Vintage Park Shopping Village Developments

[mrfootball]

Imagination Toys is our favorite toy store for the kiddos. They've got some neat stuff, toys from european toymakers that you don't find at the mass retailers, etc. Nice to see them opening up a cool new location that's closer to us.

[The Great Hizzy!]

There's definitely an HEB in the shopping center along with a couple of restaurants, I believe (a sandwhich shop?).

[houstongirl]

FYI if anyone is interested in this Peri-Peri restaurant:

I actually spoke to the guy that is opening it and it sounds pretty cool. He used to own Paul's Pizza Shop, but says it is going to be an upscale South African themed 2 story restaurant with an expensive wine room and occasionally featuring a jazz band. There is a South African themed spice called Peri-Peri that will be the main ingredient used on many of their chicken, steak and seafood dishes. Said he thought lunch entrees would run around $7 -$10 and probably $20+ for dinner entrees. He said 8000sf, though I thought the Vintage Park website had a smaller amount listed... Expected the website to get updated in about 60 days and to open the restaurant in March 2008 or so...

It's actually Peli Peli. The webpage is up, but no info yet. http://www.pelipeli.com

Anyone have any details on the "Steaks" place listed for this center???

[jimcas]

It's actually Peli Peli. The webpage is up, but no info yet. http://www.pelipeli.com

Anyone have any details on the "Steaks" place listed for this center???

On Peli-Peli - It's a new concept and was originally listed as Peri-Peri on the vintage park website. I guess they either had a change of heart on the restaurant name or it was a typo originally.

[jimcas]

It's been a long time since any new tenants were added to the vintageparkhouston.com website, and supposedly they are only 30% leased.

What's the deal?

[jimcas]

Looks like the Vintage Center (the new construction across Louetta from Vintage Park, and a little further east, is filling up rather quickly.

Nothing too exciting though - Lenny's sub shops, some pastry place, a doughnut place, a realty place and a dentist...

http://www.bpirealty.com/Uploads/Documents...%20-%20Bill.pdf

[jimcas]

Looks like the Vintage Center (the new construction across Louetta from Vintage Park, and a little further east, is filling up rather quickly.

Nothing too exciting though - Lenny's sub shops, some pastry place, a doughnut place, a realty place and a dentist...

http://www.bpirealty.com/Uploads/Documents...%20-%20Bill.pdf

Another interesting thing on Vintage Park - there used to be MORE places listed (I remember Tossed was a salad restaurant, Earl of Sandwich, etc...) that aren't even listed on the site plan anymore. This thing has been 25% leased for a long time. Didn't they announce this project a couple of years ago???

[cnote]

Another interesting thing on Vintage Park - there used to be MORE places listed (I remember Tossed was a salad restaurant, Earl of Sandwich, etc...) that aren't even listed on the site plan anymore. This thing has been 25% leased for a long time. Didn't they announce this project a couple of years ago???

Vintage Park is looking bad right now...although, a lot of those strip centers along Louetta on the east side of 249 took a while to fill up. I had high hopes for Vintage Park, but it has been a huge letdown so far...I wonder what is causing the lack of interset. I know there are plenty of consumers with money in the area...maybe it is too close to the 1960-Champions retail centers and too far from the 290 development, and households east of 249 but further north just go to the Woodlands?????

BTW - quoting yourself...I like it....

[TheNiche]

I wonder what is causing the lack of interset.

Rents are high.

[mrfootball]

The development itself looks great. There's a huge underserved market here, the owners and CBRE must be absolute idiots not to be able to lease the hell out of that development. Everybody's anxious for a grand opening. Where's the good stuff? I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that I hate going to Willowbrook Mall.

Further, as a sign of their lack of marketing prowess, they let HEB have the dominant signage on the Vintage Park marker at the corner of 249 and Louetta. If they had any clue about Branding they'd have put Vintage Park's logo in that premier spot with HEB below.

Also, there's no landscaping on the street side facing 249. Only an ugly fence. In the process of construction, they left some concrete drainage pipes sitting in the woods on the corner by the main sign. I hope its because they're not done yet, because it looks pretty bad.

They should follow The Woodlands model and draw in top-name anchors, offering incentives, everything else will follow.

[jimcas]

The development itself looks great. There's a huge underserved market here, the owners and CBRE must be absolute idiots not to be able to lease the hell out of that development. Everybody's anxious for a grand opening. Where's the good stuff? I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that I hate going to Willowbrook Mall.

Further, as a sign of their lack of marketing prowess, they let HEB have the dominant signage on the Vintage Park marker at the corner of 249 and Louetta. If they had any clue about Branding they'd have put Vintage Park's logo in that premier spot with HEB below.

Also, there's no landscaping on the street side facing 249. Only an ugly fence. In the process of construction, they left some concrete drainage pipes sitting in the woods on the corner by the main sign. I hope its because they're not done yet, because it looks pretty bad.

They should follow The Woodlands model and draw in top-name anchors, offering incentives, everything else will follow.

The development is beginning to look a bit like Lajitas (http://www.lajitas.com/). A really nice ghost town.

[GettaClue]

I had high hopes for Vintage Park, but it has been a huge letdown so far...I wonder what is causing the lack of interset.

A lot of loan money has dried up. Many big plans aren't happening in the big ways they were imagined right now.

[Jedijake]

It is now the end of April. I drove into Vintage Park today and noticed that it looks very nice, but they only have a nail salon and shoe store open inside. There are a few stores open on the perimeter and only a Starbuck's and Potbelly for food.

The signs are up, and have been up for a while, for PeliPeli, Shogun, MiaBello, Fish City Grill, and Cheeburger-Cheeburger. However, it does not look like they are doing any work inside of those whatsoever except for Shogun.

Does anyone know exactly what is going on with this place? This is possibly the saddest progress for any project I have ever seen like this. Is there any chance that these restaurants will be open sometime in 2008, let alone this summer?

And whatever happened to the Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris, and bookstore rumors?

Any information would be very helpful and greatly appreciated.

[jimcas]

Looks like they finally made some small updates to the website for the first time in months. A couple of not interesting stores and also some dates.

Cheeburger Cheeburger is coming in July, Fish City Grill this summer, Peli Peli in September, etc...

Also there is a brochure available at the location in the leasing center that shows some additional businesses with Letters of Intent which includes some locations not on the website.

Still - the progress is pretty pathetic and I'm not impressed with the job CBRE is doing at all.

http://www.vintageparkhouston.com/storesandmore.php

[mrfootball]

It's a great looking center and it should be a no-brainer to lease. The people at CBRE charged with leasing this property must have their heads up their asses.

[Jedijake]

You can say that again. I walked around the place the other day. I was amazed at how great it looked. However, I had this horribly haunting feeling like I was in a ghost town (and essentially was).

From the looks of the tenant list, there won't be any real places where people can just come and hang out for a while (like a bookstore or music store).

And yet, they are starting on phase II, as if that is going to lease or make the whole thing lease faster.

Like I said, it's probably the saddest bit of development I've ever seen.

[97saturn]

Has any trees been replaced or put in place yet?

[hldjhn987]

Nice huge project but it almost looks like a ghost town. Maybe only 6 places open and about 30 cars???

This was the first time I actually drove through the site.

[lockmat]

Thanks for the pics. i don't like palms in Houston.

[Trae]

^^Even by the Bay?

[houstongirl]

Cheeburger Cheeburger and Brix Wine Cellars are both shooting for an opening in 60 days. Shogun will open slightly after that. Plus I hear that Mia Bella had some issues with permits/construction, which caused a delay in their build-out.

Vintage Park is planning a "grand opening" celebration sometime in the beginning of October, which is why many retailers are waiting a little closer to that time to open their stores.

[mrfootball]

Cheeburger Cheeburger and Brix Wine Cellars are both shooting for an opening in 60 days. Shogun will open slightly after that. Plus I hear that Mia Bella had some issues with permits/construction, which caused a delay in their build-out.

Vintage Park is planning a "grand opening" celebration sometime in the beginning of October, which is why many retailers are waiting a little closer to that time to open their stores.

We ate at Potbelly and walked around the center last weekend. It's a really quite a beautiful shopping center, easily as nice as anything else I've seen in Houston. I can't wait until they get some good retailers in there.

Has any trees been replaced or put in place yet?

They've planted a bunch of trees and are busy landscaping the property, installing stone landscape markers on the medians and entrances to the properties. I noticed they thinned the treeline right after the HP overpass to give the property more visibility from the road. One thing that looks rather out of place is that wood fence behind the HEB that lines 249, the landscaping on the HEB property could be improved. They need to do something about that. Other than that, the landscaping in/around the Vintage property looks terrific, lots of beautiful flowers.

Top 3 things I'd like to see in there from a retail perspective:

1) Bookstore (there are no major bookstores between Champions and Copperfield)

2) Pottery Barn

3) Restoration Hardware

[cnote]

We ate at Potbelly and walked around the center last weekend. It's a really quite a beautiful shopping center, easily as nice as anything else I've seen in Houston. I can't wait until they get some good retailers in there.

They've planted a bunch of trees and are busy landscaping the property, installing stone landscape markers on the medians and entrances to the properties. I noticed they thinned the treeline right after the HP overpass to give the property more visibility from the road. One thing that looks rather out of place is that wood fence behind the HEB that lines 249, the landscaping on the HEB property could be improved. They need to do something about that. Other than that, the landscaping in/around the Vintage property looks terrific, lots of beautiful flowers.

Top 3 things I'd like to see in there from a retail perspective:

1) Bookstore (there are no major bookstores between Champions and Copperfield)

2) Pottery Barn

3) Restoration Hardware

I would like a J.Crew, but don't think it will happen. It is one of the few brands where I actually like most of the clothes.

Restoration hardware my wife loves, but I just can't bring myself to pay those prices, I mean Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are rip offs, but Restoration Harware is just obscene. A Crate and Barrel would be nice as well...

Absolutely second the book store, but both B&N and Borders are having some tough financial times right now.

[jimcas]

I would like a J.Crew, but don't think it will happen. It is one of the few brands where I actually like most of the clothes.

Restoration hardware my wife loves, but I just can't bring myself to pay those prices, I mean Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are rip offs, but Restoration Harware is just obscene. A Crate and Barrel would be nice as well...

Absolutely second the book store, but both B&N and Borders are having some tough financial times right now.

I hate to say it, but I don't think the current crop of no-name stores - Cheeburger Cheeburger, Peli Peli, Shogun, etc... is going to draw in too many high profile stores (or too many customers either in the long run...). There is not currently one single "destination" store on the entire tenant list.

[chamberscreek]

I hate to say it, but I don't think the current crop of no-name stores - Cheeburger Cheeburger, Peli Peli, Shogun, etc... is going to draw in too many high profile stores (or too many customers either in the long run...). There is not currently one single "destination" store on the entire tenant list.

Yeah, I think they're in real trouble. The retail market in the area was competitive enough a few months ago, but with things tightening up even more lately, they have quite a hill to climb. They need to land a big fish...

[Jedijake]

Agreed-there's no reason for a "grand opening" as late as October. This should have been ready to go this spring.

Cheeburger-Cheeburger or whatever it's called doesn't seem to be the type of place you'd expect to open in a luxury high-end shopping center. Shogun's too commercial.

I'm actually looking forward to Peli-Peli and right now that's the only place I am looking forward to seeing open.

It's a real shame that they can't get a book store there. A book store is a place that would draw in people who might stay a while.

I'm very surprised that Barnes N Noble is having trouble right now.

[cnote]

Agreed-there's no reason for a "grand opening" as late as October. This should have been ready to go this spring.

Cheeburger-Cheeburger or whatever it's called doesn't seem to be the type of place you'd expect to open in a luxury high-end shopping center. Shogun's too commercial.

I'm actually looking forward to Peli-Peli and right now that's the only place I am looking forward to seeing open.

It's a real shame that they can't get a book store there. A book store is a place that would draw in people who might stay a while.

I'm very surprised that Barnes N Noble is having trouble right now.

Agreed that I don't see this turning into a destination shopping area. I thought we were naming our wish-list???

Here is a little snippet about the recent struggles of B&N, and a possible merger with Borders, who has put itself up for sale and currently financing continued operations...

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080522/earns_barnes_noble.html?.v=8

[jpcarp3]

Does anyone know if they will be building other homes in the area besides the Vintage Lakes/Kickerillo development?

[psilverot]

Looks like they cleared more trees... The townhomes are nice though. Also, they've started on the Westin Element Hotel.

[hldjhn987]