East River: Mixed-Use Development By Midway

[bobruss]

How do you think all the lower and middle class people in Montrose that were displaced in this last wave of old apartment demo's to make way for new high priced rent condo's and apartments. It happens everywhere and that just an unfortunate situation. Its happening in third ward now.

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by bobruss

[samagon]

12 hours ago, bobruss said:

How do you think all the lower and middle class people in Montrose that were displaced in this last wave of old apartment demo's to make way for new high priced rent condo's and apartments. It happens everywhere and that just an unfortunate situation. Its happening in third ward now.

 

isn't the midtown TIRZ at fault for some of this? Buying up a lot of the land?

 

this is probably not the right place to discuss this...

Edited September 4, 2019 by samagon

[Luminare]

14 minutes ago, samagon said:

 

isn't the midtown TIRZ at fault for some of this? Buying up a lot of the land?

 

this is probably not the right place to discuss this...

 

its not like Iah77 doesn't have a point, but the foundation of the argument is really really bad. This person started with a conspiracy, and its only within the past few comments that this person brings up gentrification and low-income families. If this person cared about these things then that is what would be led with. Those are just very vague buzzwords just like when nimbys talk about general vague terms such as parking, traffic, etc... This person is not initiating this counter-point in good faith. I mean this thread is 18 pages long! NOW this person has a problem? I don't buy it. Neither should anyone else. Yet again, the same with those opposed to the reroute, what is the alternative? I have ideas too, and I'm sure we all have ideas for what could be possible here, but what is on the boards right now is the best possible that someone has put time and money to achieve.

[samagon]

6 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

its not like Iah77 doesn't have a point, but the foundation of the argument is really really bad. This person started with a conspiracy, and its only within the past few comments that this person brings up gentrification and low-income families. If this person cared about these things then that is what would be led with. Those are just very vague buzzwords just like when nimbys talk about general vague terms such as parking, traffic, etc... This person is not initiating this counter-point in good faith. I mean this thread is 18 pages long! NOW this person has a problem? I don't buy it. Neither should anyone else. Yet again, the same with those opposed to the reroute, what is the alternative? I have ideas too, and I'm sure we all have ideas for what could be possible here, but what is on the boards right now is the best possible that someone has put time and money to achieve.

 

certainly, and my point 2 posts above that one was basically, the area around the KBR site is already being gentrified. there's townhomes that have been going up near Jensen and BB for years now. it isn't Midways fault.

 

Midway buying the KBR site is not a catalyst for gentrification, it could be considered an accelerant for this area of the east end, but the entirety of the east end has been speeding up the gentrification process that has been happening for well over 10 years and that sure as heck isn't Midway's doing.

 

my response in the post you quoted was specifically regarding 3rd ward and midtown tirz. a lot of the property changing hands in 3rd ward is being bought by the midtown tirz, which I think is far more dirty (in an almost redlining kind of way) than anything Midway and BBP are doing, but again, different thread.

[I'm Not a Robot]

https://eastriverhtx.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/190605-East-River-Office-Leasing-Brochure_CES.pdf

 

 

Leasing brochure has been updated recently. 

 

edit: just realized that all the buildings are set for a 2021 building completion based on the brochure. Hopefully it's Q1 or 2. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by I'm Not a Robot

[HoustonMidtown]

Downtown and East River views from Jensen Dr bridge

 

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

[hindesky]

[CREguy13]

What's interesting to me is they are projecting 8.9m SF of office space at full build-out.  The 26-acre first phase has ~360,000 SF of Office.  By there numbers the remaining 124 acres will have 8.5m+ SF of Office.  If this is remotely close, the residential demand for developers in Eado, East End, and surrounding areas will be pretty robust.

[Mr.Clean19]

New brochure is snazzy! Also glad to see that they are keeping the movie theater... I wonder how it will be to have a work space right above a movie theater.... I suppose at the theater in River Oaks (iPIC) i cant heat the movie through the walls so maybe sound proof technology has gotten better since the old Dollar Cinema days. 

[Mr.Clean19]

Crane onsite now. They look to be installing drainage on the west side and prepping for roads

[Luminare]

23 minutes ago, Mr.Clean19 said:

Crane onsite now. They look to be installing drainage on the west side and prepping for roads

 

In the ground or a rolling crane?

[Mr.Clean19]

Rolling crane. Tower crane wouldnt make sense for the area they are working with or the spread out construction. 

[MidCenturyMoldy]

Never mind. Is there a way to delete a post?

Edited October 8, 2019 by MidCenturyMoldy

[Mr.Clean19]

http://www.saveeastend.com/

[ljchou]

4 minutes ago, Mr.Clean19 said:

http://www.saveeastend.com/

What are these projects proposed to do, specifically? How can we get involved?

 

Thanks!

[cspwal]

10 minutes ago, Mr.Clean19 said:

http://www.saveeastend.com/

 

🤨

 

What are they referring to "DEVELOPERS ARE ASKING FOR PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION NEEDED SO THAT THEY AVOID PAYING FOR SCHOOL, POLICE, FIRE, UTILITIES, ROADS AND OTHER CITY SERVICES"?  

 

I have trouble taking a website in all caps seriously, especially with no sources 

[thedistrict84]

1 hour ago, Mr.Clean19 said:

http://www.saveeastend.com/

 

Surrounding East River with these new mixed income affordable housing projects (as proposed) is probably not what potential future tenants for the retail sections of the project want to see.

 

The City is undermining the creation of what figures to be a promising new commercial district if it’s going to allow these other developers to put several of these housing projects—primarily inhabited by people with no disposable income and limited buying power—in the immediate vicinity, instead of more market rate apartments (like the Marquette developments nearby), more townhomes, and other similar developments. Seems counterintuitive.

 

And yet again, the East End (and lower Fifth Ward) may take on more of these types of housing developments. There are too many here already, as the map on the linked page clearly shows. I know I sound a bit NIMBY-ish, but other areas in the City do not have nearly the number of low income housing developments that the East End has. Since the City is involved in this process, they really need to do a better job of spreading these out more (i.e., by modifying the approval process that these projects are currently going through right now by making proximity of existing developments more of a factor in granting or denying proposals, etc.). 

 

Edit: @I'm Not a Robot does make a good point that part of the goal of these projects may be to relocate those currently in Clayton Homes, but I was under the impression that Clayton Homes was a different class of low income property (i.e., exclusively Section 8) than these projects.

Edited October 9, 2019 by thedistrict84

[I'm Not a Robot]

47 minutes ago, ljchou said:

What are these projects proposed to do, specifically? How can we get involved?

 

Thanks!

 

 

I read this yesterday and it seems a bit overstated but honestly, the East End, around where this development is underway, has become a dumping ground for the city's unwanted. There is a reasonable mistrust of city officials to conserve this area and improve it for people who live there. 

 

A perfect parallel is the monthly "protest ride"  that drives everyone insane who isn't participating. Downtown didn't want Critical Mass anymore, so they moved to The Heights and before they could even get one ride off they were forced to move to Guadalupe Plaza Park. Every last Friday of the month if you are in the direct area you essentially have to plan around them and they often are making noise into the night on return. The East End District didn't do anything to fight this where as the Heights were able to thwart them off immediately. 

 

 In the past year or so, I've noticed more and more of a steady homeless population in this area and I assume these are people who were moved from other underpasses to this area. This area has a huge issue with littering and loitering on properties. None of the facilities that are serving the homeless care about what happens to the area once people leave their premises and the city has done nothing about this for years.

 

I will say this about that particular web page. Clayton Homes is set to close and they have to be relocated. The HHA is most likely trying to find a way to put them all in the general vicinity. The location on Canal is an apartment complex that has low income housing incorporated and there are no noticeable negative effects from them. If the other complexes are ran similarly there is no real reason to dislike them. They are providing people assistance and have no real effect on the area for residents, positive or negative.  

 

The huge issue with adding more and more of this is that the area is near downtown and residents are paying taxes equivalent to downtown and basically are ignored by the city. The hope has always been once East River and the other developments came, the city would begin to pay more attention to keeping the area clean, safe and updated and I guess this is yet to be seen but taxes aren't being fairly assessed in this district. If the area wasn't essentially ignored, none of this would be an issue but there are rightful hesitations that the city will give proper attention as these changes occur. 

Edited October 9, 2019 by I'm Not a Robot

[ljchou]

I'm surprised Midway isn't taking action to mitigate the developments directly surrounding it's multi-million dollar, multiple decade investment. This seems counter-productive to what they're trying to achieve in this area, no?

[JBTX]

13 minutes ago, ljchou said:

I'm surprised Midway isn't taking action to mitigate the developments directly surrounding it's multi-million dollar, multiple decade investment. This seems counter-productive to what they're trying to achieve in this area, no?

 

It does, which is why I think a lot of this is just hype. I wouldn't be surprised if Midway isn't actively working to ensure this much Low Income/Subsidized housing doesn't come up around it's development.

 

Can't be too hard too. The website above shows low-income housing being built in a Superfund Site. Imagine that press. The press alone would kill that development 

[thatguysly]

At the same time those living in the area are getting priced out. They have been there for decades and ignored. Now that area is seen for upper middle class development, people want to push them out. Where are they going to go? Many can't afford to move or are in rent houses and won't get anything if the property is bought up. Some don't have cars or other means of transportation and have jobs in the area. A commute will not be possible for many. At what point is low income housing considered far enough from the project. If you allow townhouses or condos to buffer the new development, then those homeowners won't want the low income to be against them either. The NIMBY effect goes on and on.

 

Gentrification is complicated and there is not a single solution to the issues caused by it. It shouldn't stop development from occurring but should also respect the neighborhood with roots in the area (like East End). Create jobs for the locals and help them lift up with the development.

[innerloop]

16 hours ago, thatguysly said:

Gentrification is complicated and there is not a single solution to the issues caused by it. It shouldn't stop development from occurring but should also respect the neighborhood with roots in the area (like East End). Create jobs for the locals and help them lift up with the development.

 

Well said.

[Eric.kelly]

I don’t understand what people mean when they say respect the neighborhood roots and create jobs for locals. This is HOUSTON TX I don’t see a shortage of jobs. If people want o work, they can work. The issue is finding people who want to work. You say respect the neighborhood? The neighborhood make up isn’t even the same as the past. Things have changed and it’s time for that neighborhood, just like alot of other ones to be gentrified. Half these homes are being lost due to taxes and the families who worked so hard to keep the homes, have died. They passed them down to the kids who don’t even want them. Don’t even understand or know what’s going on in the neighborhood. 

[Mr.Clean19]

This worries me a lot:

 

http://www.saveeastend.com/docs/SCHOOLS.pdf

 

Both of these schools are rated as Fs.

 

Bruce Elementary has 94% economically disadvantage and Wheatly has 70% low income.

 

https://www.greatschools.org/texas/houston/3364-Bruce-Elementary-School/

 

https://www.greatschools.org/texas/houston/3542-Wheatley-High-School/

 

There was also a law that is going through to allow additional low income housing in areas with failing schools:

 

"There is a proposal to change the rules at the Texas Department of Housing Affairs to relax the rule requiring that low income tax credit projects have access to adequate schools. See below which was sent to the neighborhood for everyone to comment on that is not in favor of it.

Important! There are proposals for the Texas Department of Housing Affairs to relax the rules requiring proposed low income tax credit deals to be zoned to schools that do not have F ratings.

 

The comment period for this was 1 day last week.

[thatguysly]

On 10/10/2019 at 9:25 PM, Eric.kelly said:

I don’t understand what people mean when they say respect the neighborhood roots and create jobs for locals. This is HOUSTON TX I don’t see a shortage of jobs. If people want o work, they can work. The issue is finding people who want to work. You say respect the neighborhood? The neighborhood make up isn’t even the same as the past. Things have changed and it’s time for that neighborhood, just like alot of other ones to be gentrified. Half these homes are being lost due to taxes and the families who worked so hard to keep the homes, have died. They passed them down to the kids who don’t even want them. Don’t even understand or know what’s going on in the neighborhood. 

 

Yeah it is as easy as saying work and you can work. Sarcasm. These are areas with low high school graduation rates let alone college degrees. So it is not easy to get a good job. Not to mention a ton of other factors that never affect areas in the suburbs. And yes roots should be respected and not whitewashed. Gentrification can happen without wiping out history and just putting up Shake Shakes and Steel City Pops. Look at the Fourth Ward and the history of Freedmen's Town. That history should never be forgotten. It can be kept in tact while also moving forward. These types of investments can create higher paying jobs in area like this and when those currently living there have access to those jobs they can raise their standard of living. It helps everyone. It is better then sweeping the problem under the rug and pushing it to the next zip code. East End is doing pretty good at it. They have kept and embraced the graffiti and such. Is it perfect? No. But they are trying to keep the culture and grow the area.

[Mr.Clean19]

https://www.facebook.com/events/2362009653924691/

 

Town hall planned for the developer

[Eric.kelly]

I saw a lot of trucks today on site. I wonder what they are doing?

[HoustonMidtown]

I saw them too -- just a bit further down, a bunch of workers were constructing the poles for the electrical lines

[hindesky]

Looks like electrical company bucket trucks from North Houston Pole based on the logo on their trucks. They do high voltage power line work.

https://www.quantaservices.com/entities/north-houston-pole-line/ 

[thedistrict84]

On 10/24/2019 at 9:25 AM, Mr.Clean19 said:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2362009653924691/

 

Town hall planned for the developer

Did anybody happen to go to this? I heard some information third(?) hand that was apparently discussed at this meeting regarding East River, but don’t know how credible that information was.