hysinger

Was driving by the (soon to be vacant) Chase bank across Woodhead from Kroger on W Gray and noticed the variance request sign. Does anyone know what might be planned here? I was under the impression this lot was owned by Weingarten.

The State of Texas has specific rules around the creation and dissolution of the district.  The truth is that the District Court found that a mistake was made when the  Montrose Management District (at least the west half) was founded.  They did not have the minimum number of property owners sign the petition for formation.  Also, over 1,000 owners of assessed properties signed petitions to dissolve the district after it was formed, which was greater than the 80% threshold needed according to the law.  However, the district unilaterally rejected the petition as invalid.  These are the issues that the two lawsuits are about.  A judgement has been rendered in the first, and I believe the second goes to trial later this year. 

If businesses feel they are benefiting from the additional assessment they pay, then management districts will have their support.  In this case it seems clear that the majority of assessed property owners do not think the district is working in their best interests.  They are the taxed and they are expressing their displeasure with the way the money is being spent.  It is quite similar to a ballot referendum on residential property taxes or city budget spending limits.  Businesses don't vote in elections, so the petition process is used in this case to authorize and amend an assessment that only they pay.

Also, this is not the TIRZ.  Most of the money for infrastructure improvement (both in Montrose and in Kirby) will come from that.  The "districts" primarily handle private security and beautification.  

They are relocating the power lines that run down the street that is to be abandoned.  They are routing them north on Smith to Anita, and then over.  Notice that the new concrete utility pole is actually "in" the street that is to be abandoned (rather than on the sidewalk).

That map shows what appears to be a shopping center and parking lot where The Sovereign is , doesn't it? Did they just put a new date on an old drawing and bring it out for this meeting?

I think this map shows the use on the ground floor of the buildings proposed / built.  I believe the pink color represents retail - there is a retail space for lease at the corner of the Sovereign.  A large portion of the sovereign on the ground floor is the parking garage.

I made the very end of the North Montrose meeting. No one form GID was there - said they "weren't ready yet." Took a picture of phase one. Stated same start date of Q4 2016 and said that Telepson was the GC.

I didn't see post about the North Montrose meeting in time, but I did attend the meeting discussing the plans for Dunlavy as part of ReBuild Houston.  Several representatives from the architecture firm doing the design work for Regent Square.  They said the work currently underway on Dunlavy at Allen Parkway is in part being performed as part of that development.  They said phase I should break ground in Q4 2016, and considerable money was being spent by GID in preparation for that event.

They said phase I would include the Alamo Draft House (near the cemetery), the commercial buildings at the SW corner of W Dallas and Dunlavy, the apartments with GF retail south of W Dallas, and retail and a parking garage north of W Dallas.

Hopefully someone attended the neighborhood meeting and can provide additional detail.

anyone have an update on this project? it looks like not much work has been done still to this day

Work occurs sporadically at best.  There was a spurt of activity about 1 month ago, but since then nothing has been done as far as I can tell.

I'm not in the construction / development business, but is this a sign of financing issues, labor issues, or other?  I can't imagine anyone beginning one of these projects without a clear financial path to completion.  I'd be surprised if anyone would lend money for a project that wasn't 100% financed in some way.

Anyone have any insight?  

Soil samples could also be due diligence related to a sale I suppose

I just read that Phase II, including the Alamo Drafthouse, has been canned altogether..can anyone confirm? 

Can you reveal where you read that?  I figured this was coming but it seems odd given they were doing soil work just two weeks ago.

Honestly, GID's philosophy with this property is hard to understand.  They have now missed two real estate booms, and if they are canceling, will miss the third.  This a prime property, about to get better with the renovation of buffalo bayou / allen parkway.  Perhaps they will sell it so something can actually happen here.

No - they demolished an older two story building that once housed a cleaners and a passport photo / expediting business, as well as the headquarters for a commercial construction company.  The buildings they tore down were no great loss.  The lot is outlined in red in the image below.

which lot is this exactly...

It is on the south side of W Gray, just east of a salon and rug store (which sit at the corner of Dunlavy).  It is bounded on one side by the salon / rug store and a centerpoint sub station, and on the other by the W Gray Multi-service Center.

I do appreciate that the parking is at least behind the building.  This is kind of a strange lot - I was curious what could go there.

Maybe deliveries are slow. There appear to be shortages everywhere.

It seems there is more to it than that.  I see a handful of workers there during the week (less than 6), but  not much progress is being made.  This seems like a prime location for multifamily, so the incentive would be to hurry up and finish.

I wonder if they are having cash flow issues - perhaps their construction financing fell through or they are way over budget.  Am hoping someone on this board knows the story.  I live nearby and hate to see this site sit idle.

Does anyone know what's going on with this project? To say they are moving slowly is an understatement. It has been dragging for at least the last 6 months.

For what its worth, it looks like the city finally issued a building permit

http://houstontx.gov/planning/Publications/listsrv/WebeReport.html

77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007638      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 21     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (MASTER OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007639      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 1     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR ( 2 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007641      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 3     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (3 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007643      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 6     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (4 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007645      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 7     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (5 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007646      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 8     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (6 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007647      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 9     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (7 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007648      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 10     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (8 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007649      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 11     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (9 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007650      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 12     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (10 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007651      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 13     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (11 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007652      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 14     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (12 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007653      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 15     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (13 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007655      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 16     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (14 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007656      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 17     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (15 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007658      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 18     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR ( 16 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007660      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 19     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR ( 17 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007662      1717 BISSONNET ST FL 20     NEW APARTMENTS 1-21-1-R2-A 2006 IBC 100 % SPR (18 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007664      1717 BISSONNET ST     ( CORE /COMMON AREA)FOR APARTMENTS 1-21-1-SH-A 100% SPR( 19 OF 26)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007671      1717 BISSONNET ST 100     NEW RESTAURANT SHELL 1-21-1-SH-A 100% SPR 2006 IBC 20 OF 26
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007674      1717 BISSONNET ST 110     NEW RESTAURANT SHELL 1-21-1-SH-A 100% SPR 2006 IBC 20 OF 26
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007677      1717 BISSONNET ST 120     NEW APARTMENT (PUMP ROOM) (22 OF 26 )
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007678      1717 BISSONNET ST 130     NEW APARTMENT (GENERATOR ROOM)( 23 OF 26 )
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007679      1717 BISSONNET ST GARAG     NEW OPEN PARKING GARAGE 1-21-1-S2/R2-A 100% SPR ( 24 OF 26 )
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007683      1717 BISSONNET ST 600     NEW APARTMENT (LEASING OFFICE)1-21-1-B/R2-A 100% SPR ( 25 OF 26 )
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007684      1717 BISSONNET ST     NEW APARTMENT (HEATED AREAS IN ROOF)
77005     2014/09/18     Building Pmt    13007698      1717 BISSONNET ST 610     NEW APARTMENT (CLUB ROOM/AMENITIES)1-21-1-A3/R2-A ( 26 OF 26 )

This could be coincidence, but the property at the southeast corner of Rochow and W Dallas in the Regent Square development is labeled "Reserve D" on the HCAD maps. I beleive there is a complex of construction trailers there (there have been for a couple of years) for J E Dunn. That location definetely fits with the view of downtown in the rendering.

Is there a single business association for Westheimer between Shepherd and Montrose which represents the interests of the neighborhood? Is it split among several, or is it every one for himself?

There is a business district for the area. It is the Montrose District http://www.montrosedistrict.org/.

Maybe, if there was a parking garage, or if parking was placed behind the building so that the building could be placed right up to the sidewalk where walkers could walk right in instead of walking through a parking lot.

My wife went to the Neartown Super neighborhood Association meeting last night, and Whole Foods presented their plans. Apparently, similar to the HEB on W Alabama, the store will back up to West Dallas, with the parking lot and entrance facing the AIG building on Allen Parkway. Seems like a wasted opportunity to me to integrate with the neighborhood, but I'm not sure they consulted any of the community stakeholders (like HEB has done).

I drove by the site this morning, and there is a large excavator on the site, along with a dumpster and fuel tank. They seem to have started breaking up the concrete pads just south of W Dallas near the cemetery. Perhaps this is to comply with the tax rebates they are seeking. For some reason a start date of October 2010 comes to mind.

Says who, Simon? Or a previous released article?

I was under the impression that infrastructure work had to be started by Oct 1 to get the $10 million in incentives. I'm surprised I don't see more work on the site given that deadline.

Agreed regarding the infrastructure work. To get the City's stimulus money, they have to start infrastructural work by October 1, 2009, but they don't have to start the private development until October 1, 2010. So I wouldn't expect the actual development to begin until mid-2010 unless conditions change. I'm just glad to finally see activity on these huge lots that have been empty and untouched for the past 2 years.

Does anyone have any updates on this project? There was some brief activity just north and south of W Dallas to the west of Dunlavy, and every now and then I see someone cleaning up the lots and performing general maintenance. Other than that nothing seems to be happening. However, there are always people around the complex of constuction trailers on West Dallas. I wonder if this project is dead.

1900 W. Gray St. and 2802 Timmons Lane

The River Oaks Examiner has an article today announcing that after receiving several unsolicited offers, the River Oaks Post Office at the corner of West Gray and Dunlavy is being put up for sale. The article can be found at

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/01/...post_office.txt

This probably won't make the people who live in the condo building next door (metropolis?) very happy. Some or all of them might be losing their view of downtown.

^ This is why I love HAIF so much. ^ On sight reporting as it happens. Thank you, hysinger. This sounds very encouraging. HAIF's team of spies are everywhere. The Chronicle was never this on the ball.

Keeping fingers crossed that it is what it looks like it is.

One other bit I forgot to add - signs for JE DUNN were on the lot, next to the trailers (though not setup on posts yet). I should have looked before my last post, but they apparently are the company managing the construction of Regest Square.

http://www.jedunn.com/project_details/C-69322-4

clh