Lower Heights District Developments

[Triton]

Based on the construction I've seen, this Home Depot would be built closer to the highway. There's still a considerly amount of land between this Home Depot and the apartments. Either way, sounds like a huge downgrade to me.

[cspwal]

I can see a lot of logic in Home Depot wanting to build here

- its near other big stores (Target, Kroger)

- There's no Lowe's or Home Depot nearby - its sufficiently far from Gulfgate and Meyerland

- It's a large tract of land, one of the few that could fit their very large stores + parking lots

[geaux]

There is both a Home Depot (location is called Brinkman) & Lowe's on the other side of the Heights off 610, about 5 miles away...

With the amount of renovating going on in the area I guess the demand is adequate

[Avossos]

Personally, I’m thrilled about the idea of Home Depot coming here. It will be so much more convenient than the ones along 610.

That being said... it BETTER be a better design than a large suburban parking lot wasteland...

[j_cuevas713]

I'm not holding my breath for this shit. Disappointing isn't even the word to describe this. We're going to get the typical massive parking lot and big box center. I thought "Lower Heights" was supposed to become this cool walkable area. Where does this even fit on the original site plan?

Edited May 11, 2021 by j_cuevas713

[TrainTrak]

Just found this on the Gulf Coast Commercial Group website.  They've clearly made significant changes to original site plan.

 

https://www.gulfcoastcg.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/LowerHeightsDistricts-Marketing-Package-04.26.21.pdf

[J Money]

Wow that sucks 

[X.R.]

Tbh, that area does need a Home Depot cuz while it is 5 mile drive, its 5 miles on typically busy highway so its a bit of a pain in the butt. Plus, like some noted a metric ton of development is going on in the Heights (both small and big) so there is a clear need.

All that said, dang its a lot of parking. I'm wondering if HD caught wind of this development and just threw a big bag of cash at them. Its kind of funny, the most appealing images in that PDF are the neighborhood buildings shown at the end 😂

Edited May 11, 2021 by X.R.

[j_cuevas713]

WOW this completely went to trash. I'm speechless. And we wonder why we can't compete against other cities. This is embarrassing. All of this land could be super dense, urban, walkable. And again we're left with a bunch of parking lots. Both Buffalo Heights District and Lower Heights District turned in to nothing. I'm so annoyed. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by j_cuevas713

[gmac]

Compete against other cities? We have more people moving here than dang near any other city in the country.

That site looks very walkable. You park in the middle, you can hit up a grocery store, a home improvement store, a Target, and then nab some booze on the way back to your vehicle.

[j_cuevas713]

4 minutes ago, gmac said:

Compete against other cities? We have more people moving here than dang near any other city in the country.

That site looks very walkable. You park in the middle, you can hit up a grocery store, a home improvement store, a Target, and then nab some booze on the way back to your vehicle.

You can't be serious. And what I mean by compete, I don't mean we have to be in some race with other cities but I would be lying if I said other cities don't at least try to make things better for pedestrians FIRST. I went to Chicago recently and their idea of parking is either on street or a parking garage. I saw very few parking lots. I see few few sidewalks in this site plan. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by j_cuevas713

[pm91]

I believe "jilted" is the word I'm feelin

[LBC2HTX]

The whole area is a suburban style shopping center.  I don’t get why anyone is surprised. Sure, they could’ve thrown up another apartment mid-rise but that wouldn’t make the area any more “walkable”. 

[s3mh]

Katyville strikes again.  Honestly, I think they were just too slow to the punch to make this into a nice urban mixed used development.  Too many projects around town (MKT, post office, Sawyer Yards and the Allen Pkwy developments) have sucked the wind out of the kind of leasing that this would have needed.  

[TylerHerman13]

2 hours ago, gmac said:

Compete against other cities? We have more people moving here than dang near any other city in the country.

That site looks very walkable. You park in the middle, you can hit up a grocery store, a home improvement store, a Target, and then nab some booze on the way back to your vehicle.

What’s disappointing for many, myself included, was the original plan was much more complex (more of a mini city center). Yes, it is walkable but the original plan was for a more lifestyle center with restaurants/bars and a movie theatre. You could park along the streets and walk around to shop while stopping to grab a bite to eat or drink. Now it’s just turned into a stop and go strip center with an anchor. Nothing desirable for those living in the city looking for the city lifestyle. 
 

Houston isn’t the most walk friendly city so having these type of centers scattered around make them very desirable for those is us who chose to live in the area.  Especially if you want to just walk across the street (or just out of your apartment for those living in the new apartments) as a convenient option. 

[texan]

The worst part for me is the trail access this will have (albeit to a still unrepaired bridge). The Home Depot lot would've been perfect for restaurants, bars, and small retail with a nice gateway from the trail. It could've been another cluster on that rail-trail that would've linked up with MKT, Heights Mercantile, and White Oak Blvd.

[j_cuevas713]

2 hours ago, texan said:

The worst part for me is the trail access this will have (albeit to a still unrepaired bridge). The Home Depot lot would've been perfect for restaurants, bars, and small retail with a nice gateway from the trail. It could've been another cluster on that rail-trail that would've linked up with MKT, Heights Mercantile, and White Oak Blvd.

Exactly! You would think as a developer you would try to really take advantage of the infrastructure in place to maximize the potential of your development. Instead we have developers that are so boring and nearsighted, they think they're providing this awesome retail center, but they're brains are stuck in the past. Yeah it provides some services for the immediate area and those living around it, but it's nothing that will last, it's nothing sustainable, and it's just plain BORING. It doesn't help that Metro is planning an BRT stop here in an area where the sidewalks all look like an afterthought. And it make NO SENSE why the entrance to Lower Heights District doesn't have sidewalks leading to the development. How freaking dumb are these people? Yet the city was quick to make a right turn lane and widen the street even more for this non sense. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by j_cuevas713

[skooljunkie]

Sigh.

At least the little trail they built will be well lit by the headlights of semi-trucks unloading Up & Up and plywood.

So, there’s usually never a Home Depot without a Lowe’s right around the corner. Just sayin’...

[hindesky]

19 minutes ago, skooljunkie said:

Sigh.

At least the little trail they built will be well lit by the headlights of semi-trucks unloading Up & Up and plywood.

So, there’s usually never a Home Depot without a Lowe’s right around the corner. Just sayin’...

If you're talking about the crushed granite trail by the Target, they fenced it off and can't be used for now.

[Montrose1100]

On 5/11/2021 at 1:49 PM, j_cuevas713 said:

I'm not holding my breath for this shit. Disappointing isn't even the word to describe this. We're going to get the typical massive parking lot and big box center. I thought "Lower Heights" was supposed to become this cool walkable area. Where does this even fit on the original site plan?

Oh, it's very walkable, if you live in Sawyer Heights lofts, or nearby apartments. The real trouble is the traffic and streets. It's congested AF. I certainly add to the car lines on Spring St.

The area has densified from just warehouses and single family homes. It'll take time to grow. Unfortunately, we're not Dubai or Miami where we can just sprout condo buildings non-stop. 

[samagon]

I'm sure in February, or March of last year the original plan of a mini city center was still solid, but 6 months into the pandemic, whatever movie theater was planned probably backed out, half the restaurants expressing interest said no thanks, and home depot, one of the only brick and mortar businesses that is looking to expand during the pandemic comes in to provide an option to a business venture that was probably going to be doing some financial restructuring to try and succeed.

the timing for this development was really bad, and as a result we see the landscape of this area not getting any 'better', which is the disappointing part. 

while it sucks for this specific site, it's not like it's out of place, along that side of i10 you already had 4 huge parking lots and 3 big box stores (WalMart, Kroger, Target), what's 1 more huge parking lot and big box store in the middle of the whole thing? especially, when the only option for home improvement stores in the loop are actually on the loop itself.

Edited May 12, 2021 by samagon

[Visitor]

I'll just chalk this one up as another inner loop missed oppty. There are so many I think im numb to it. Access to this center really impacts how often I go/will go. I'll be curious if the Home Depot ends up a sh%thole like the one on 610 or nice like the one on Katy Fwy.

[Ross]

On 5/11/2021 at 6:40 PM, texan said:

The worst part for me is the trail access this will have (albeit to a still unrepaired bridge). The Home Depot lot would've been perfect for restaurants, bars, and small retail with a nice gateway from the trail. It could've been another cluster on that rail-trail that would've linked up with MKT, Heights Mercantile, and White Oak Blvd.

That would have been nice, but the developer probably looked at the numbers that are just about guaranteed with the new layout, and decided to take that return on investment as opposed to doing something outside the norm for here, and potentially losing big time. Especially if the developer is hoping to flip the whole thing in a year or two. And, from a management perspective, it's easier to manage a few large tenants than a pile of small ones. Home Depot is going to be paying the rent on time, while the smaller places can be flaky, then just close.

[j_cuevas713]

3 hours ago, Ross said:

That would have been nice, but the developer probably looked at the numbers that are just about guaranteed with the new layout, and decided to take that return on investment as opposed to doing something outside the norm for here, and potentially losing big time. Especially if the developer is hoping to flip the whole thing in a year or two. And, from a management perspective, it's easier to manage a few large tenants than a pile of small ones. Home Depot is going to be paying the rent on time, while the smaller places can be flaky, then just close.

That does make sense. This section from Sawyer to Studewood would be fine if there was just better pedestrian focus. If that means widening sidewalks or providing better access for pedestrians, then it could still become very inviting. But when you have sidewalks that look like an afterthought along Studewood, with no real connectivity under the freeway or along the bridge, it just looks like a big shit show. And the fact the developers didn’t build sidewalks along the entrance to LHD is just mind boggling. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by j_cuevas713

[gmac]

55 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

That does make sense. This section from Sawyer to Studewood would be fine if there was just better pedestrian focus. If that means widening sidewalks or providing better access for pedestrians, then it could still become very inviting. But when you have sidewalks that look like an afterthought along Studewood, with no real connectivity under the freeway or along the bridge, it just looks like a big shit show. And the fact the developers didn’t build sidewalks along the entrance to LHD is just mind boggling. 

I certainly don't disagree with you about the crappy design and construction of sidewalks all over Houston. It's abysmal and inexcusable. I have a friend who is basically blind, can't drive (though he would likely not be any worse than 90% of the boobs on the street now), and has a heck of a time walking places because of the erratic nature of the sidewalks.

[Montrose1100]

12 hours ago, Visitor said:

I'll just chalk this one up as another inner loop missed oppty. There are so many I think im numb to it. Access to this center really impacts how often I go/will go. I'll be curious if the Home Depot ends up a sh%thole like the one on 610 or nice like the one on Katy Fwy.

Hey, all Houston area Home Depots are top drawer compared to Gulfgate.

I wonder where Lowe's will go? Their business model is to follow the depot. 

[SMU1213]

Glass half full view - this will be a great redevelopment site in 30-40 years!

[samagon]

47 minutes ago, SMU1213 said:

Glass half full view - this will be a great redevelopment site in 30-40 years!

and compared with the industrial complex of corrugated warehouses that was there previously, this is still an upgrade.

please see historic street view from 2011 as evidence:

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7765721,-95.3878662,3a,75y,181.09h,84.8t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjY66woJNklpq79DXRzTS9A!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

maybe not as good as it could have been, or as good as they wanted pre-pandemic, but better than it was is a good mantra for Houston.

[hindesky]

[skooljunkie]

There are still plenty of large warehouses along Shepherd/Durham just north of I-10! Perfect for Lowe's. The sheetflow from the parking lot can dump straight into White Oak. No problemo.  And I'm still waiting on that 945-pump Central Houston Buc-ee's. I hope all these developers leave 20-30 acres for that.