totheskies

Well, they'd still be together as a CSA.

Exactly, which is why the time to buy over there is now. Once Montrose/Heights is priced out, people wanting to be inside the loop will have to move eastward. I also think TOD is about to play a much more significant role than it did with the Main Street Line. Now that the rail actually goes somewhere, people will want the option of using it. UH/TSU seem most ripe for TOD at this point, and all of the area around Leeland Station on the Southeast Line.

As a UH employee, alum and former Adjunct Faculty member at TSU, I can guarantee that we're 5 years or less from this type of development being real. The universities are pushing hard for it. Unlike the Main St. Line, TOD will come quickly along the Southeast Line precisely because of the universities, and proximity to the Medical Center. If you haven't been paying attention, UH is building up faster than any time in its history. They want nothing more than to revamp the areas to look more like a "true college town". This is a big step towards that.

That Sears... OMG. I'm so conflicted. Glad to have a Sears in Midtown, but it's in such bad condition. They need to either take care of it or tear it down!

It's really interesting to see how rapidly the western half of the loop has developed vs. the eastern half... perplexing actually. Maybe because it's between downtown and the Galleria... more businesses were there to begin with?

Looks like a nice project... exactly the kind of thing this area needs. It is not the Red Line's first TOD project... Venue Museum District holds that claim. But I really like that the majority of the apartments will be studios. Having more affordable housing for young professionals is a very smart move, and I hope future developments follow suit.

I'll say though... this experience has got me thinking about buying. Not a house, but just the LAND. Seeing lots of bargain- basement lots available just East of EaDo and in Eastwood. Once people like me get priced out of Montrose, the Heights and the Washington Corridor, Eastwood and 2nd Ward/ Magnolia is where they will go. Or the Near Northside now that the rail line is built. If you've got the financial means, do yourself a favor and buy in these places!!

Thanks everyone for all of the help, and for putting up with my venting. Proud to report that I found a great place in Montrose, and will be moving at the end of the month. It's more expensive than my current place, but still within my price range so I'm really excited about that. I found it while riding my bike... the gentleman had JUST put out the for rent sign that morning, and by the time I talked to him in the mid- afternoon, he had gotten 7 calls about the apartments. Thankfully he had 3 he was looking to rent. Really nice guy that showed me the place right then, and was very prompt to email me the application the next day. It was quite the stroke of luck, and I am very relieved!!

Try $1130 as the rent floor... CHEAPER than several new complexes in Montrose/ Midtown Houston House http://aim.force.com/locatormls/apex/houstonhouse?id=a19F0000001HgZ2 Check some other places downtown. It's not as much as you might think...

I used to live in Eastwood, and I enjoyed it for the most part. But I moved from there because I kept having issues with break-ins. I was in a 4-plex older home, and the landlord had promised to gate us in (cars included) but never got around to it. That's why I moved. 2 years later, I'd prefer to stay in Montrose... mostly because of the commute time. I prefer to bike to work or take the bus, and I work at UofH. And driving/ biking around is exactly what I've been doing to hunt up a place in Montrose. But so is everyone else. I don't have to stay there though... I actually looked along the rail line in the Near Northside. Some very cool places there, but just not up to my liking at this point. If nothing pans out with Montrose this weekend, I'm high-tailing it to the Museum District and Eastwood.

Couldn't agree more with this. The development in the shoulder neighborhoods is almost dizzying. It's Downtown's turn to get in on the hot residential market. Take it from someone who is apartment hunting right now. I've been SHOCKED to find that Montrose/ Midtown is actually competitive with Downtown highrises. There are garage apartments renting in Montrose right this second for $1200/mo, but it only costs 1100/mo to move to Houston House. The inner loop market (with the exception of most things EAST of I-45) is simply bonkers right now. Downtown residential will be welcomed because any inner loop residential is being welcomed.

I'm a frequent Theater District patron and performer. I see people in tuxes on the existing rail all the time. Many actually enjoy the walk from Preston station down to the Wortham. It's not a lot of the older patrons, but trust me there are a fair amount of 40 and under that do this. More rail means the number can only grow.

The Montrose rental market isn't just "hot"... it's World War III!! I currently live in Montrose, and I've been looking for a new place. This is not by choice mind you, but my current building is being torn down and I have to vacate by September 30th. Sadly, I only found out a few days ago, so it's sent me into a scramble. I frequent HAIF read all of the news about how crazy home and rent prices are becoming inside the loop. But it's one thing to read about it, and another thing to LIVE it. I never realized how "good" of a deal I have at this place, and I can't find even a crappy 1BR apartment for anything under $800 per month. Worst of all... call me old fashioned, but I actually prefer to see a place before I hand over my hard- earned money to someone. But in Montrose that's not even happening anymore. Most people are finding apartments online, then renting them site unseen. I had 3 meetings set up today to view apartments, and 2 of the 3 had already rented before I could get there!! Less than 24 hr turnaround. Is this Montrose, or Manhattan??

Glad you posted this. It's something to definitely think about for Houston, as we're about to see more and more of this happen. You can already see signs that the Near Northside is about to be transformed thanks to the rail line, and the East End has done a lot to get ready for it too. This is par for the course with Millennials. Even those of us who aren't necessarily regular transit users, we're more likely to know someone who is, or see the benefits of having increased options. We're also more likely to consider transit access as a neighborhood necessity than just an amenity. I know I do. I live in Montrose and work at UofH. The 42 bus route is my life-line to be able to get to work.

This cannot be stated enough... Rail is expensive, but as time goes on, it will only get more expensive. Land values in central Houston have skyrocketed beyond many people's wildest dreams in just a few short years. Pretty soon, it's going to be impossible to build a 5-mile line for anything under $1 Billion dollars, making the University Line a $2 Billion dollar deal. If Houstonians can't stomach the prospect of rail at this point, we should at least START the long- term investment with grade separated BRT lines. They would be a big improvement over the current system, and could always be converted to rail later on. My hope is that someone out there will start to think in this direction. BRT connection to the airports would be another target goal.

Trust me, it's mind-boggling. My apartment complex is being torn down next month, and I'm stressing out trying to find a place. I really wanted to stay in Montrose because I like the area and flexibility of not having to use my car all the time, but I'm not sure I can do it. Everyone moving to Houston is snapping up apartments like pigeons on a tin of bread crumbs.

If I remember correctly, it took well over an hour to ride the Tube from Heathrow to Central London's Piccadilly Circus. Of course after my trip there, I learned that Heathrow also has an express train to Paddington Station, but I wasn't bothered by the extra time. Point being, before we start arguing about Express, we should have ANY sort of train service first I think. And I don't see why it would be so difficult to bus a TRUE Express busway that could later be converted to train.

Isn't it the planning commission? I think if it's "consent" that means the planning commission aides recommend to the board that they approve the project and any needed variances. That's my guess.

I could totally be wrong on Hines, which will be perfectly fine with me. All is speculation until the building is off the ground anyway.

I guess we all have different ways of measuring height. The height of the Hines building hasn't been confirmed, and who knows if Chevron doesn't decide to slap an antenna or something on theirs, but my understanding is that the crown will be taller than Chevron's building, and by that reasoning the crown is part of the building. Of course we also know that total building height and number of floors don't necessarily correlate either. A 40-story building could be taller than a 50-story one (office vs residential, etc.), so those are also factors to take into account. I'll have to revisit the thread, but lockmat posted the square footage and assumed number of stories, correct? He didn't post the height. But I get y'all's point... when talking about Chevron I referred to stories, but then with Hines I referred to height (which was on purpose to keep the post very generalized).

Uhh... Downtown all the way. Anywhere else just wouldn't look or feel right.

I for one hope that if they do secure funding for the University Line, they should at least have the decency to do some grade separation. Given how dense and populated this area is compared to the other lines, we really need to elevate it.

I'm Texas Leftist Yes I was referring to 609 Main, given that we don't have an official height for it yet. http://houston.culturemap.com/news/realestate/07-08-13-houstons-next-great-skyscraper-hines-to-texas-size-new-main-street-office-tower-speed-up-development/ I just wrote a simple blog post outlining the totality of construction... didn't expect to set off a new rumor mill!

Yeah, I like Juan Mon's a lot... my friend even hosted a karaoke night there which was a lot of fun. I think the owner might be traveling or something this month, and he doesn't have a whole bunch of employees. Such a cool building with the historic gas station too, but I agree it would be much visible if they were up on Gray, or even down at Fairview.

Yeah, I like Houston's skyline from any angle, but we really need to promote some new views.