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Camden McGowen Station & Midtown Park At 2727 Travis St.


Subdude

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http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Development-in-Midtown-on-an-upswing-3994538.php

"Camden expects to break ground on its project in about a year. The apartments, which will contain about 300 units in a seven-story building, will go up on the southern half of the so-called Superblock, a long parcel of land undivided by cross streets bordered Main, McGowen, Travis and Anita.

The Midtown Redevelopment Authority is planning a three-acre park on the northern portion of the property. The authority, which oversees public improvements to the area, also plans to build an underground parking garage beneath the park and retail space on its two northern corners."

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I'm let down by this project. It's great that the area is getting a new park, that's wonderful. However, I'm disappointed about the apartment project. At one point in time this was going to be a mixed use project with retail as well as the apartments. Now it's just apartments, what happened to the retail ? It just seems like a huge waste of opportunity to create a unique development in Midtown. It's a huge piece of land centrally located in the middle of Midtown next to the light rail. Think of how great of a environment this could be with the park and a mixed use development with retail.

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I'm let down by this project. It's great that the area is getting a new park, that's wonderful. However, I'm disappointed about the apartment project. At one point in time this was going to be a mixed use project with retail as well as the apartments. Now it's just apartments, what happened to the retail ? It just seems like a huge waste of opportunity to create a unique development in Midtown. It's a huge piece of land centrally located in the middle of Midtown next to the light rail. Think of how great of a environment this could be with the park and a mixed use development with retail.

unless i missed something i'm certain retail is still a significant component to the apartment project, not to mention the retail sites in the park. where are you reading that retail was taken out of camden's project? i think the intent has always been mixed use.

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unless i missed something i'm certain retail is still a significant component to the apartment project, not to mention the retail sites in the park. where are you reading that retail was taken out of camden's project? i think the intent has always been mixed use.

There has been no mention of any retail in any of the new articles other than the mention of the retail that will be part of the park which isn't substantial size wise. The new articles say that Camden is building a apartment building that will be 7 stories of 300 apartment units. I think that if the building was still going to be mixed use it would be mentioned. Hopefully you are right though.

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I was at a speaking event for the Camden CEO about 3 years ago. He was vehement about no retail in the bottom of his developments in Houston.

Oh wow did he explain why he was so adamant about not having retail at the bottom of his developments in Houston? I wonder what made him change his mind or feel this way about retail at the bottom of his developments because at one point in time he did propose it.

Here is a rendering of the development in another topic on the forum:

It shows the bottom floor retail under the apartments.

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This article doesn't mention this project, but it's Camden's CEO discussing risks of mixed use projects from his perspective.

“It’s easier and much safer from a business perspective to do them separate,” he said when he sat down with me for a Business Journal Interview. “Everyone in America wants mixed use, but you have to be the second or third owner to really make it work.”

Mixed use isn't economically feasible 80 percent of the time, he added."

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2012/10/ric-campo-discusses-the-risks-of.html

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This article doesn't mention this project, but it's Camden's CEO discussing risks of mixed use projects from his perspective.

“It’s easier and much safer from a business perspective to do them separate,” he said when he sat down with me for a Business Journal Interview. “Everyone in America wants mixed use, but you have to be the second or third owner to really make it work.”

Mixed use isn't economically feasible 80 percent of the time, he added."

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2012/10/ric-campo-discusses-the-risks-of.html

Oh ok so he doesn't want to take the risk or he doesn't have the capital to make it happen.

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Mixed use isn't economically feasible 80 percent of the time, he added."

People who clamor for "mixed use" but never invest their own money in projects never seem to understand this statement. And, though I've said it before, I'll repeat it here. Just because there are not retail stores sitting underneath apartments does not mean an area is not walkable. Everyone except the couple of hundred people in the apartments will reach that retail by driving from downtown offices, stepping off the train, or walking from other apartment complexes nearby. Even the people in the apartments above will not be inconvenienced by walking across the street to reach the retail.

It is not so much a "a wasted opportunity" as Fortune stated, but something different than he fantasized. With the retail built at the edge of the park and nearby, this will be as good as anything he envisioned, it simply will not look like what he envisioned. I'm OK with that. Hopefully, he will be too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One place where mixed use would work is along Main Street next to what will be Midtown's biggest and most central park. There are thousands of residential units nearby, rail access, easy car access, and even some employers around. Having retail on the "superblock" makes a lot more sense then adding retail to High Street in my opinion.

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What the heck is wrong with al fresco or Coinstar??

Nothing. I'm just trying to locate some of my businesses near my best customers.

Actually, I do have an issue with al fresco dining if a wind-break is not configured around breezy areas.

Depending on the conversation, sometimes a crazed homeless person is a welcome addition.

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Nothing. I'm just trying to locate some of my businesses near my best customers.

Actually, I do have an issue with al fresco dining if a wind-break is not configured around breezy areas.

Depending on the conversation, sometimes a crazed homeless person is a welcome addition.

homeless people are human beings too are you God to say you're above another human being?

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