Downtown Houston 2025 Master Plan

[EMME]

Pardon if I'm wrong but what is so special about YMCA housing? Does it cater towards... homeless? Mentally ill? I believe the YMCA serves a good purpose but I'm unsure what it is...

Also, at the very least whoever printed that blurb but at least they could go over and proof their work...

"Proejct" ?

UGH.

Actually, some of HOuston's top businessmen stayed at the Downtown Y when they first arrived in Houston way back in the day (I can't remember who, but you would recognize the names). It is low cost, safe housing for many that are coming to Houston looking for work. They have pretty strict rules to stay there.

[totheskies]

Its like a pay per night cheap hotel for homeless and semi-homeless. Its going to be just a gym after they move locations.

Not necessarily... the Y used to be like a really great Hostel... they get a very diverse group of people from all walks of life. I stayed at the old Y in Raleigh, NC and it was a great experience. These places may not be the cleanest and "most impressive" hits on the block, but they have a lot of soul, and you encounter very interesting people.

Any word on the fate of the downtown Y? Is it going to be torn down???

[kylejack]

Not necessarily... the Y used to be like a really great Hostel... they get a very diverse group of people from all walks of life. I stayed at the old Y in Raleigh, NC and it was a great experience. These places may not be the cleanest and "most impressive" hits on the block, but they have a lot of soul, and you encounter very interesting people.

I'm talking about its current condition, not previous. That is not the nature of it currently.

Any word on the fate of the downtown Y? Is it going to be torn down???

Yes, as I was saying its all coming down after they move to the new Tellepsen location a few blocks away. Chevron is buying the land.

[HTX]

From the Downtown Redevelopment Authority website

"A Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) is a public financing tool created by City Ordinance and thru Chapter 311 of the Local Texas Government Code for use in areas with blighted conditions including substantially arrested, impaired growth, substandard, slum, deteriorated structures, unsanitary, unsafe conditions and/or the general deterioration of public infrastructure"

What area of this map would anyone consider to be a "blighted"?

http://www.mainstreettirz.com/images/2007_...es_Map11508.pdf

[Talbot]

Sounds like a great idea. But I laugh for some reason when I hear "Workforce Housing Units." It sounds like a communist development in China.

[lockmat]

I wonder if this chron article from the other day is the same as this one?

The Downtown Redevelopment Authority wants to provide up to $20 million in funding to help build housing for people who work or go to school in and around the Central Business District.

The group has released a

[TheNiche]

I wonder if this chron article from the other day is the same as this one?

Yep, same topic.

[lockmat]

I wonder what the terms would be for affordable housing downtown, not targeted at people with very low incomes. It seems they want to bring in more midlevel middle class people downtown, not the really poor.

Maybe those who make 45k-50k or less?

[TheNiche]

I wonder what the terms would be for affordable housing downtown, not targeted at people with very low incomes. It seems they want to bring in more midlevel middle class people downtown, not the really poor.

Maybe those who make 45k-50k or less?

Income requirements would most likely depend on household composition and the size of the apartment unit.

[lockmat]

Income requirements would most likely depend on household composition and the size of the apartment unit.

I knew my answer would be something like that. But it sounds like this affordable housing development would cater to people who have more money than the usual affordable housing development, don't you think? It would be affordable relative to normal downtown prices.

[samagon]

From the Downtown Redevelopment Authority website

"A Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) is a public financing tool created by City Ordinance and thru Chapter 311 of the Local Texas Government Code for use in areas with blighted conditions including substantially arrested, impaired growth, substandard, slum, deteriorated structures, unsanitary, unsafe conditions and/or the general deterioration of public infrastructure"

What area of this map would anyone consider to be a "blighted"?

http://www.mainstreettirz.com/images/2007_...es_Map11508.pdf

block 388.

There are some places, imo, that are better off being turned into parking lots than however many stories of the current state of dead hookers and rats.

Edited June 29, 2009 by samagon

[TheNiche]

I knew my answer would be something like that. But it sounds like this affordable housing development would cater to people who have more money than the usual affordable housing development, don't you think? It would be affordable relative to normal downtown prices.

Since there's public involvement over and above what is provided by traditional affordable housing programs, speculation over what kinds of people they are looking to attract or what kind of housing product they intend to build is difficult. You're going to have to go by what they tell you.

[HTX]

block 388.

There are some places, imo, that are better off being turned into parking lots than however many stories of the current state of dead hookers and rats.

388 is not currently in the boundary, maybe it should be if it is the Days Inn property

[samagon]

388 is not currently in the boundary, maybe it should be if it is the Days Inn property

I noticed it wasn't, but it is the Days Inn, and it should be.

[j_cuevas713]

Whats downtown going to be like in the next 3 to 4 yrs? I was thinking about all the projects going up downtown and I cant even completely wrap my mind around everything going on!

[TowerSpotter]

Well for one 2017 should be the year all lot of the proposed skyscrapers should be completed. By 2017 we should be seeing another wave of proposals for Houston and cranes for one that haven't even been announced yet. Most of us here are looking forward to that year.

[Purdueenginerd]

Right now we have over 1000 apartment units on the drawing board or under construction in downtown. There are currently just under 3000 total living units in downtown Houston. My guess is that a 33 percent increase in people living there will be followed by a small retail boom.

Hopefully the housing construction continues and more people move into downtown

[LarryDierker]

If my research is correct:

Skyhouse 336 units

Alliance 207

Fingers Ballpark 324

Hines 289

Texaco Building 309

 

If my math is correct:

1465 total units soon to be under construction.

[downtownian]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

[ClutchCity]

With the residential incentive ending in 2016 there should be at least 2500 units added or under construction by then. Hopefully that means we get some pretty interesting towers! So the residential part of downtown will be be vastly different. It is yet to be seen if it can get it's mojo back to attract office tenants to a shiny 40+ story tower instead of a cheaper building in the burbs.

[Purdueenginerd]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

This is great. Gonna save this

[Urbannizer]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

Nice. There's the 38-Story residential tower that can be listed as a "Potential Development", it's the second phase to the Texaco building redevelopment. Also, 609 Main will break ground in early 2014; expected to be complete by late 2016. 

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/realestate/03-14-13-hines-touts-new-41-story-skyscraper-in-downtown-houston/

Edited September 2, 2013 by Urbannizer

[downtownian]

Nice. There's the 38-Story residential tower that can be listed as a "Potential Development", it's the second phase to the Texaco building redevelopment. Also, 609 Main will break ground in early 2014; expected to be complete by late 2016. 

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/realestate/03-14-13-hines-touts-new-41-story-skyscraper-in-downtown-houston/

 

Here's an update attached. I couldn't figure out how to edit my prior post.

 

[j_cuevas713]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

Very nice layout!

[j_cuevas713]

In my personal opinion, the reason I even made this post is because if our downtown becomes a stable neighborhood for development, when investors decide to build something new, it will have a ripple effect for other neighborhoods such as Montrose, Midtown, the Heights, etc. And from there we can expect to see even more dense development throughout the city.

[Slick Vik]

Will be interesting to see how the rail line running to theater district and dynamo stadium fits in also.

[kdog08]

In my personal opinion, the reason I even made this post is because if our downtown becomes a stable neighborhood for development, when investors decide to build something new, it will have a ripple effect for other neighborhoods such as Montrose, Midtown, the Heights, etc. And from there we can expect to see even more dense development throughout the city.

 

 

 

I think you have it backwards. Montrose, Midtown, and Heights are still adding people and retail, it is downtown that is catching up. 

[kdog08]

Will be interesting to see how the rail line running to theater district and dynamo stadium fits in also.

 

I really think Houston will soon be a vastly underrated convention city/major sports events city by the time the Superbowl arrives in 2017. By the major sports events, I mean all star games, NCAA final 4, college bowl games, superbowls, soccer matches, world cups, and Olympics. 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

rail line running to the theater district is a non-issue, as it's close to all the freeway exits. Since the theater district is surrounded by underground parking for all those people getting off the freeways to go see a show, none of the patrons will be using the rail line to get to a show.

 

actually, it's  ore of a pain in the ass than anything- it takes up half of Capitol Street, so there's going to be two lanes for car traffic. This leaves nowhere for tour buses to park at Bayou Music Center when there's large multiband festivals there.

[Houston19514]

rail line running to the theater district is a non-issue, as it's close to all the freeway exits. Since the theater district is surrounded by underground parking for all those people getting off the freeways to go see a show, none of the patrons will be using the rail line to get to a show.

 

actually, it's  ore of a pain in the ass than anything- it takes up half of Capitol Street, so there's going to be two lanes for car traffic. This leaves nowhere for tour buses to park at Bayou Music Center when there's large multiband festivals there.

 

I can absolutely guarantee you are incorrect in your projection that "none" on of the theater district patrons will be using rail to get to a show.  Your apparent hatred of rail is clouding your thinking.