East River: Mixed-Use Development By Midway

[ljchou]

Text:

"White-boxed spaces are designed to lower the barrier to entry for these local makers.

The cost and complexity of managing a full-scale build-out if often why young brands avoid brick and mortar expansion.

The names on the merchandising plan are purely representation of categories and uses. There are multiple brands that could successfully serve our coffee, juice, or yoga needs but the key is the placement of each within the project.

Our immediate focus is on the larger users in office and retail building along Buffalo Bayou, as they will be early adapters and set the tone for the project considering the buildings adjacent to both the Central Plaza and Bayou connections.

Current Tenant Mix:

2k SF restaurant by Fifth Ward resident and Multi-nominee of the James Beard Award
4k SF cultural grocer/market
2k SF East End Barbershop
2.5k SF market of locally sources products from Fifth Ward retailers
10k SF Architectural Firm
20k SF multi-strategy holding company
5k SF ral estate development company
15k SF chain rooftop event space and cocktail lounge
3k SF bank
Preliminary negotiations are underway with tenants and build-to-suit opportunities.

Current On-Site Activations:

Moonstruck Drive-In Theater at East River specialized in first-run films and classics playing every Fri-Sun. In January on 2021, the drive-in will be a satellite location for the Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, the drive-in acts as the venue for monthly private events for non-profits, corporate and community functions.

East River Gold, a planned par-3 golf course with driving range and ice-house restaurant concept will be the eastern end of the property. Construction to begin 2021.

Plans are underway to bring a black-owned and operated urban farm to East River, offering access to fresh produce and community programming.

Edited February 1, 2021 by ljchou

[CREguy13]

Midway noting preliminary negotiations being underway for build-to-suit opportunities is interesting, even if only preliminary.  This development takes off quickly, if a company decides to relocate its headquarters here... 

Preferably a company from outside Houston and most preferable is 'companies' with interests in space exploration, EVs, clean/battery tech 😎

[Mr.Clean19]

Par 3 Golf Course / Ice House and others concepts would be good. @CREguy13, I would think they are adding a Renewable Energy company for sure due to the Opportunity Zone inclusion in the recent Grand Energy Storage Challenge by the DOE. Lots of ways they can flex their muscles here. Hopefully the city and state can support them in their plans to grow. 

[Montrose1100]

Basically everything Rice Village and some of Highland Village is what we need.

[CREguy13]

On 2/5/2021 at 10:42 AM, Mr.Clean19 said:

Par 3 Golf Course / Ice House and others concepts would be good. @CREguy13, I would think they are adding a Renewable Energy company for sure due to the Opportunity Zone inclusion in the recent Grand Energy Storage Challenge by the DOE. Lots of ways they can flex their muscles here. Hopefully the city and state can support them in their plans to grow. 

Agreed on targeting a larger Renewable Energy company and wasn't aware of the Opportunity Zone inclusion.  I also have to think Midway is working to lure back KBR.  It adds to the history of the site, they are currently in a desolate part of downtown, and the company has made big changes in recent years so a move like this adds to the company's transformation.  Going back to the old Brown & Root 'roots' makes a ton of sense in my opinion.

[BeerNut]

Are there any plans for a water taxi to downtown?

[77011transplant]

According to the East Sector Master Plan, yes, they are planning on having a circulating water taxi from Allen’s Landing to the Port of Houston Turning Basin.

[Mr.Clean19]

Gondolas.... one can dream

[Nate99]

1 hour ago, Mr.Clean19 said:

Gondolas.... one can dream

Let's go for a little more regional flair and have some of these blasting up the bayou at all hours....

[phillip_white]

1 hour ago, Nate99 said:

Let's go for a little more regional flair and have some of these blasting up the bayou at all hours....

You have just increased the commute fun factor by 1,000%!

[EastEndHeritage]

2 hours ago, phillip_white said:

You have just increased the commute fun factor by 1,000%!

 

3 hours ago, Nate99 said:

Let's go for a little more regional flair and have some of these blasting up the bayou at all hours....

I agree with your sentiment, but those things are obnoxiously loud.

[apendido]

No doubt. My house backs up to Buffalo Bayou, and I live near one of the HCFCD's boat ramps. You can hear their airboats from almost a mile away. 

[Nate99]

On 2/11/2021 at 12:09 PM, EastEndHeritage said:

 

I agree with your sentiment, but those things are obnoxiously loud.

 

A "feature not a bug" if you market it right!. 

 

There were a couple of them running the bayou near downtown a while back. Sounded like hell from inside the buildings. 

Edited February 12, 2021 by Nate99

[Smacgregor]

They should just go full high-tech. Get Dyson to design a bladeless airboat.

[texan]

[Naviguessor]

Midway has updated their East River Retail Brochure. 

https://eastriverhtx.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/210223-East-River-Retail-Brochure.pdf

It refines the retail spaces which are offered, with a couple slight redesigns of the buildings as well as splits Phase 1 into sub phases A and B.   See page 10 of the brochure.   

[HOUCAJUN]

2 hours ago, Naviguessor said:

Midway has updated their East River Retail Brochure. 

https://eastriverhtx.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/210223-East-River-Retail-Brochure.pdf

It refines the retail spaces which are offered, with a couple slight redesigns of the buildings as well as splits Phase 1 into sub phases A and B.   See page 10 of the brochure.   

When is the start date on this project?

[Naviguessor]

Last we heard was 3Q this year, and it sounds like most (phase 1A) of phase 1, will be built all roughly at the same time. 

[HOUCAJUN]

Does anyone really understand what this development will become? This will be THE area. Just when I thought I found and area I want to live, here comes East River. Well back to the drawing board for me.

Edited March 6, 2021 by HOUCAJUN

[clutchcity94]

25 minutes ago, HOUCAJUN said:

Does anyone really understand what this development will become? This will be THE area. Just when I thought I found and area I want to live, here comes East River. Well back to the drawing board for me.

How? It’s still cut off from the West Loop. Which is THE area, currently.

[Urbannizer]

https://munozalbin.com/news/

[strickn]

It is surprisingly hard to get an urban atmosphere without financing it the way urban atmospheres were actually financed.  These building blocks are never going to add up to that feel.  
 

Midway cannot fake one management/decisionmaking process as another, and a unique neighborhood atmosphere involves thousands of different owners' choices, not a couple of design firms decorating for one owner.

Houston Heights was promoted by a central player with an 1890s financing stack, yes, and so were denser parts of many cities all over the country that now have lofts and offices and workshops -- but the pieces were small enough that many could add to them and modify them personally over time.  Look at these plans and ask yourself where that would ever happen here.

Edited March 10, 2021 by strickn

[Response]

Still, it is better than a strip mall, CVS, Exxon station or garden style apts. 

[strickn]

In urban evolution those are less of a cul-de-sac than this is.  They will be torn down and replaced piecemeal.  After its "phases" are finished East River will be finished and difficult to upgrade.

[Triton]

I know I kind of stated it earlier in this thread but my main issue that remains with this development is that it currently looks like any other mixed-use development I've seen in other cities.

 

Sure, that sounds great but it's name is East River and it's placing literally zero emphasis on the water. It's placing all of it on two streets that run down the center of it. It needs to shift the focus more towards Buffalo Bayou. All I see is a single sidewalk going down the water... where's the patios, where's the docks, where's the steps that take you all the way down to the water... where's anything indicating this is a RIVER development. It should, at the very least, have some of these characteristics:

 

 

Edit: 

I can already hear some people saying that at least East River is providing some natural landscaping, some trees and what not along the river. Again, that's great. I'm not saying the river needs to be lined with wood for patios and concrete. 

Here's what I'm saying. Here, look at these 2 pictures for East River

^ In this photo above, nothing is pointing towards the water. It's just a sidewalk.

All the restaurant and bar activity is on the street in this next photo:

 

Tell me I'm not the only one seeing a huge missed opportunity here for East RIVER.

[Response]

2 hours ago, strickn said:

In urban evolution those are less of a cul-de-sac than this is.  They will be torn down and replaced piecemeal.  After its "phases" are finished East River will be finished and difficult to upgrade.

Good. Because it looks terrific. There are Exxon stations in Houston that have been in existence since the 70's. How many years has the East River property had weeds growing all over it?

[Texasota]

Also, the fact that this is being developed with a basically conventional street grid is incredibly important and make the whole neighborhood a lot more adaptable in the long term.  

[ljchou]

I feel like we don't have much room to complain since this is an abandoned field that's being developed. There's no "small scale", iterative development options. It was either this or more townhomes. I'll take the former any day.

[KirbyDriveKid]

Given this design, I'm most happy that they didn't run a street down the riverfront (bayoufront?).  Even if the current plan is only an enlarged sidewalk, it's all *pedestrian* at this point.  So hopefully as this development matures and is a success, they can grow the pedestrian infrastructure, build out plazas along the water, and add a few smaller commercial structures with patios.  All those things.  

Basically, I'm glad they haven't closed the door on that yet, even if the current focus seems to be more traditional streetscapes that remind more of the River Oaks District than something like the DC Waterfront development.

[Houston19514]

2 hours ago, Triton said:

I know I kind of stated it earlier in this thread but my main issue that remains with this development is that it currently looks like any other mixed-use development I've seen in other cities.

 

Sure, that sounds great but it's name is East River and it's placing literally zero emphasis on the water. It's placing all of it on two streets that run down the center of it. It needs to shift the focus more towards Buffalo Bayou. All I see is a single sidewalk going down the water... where's the patios, where's the docks, where's the steps that take you all the way down to the water... where's anything indicating this is a RIVER development. It should, at the very least, have some of these characteristics:

 

 

 

Edit: 

I can already hear some people saying that at least East River is providing some natural landscaping, some trees and what not along the river. Again, that's great. I'm not saying the river needs to be lined with wood for patios and concrete. 

Here's what I'm saying. Here, look at these 2 pictures for East River

 

^ In this photo above, nothing is pointing towards the water. It's just a sidewalk.

All the restaurant and bar activity is on the street in this next photo:

Tell me I'm not the only one seeing a huge missed opportunity here for East RIVER.

 

Would something like this be better?