I'd imagine so.  But if houston wants density and infill, vertical will have to happen. And I suppose someone has to be first...

Knowing I sound like a broken record,  but I wish we had more organized commerical districts with leadership focused on walkability and zero setbacks.

18 hours ago, Angostura said:

And every restaurant where valet parking is really the only option is effectively paid parking. Even when it's "complimentary". 

 

And I'm not sure the robot parking system is any less trustworthy than your average valet parking operator.

So true here, I'd rather pay to park in a structure than be forced into valet, personally.

3 hours ago, gregpet said:

 

Do we know anything about the "New BBQ Spot" ? Name? Lots of work going on at the old J Blacks...

Truth BBQ out of Brenham.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/07/28/popular-barbecue-joint-to-open-in-prime-washington.amp.html

1 hour ago, Ross said:

 

Did you mean raised, as in higher in the air, or razed as in demolished? (yes, I'm being a grammar pedant today)

I did mean razed, good catch

But at the same time I wouldn't hate to see some vertical development as well. Washington has so much potential and I'd like to see it realized.  Buffalo Heights could be the catalyst as well as the 1818 Washington development.

I didn't snap a pic but from Yale/Washington this looks massive all of a sudden. Really looking forward to it and the rest of the infill that it may spur. 

Personally I'd love to see that heights/Washington quadrant completely redeveloped. Porch swing/car wash/cafe luxor/smoke shop/jblacks(new bbq spot)/enterprise/old cash advance & dry cleaner all razed.

I use that enterprise often, go to Sammies, and am looking forward to the bbq spot.  But that area has so much more potential. Especially aesthetically and with regard to walkability. 

3 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I just hope they tie it in well for pedestrians to the development around it. Even the newest develeopments do a poor job for pedestrians. Like the Sawyer Heights/Yale shopping areas. They could definitely make both better for pedestrians. Houston smh

I think we already know the answer to this...

4 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

Alexan will plant a multifamily complex here (Alexan Lower Heights), somewhere between 150-250 units. Construction begins by the end of the year.

As part of a larger mixed use project I presume?

1 hour ago, Houston19514 said:

 

I'm curious what places you've lived that receive more rain than Houston 

Orlando and also Charlotte which receives the same annual rainfall as Houston. 

8 hours ago, samagon said:

 

Let's be fair, that specific part of Houston received 8" in a few hours.

 

that's about 1/6th of the yearly total in a few hours.

Agreed. I expect the bayou to Crest its banks. I was more referring to the on ramps of highways, entire streets, etc. The dog park is just in a very unfortunate place.