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Jackson Place Condominiums At 505 Jackson Hill St.


Talbot

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I found this on HAR and I was wondering if anyones heard of it and if so if it has already broken ground?

The address is 505 JACKSON HILL #309 in the heights area.

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\HAR

It hasn't broken ground. It'll be at Feagan and Jackson Hill, just a couple blocks west of the new United Way headquarters on Waugh and Feagan. Most of the new construction in this near West End neighborhood has been townhouses with the exception of Finger Companies Jackson Hill Apartments.

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Interesting design with the dark glass at the corner. Bland color, though, and it doesn't appear to have a lot of architectural design badgings included. It also looks like, in the spirit of the Calais, the ground floor is completely dedicated to parking.

Conservative design, and it might just fit well in the area. I just get a kick out of the dark glass at the corner.

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Interesting design with the dark glass at the corner. Bland color, though, and it doesn't appear to have a lot of architectural design badgings included. It also looks like, in the spirit of the Calais, the ground floor is completely dedicated to parking.

Conservative design, and it might just fit well in the area. I just get a kick out of the dark glass at the corner.

Check out the website: www.jacksonplacecondos.com

The location, unlike the Calais, is not an ideal retail locale. It's a few blocks south of Washington, mostly residential, and on a not very heavily travelled street.

I wouldn't lease retail space there.

The floorplans are more interesting than the facade, though some are a bit tortured for no apparent reason. Price-wise, seems like a good deal, at least as good as those offered by InnerLoop Condos.

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Conservative design, and it might just fit well in the area. I just get a kick out of the dark glass at the corner.

Let me guess, it's a retirement home and the dark glass is where the elevator will be. The glass is probably UV protective, just like those huge sunglasses old folks wear. Might be a good selling point if you're 70 and worry about cataracts.

Pretty thoughtful design. B)

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The developer is a group of two guys, who allegedly focus only on high-price "luxury" places, but have never built anything in Houston. They do all their research using focus-groups...asking people what they would want, and then building something close to it. The dark-glass everyone talks about are the highest priced, and biggest condos.

The place is supposed to be pretty modern inside. Ground will be broken in April, nothing completed until April of 2006.

Prices seem high though, but it could just be me. 170K for a small one-bedroom, 249-275K for the bottom-rung two bedrooms. It all works out to around $190 a square foot, without any "real" garage!

Does anyone else find that to be a bit high-priced?

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  • 8 months later...

Just wanted to bump this thread back up on the list. Anyone heard of any new developments on this project? I know that the concrete pillars are being set--it looks like the first floor of the garage will be completed in a few weeks.

Also, it appears that the developer is having a feud with the owner/tenant of the property across the street from the condos. Admittedly, the house across the street is a bit of a trash heap, but the developer is apparently trying to get the guy's place condemned (I guess in an effort to remove "blight"---perhaps the condos aren't selling very well???), and the homeowner/tenant is fighting back by posting signs asking people to call the FBI (as if they have any jurisdiction over property-right disputes) and claiming that 505 Jackson Hill used to be (or still is) listed as an EPA toxic waste dump. I know that before ground was broken on the condos someone had spray-painted such a claim on the "Soon-to-be-the-home of" sign, but nothing ever really came of that claim. Maybe the homeowner/tenant is hoping the EPA claim has some legs...

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The home owners better watch out.

The Kelo decision from the supreme court would allow the developer the right to go the city to have them condemn the land and sell it to the developer to produce a higher tax based development.

So much for property rights.

Anyway. The land in the area is too close to downtown and not protected by civic organiations, HOA's, and prevailing lot sizes to be left untouched by new development.

I'm happy the area is developing more density.

I'm happy to also here that this project is being built.

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I don't know if that is what the developer wants to do---the property in question isn't very large and certainly couldn't hold more than 2 or 3 townhomes at the most. It certainly isn't large enough to allow for another multi-unit condo development like the one going up now.

Regardless, it all seems like a shady practice to me. The house (and all of its trash and assorted yard-sale items) was there long before Jackson Place Condos came to town, and I have to wonder why the developer wants to take the guy to court. If he thinks getting rid of the guy will make his units sell (and I'm just guessing on that point--maybe they are all sold out?), then good luck to him....but it sure strikes me as poor way to do business.

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The home owners better watch out.

The Kelo decision from the supreme court would allow the developer the right to go the city to have them condemn the land and sell it to the developer to produce a higher tax based development.

So much for property rights.

what?? are you being serious?

1) while it was a supreme court decision, the 1st one (regardless of size, price, etc) aint gonna fly in tx w/o a massive fight.

2) hypothetically speaking, even if a condemnation occured, its significantly more complicated than what you portray. the jp developer will have to get in a long line of potential buyers

3) i would put tx home owner rights up against any other state in the nation. research what other states can and will do; then learn to be more appreciative of what you have.

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I don't know if that is what the developer wants to do---the property in question isn't very large and certainly couldn't hold more than 2 or 3 townhomes at the most. It certainly isn't large enough to allow for another multi-unit condo development like the one going up now.

Regardless, it all seems like a shady practice to me. The house (and all of its trash and assorted yard-sale items) was there long before Jackson Place Condos came to town, and I have to wonder why the developer wants to take the guy to court. If he thinks getting rid of the guy will make his units sell (and I'm just guessing on that point--maybe they are all sold out?), then good luck to him....but it sure strikes me as poor way to do business.

I lived at the Jackson Hill apartments for about a year and myself, any of the tenants or the building manager never had any problems of disputes with this guy. Don't know what the condo developer's problem is. If they don't like this guy they are probably going to have to offer him way more than market value for his property since he doesn't want to sell. If he still won't sell they should just get over it. Didn't the Texas legislature come up with a constitutional amandment to address the Supreme court's descision regarding emminent domain or did they fail at that also?

Edited by west20th
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I lived at the Jackson Hill apartments for about a year and myself, any of the tenants or the building manager never had any problems of disputes with this guy. Don't know what the condo developer's problem is.

Small world...I lived there too! I will never had a real problem with the guy, but he did call the police on me when I was unloading my moving van. He claimed that my moving van, because it was parked in the wrong direction on a one-way street, was in some sort of violation of the Texas or Federal Constitution. (Apparently, he didn't believe the city of Houston had an applicable ordinance :D ) The cop came out, looked at the moving van, looked over at the property owner and said, incrediously, "you called us out for this?!?" The officer got back in her car and drove off. Aside from that little run-in, he was a generally pleasant fellow...

I considered buying a place at the Jackson Hill Condos before ground was broken. I thought the units were decent (albeit a bit overpriced), but the developer struck me as the kind of guy who couldn't accept the idea that maybe his plans were the greatest thing ever, and I could envision running into some great difficulties with the guy down the road if the finished condos didn't turn out as proposed. Kinda like the person who if you don't play ball with him, he breaks your legs so you won't play ball with anyone else either. Maybe some of his personality is coming out? In any event, one has to believe that the costs of getting rid of the across-the-street property owner are going to be passed along to the future condo-owners, either in higher asking prices for the units or perhaps higher association dues.

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I don't think that it would happen that the condemnation would occur. And I do know the process isn't easy.

But is still true that personal property rights in the eyes of the government don't really exist anymore unless the states have a more protective measures in place (many states are writing these as we speak because of this decision).

Also, the existing home owner will get hit if not already with higher property taxes since their properties are getting more valued. Since the structure probably isn't worth much, they'll just get taxed on the land. Maybe $700 or $900. Maybe his just pissed since his no property tax house is now being assessed at a higher value and he has to pay now.

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Small world...I lived there too!

Still got your white Jackson Hill robe? Great place except for that huge parking garage. It was about .5 mile from the very top of the garage (guest parking) to the front gate. I miss being so close to the park also. I think traffic is going to get a bit hairy in that area when the condos are done.

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Still got your white Jackson Hill robe? Great place except for that huge parking garage. It was about .5 mile from the very top of the garage (guest parking) to the front gate. I miss being so close to the park also. I think traffic is going to get a bit hairy in that area when the condos are done.

Hummm..I never got a robe. I did get a CD holder though....

You are right, the parking garage is horrible---the corners (or 180 degree turns) are all blind (especially if there is a car parked in the end space) and people speed around them like NASCAR drivers. It is an accident waiting to happen....

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