Rone Residences: Multifamily At 2311 Westheimer Rd.

[hindesky]

I spy a mini excavator, I assume they will be getting a demo permit for the water/sewer disconnect soon.

[hindesky]

And the plumbing demo permit arrived on cue.

[Amlaham]

On 2/12/2023 at 4:18 PM, hindesky said:

Take it all in boys, another strip center/surface parking lot is history! 

+ for density, + for better aesthetics, and a BIG plus for pedestrians! No more parking lot right on this major street, no parking entrances off of Westheimer, the building itself will provide shade from the sun to the pedestrians. 

In an urban sense, this is perfect for the area. There is a Whole Foods 3 blocks away and multiple restaurants all within walking distance. The Density in the area is getting close to midtown (near bagby) we just need a few more of these along Kirby 😅

Edited February 15, 2023 by Amlaham

[j_cuevas713]

10 minutes ago, Amlaham said:

Take it all in boys, another strip center/surface parking lot is history! 

+ for density, + for better aesthetics, and a BIG plus for pedestrians! No more parking lot right on this major street, no parking entrances off of Westheimer, the building itself will provide shade from the sun to the pedestrians. 

In an urban sense, this is perfect for the area. There is a Whole Foods 3 blocks away and multiple restaurants all within walking distance. The Density in the area is getting close to midtown (near bagby) we just need a few more of these along Kirby 😅

And we need Upper Kirby Management District to maintain the sidewalks. There's a stretch from Westheimer to West Alabama along Kirby where the WFs is at that is getting very bad. 

Edited February 15, 2023 by j_cuevas713

[j.33]

New story on The Chronicle: 1960s River Oaks strip center to be replaced by luxury apartments (houstonchronicle.com)

"The Dallas-based developer is turning its sights to River Oaks-Upper Kirby with a 12-story luxury apartment project replacing a 1960s-era strip center.

High Street Residential, a subsidiary of real estate firm Trammell Crow Co., recently took control of a 1.7-acre site at 2311 Westheimer, where it plans to build 209 apartments and a 2,900-square-foot ground floor cafe. The project is planned for the site of the former Antique Pavilion east of Kirby, near French restaurant a’Bouzy and the French Gourmet Bakery.

High Street enlisted two Houston companies, architecture firm Ziegler Cooper and interior design firm Rottet Studio, to help envision a new life for the property. Rottet Studio has worked on well-known communities such as La Colombe d’Or., while Ziegler Cooper has a roster of projects including High Street's recent Parkside Residences, a 43-story tower near Discovery Green.

At River Oaks on Westheimer, Ziegler’s team worked to give the smaller project an intimate feel befitting the scale of the garden district neighborhood, with elements such as a residential lobby overlooking a private garden space and an entry surrounded by colorful landscaping, Scott Ziegler, principal at the firm, said in an email."

With this rendering: 

[Montrose1100]

5 minutes ago, Justin Welling said:

The project is planned for the site of the former Antique Pavilion east of Kirby, near French restaurant a’Bouzy and the French Gourmet Bakery.

How could they do Shanghai River dirty like that.

[cityliving]

$3,000 a month for a one bed room apartment? That’s ridiculous, rents have gone too high.

[004n063]

30 minutes ago, cityliving said:

$3,000 a month for a one bed room apartment? That’s ridiculous, rents have gone too high.

It's definitely ridiculous, but if someone's willing to pay that, then they'd probably be willing to pay silly amounts for a sprawling single-family home as well. 

I'd rather they be in apartments.

[cityliving]

16 minutes ago, 004n063 said:

It's definitely ridiculous, but if someone's willing to pay that, then they'd probably be willing to pay silly amounts for a sprawling single-family home as well. 

I'd rather they be in apartments.

That’s more than what I pay for my mortgage every month, if you are going to pay that much you might as well just buy a house.

[004n063]

29 minutes ago, cityliving said:

That’s more than what I pay for my mortgage every month, if you are going to pay that much you might as well just buy a house.

My point was really just that I'd much rather see new luxury apartments being built than sprawling SFH developments.

[Luminare]

Now that is looking slick. Nice material selection. Form has balance to it. It has height but doesn't feel like its standing over anything. Build it now.

4 hours ago, cityliving said:

$3,000 a month for a one bed room apartment? That’s ridiculous, rents have gone too high.

Yeah its high. That's the function of high inflation and a red hot labor market and construction costs. They will have to bump that down if we go into a recession, and maybe they are okay with a loss for the first 5-10 years of this existing. My guess is with this being in the center between Downtown, TMC, and Galleria and in a really nice area of Upper Kirby they are pitching this to professionals who want to feel like they are doing well but aren't in that price range yet, who travel business a lot, but want some luxury without the hassle of a mortgage or property tax and maintenance. It sounds ridiculous to you because you aren't their demographic. I'm telling you this is a very powerful demographic right now. This demographic and the "empty nester" are what is pushing the multi-family market in Houston right now, funny because its multi-family, but without the family. Houston is bringing in expats too who have money to burn and come from places where rent that high for one bedroom is typical. Its a dumb proposition to a local, and they are right, but a professional relocating from Cali or NY? A place like this is a steal/no brainer.

[astrohip]

Is this a name change? Has it gone from "Residences on Westheimer", to "River Oaks on Westheimer"? At least they can keep all their "ROW" letterheads.🙃

I'm surprised the River Oaks Condos don't sue for name infringement (or whatever lawyers call that). 🤪

[rechlin]

23 hours ago, cityliving said:

That’s more than what I pay for my mortgage every month, if you are going to pay that much you might as well just buy a house.

You can't buy a house in that area for that so that's not a valid comparison.

[Amlaham]

Just to add on to everyone else, I think we're forgetting a certain demographic of people that would prefer to live in condos/ apartments vs a single family home in the suburbs; older people. I have a lot of patients that live in The River Oaks condos and most, if not all, have been very old. It makes sense when you think about it. They don't need a 3-4 bedroom house with a huge backyard and front yard. With these denser buildings, they can be closer to their family (if they live near the city), they have concierge/ assistance minutes away, the security is usually pretty good at these condos, its less isolating/ being closer to people (this is more important than we think). However, the main thing is, they don't have to do ANY maintenance work. It's a dream for a lot of older people. 

[MidCenturyMoldy]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:45 AM, Justin Welling said:

  Laughing out loud at all the high rises in the background!

Edited March 3, 2023 by MidCenturyMoldy

[texan]

This is a great development and I want 50 more scattered around the interior of the loop. Partially because I love seeing NIMBY's complain about it on Facebook, but way more because it's a great-looking development that adds the density our city needs.

[astrohip]

23 hours ago, Amlaham said:

Just to add on to everyone else, I think we're forgetting a certain demographic of people that would prefer to live in condos/ apartments vs a single family home in the suburbs; older people. I have a lot of patients that live in The River Oaks condos and most, if not all, have been very old. It makes sense when you think about it. They don't need a 3-4 bedroom house with a huge backyard and front yard. With these denser buildings, they can be closer to their family (if they live near the city), they have concierge/ assistance minutes away, the security is usually pretty good at these condos, its less isolating/ being closer to people (this is more important than we think). However, the main thing is, they don't have to do ANY maintenance work. It's a dream for a lot of older people. 

Hey, I resemble that remark! Although I did hear someone refer to our building as "the elderly and their parents".🤣

Your point is spot on. Every reason you gave is valid, some to some, and some to all. We never thought we'd give up SF living, but it turns out we love condo life.

The issue is not everyone can afford them, or perhaps they're not ready to fully commit. A high-end rental makes lots of sense. The location is perfect, too.

[toxtethogrady]

Per Bisnow:
"High Street Residential, the residential subsidiary of Trammell Crow Co., and joint venture partner Daiwa House Industry Co., broke ground on River Oaks at Westheimer at 2311 Westheimer Road. 

The 12-story community will replace a strip mall that stood near the intersection of Westheimer Road and Kirby Drive, where River Oaks and Upper Kirby intersect. The development will include 3K SF of ground-floor retail space, and the first units are slated to deliver in Q1 2025..."

Any activity onsite?

[hindesky]

1 hour ago, toxtethogrady said:

 

Any activity onsite?

They have been doing interior asbestos removal for weeks.

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

When the port a potty shows up, workers will follow. 🚽💩

[hindesky]

Demo building permit.

[hindesky]

[MidCenturyMoldy]

On 3/9/2023 at 4:01 PM, hindesky said:

When the port a potty shows up, workers will follow. 🚽💩

I can't decide if it's weirdly appropriate or weirdly inappropriate that the portable toilet company used at the demolition site of an antiques store is "Heritage."

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

Looks like they have about 80% of it down.

[thatguysly]

Good to see a strip mall go but too bad its one that kept its retro look and not one that is a bigger eyesore.

[HoustonIsHome]

1 hour ago, thatguysly said:

Good to see a strip mall go but too bad its one that kept its retro look and not one that is a bigger eyesore.

True, but from the pics it looks like the building barely occupied 50% of the land. Much better street presence 

[thatguysly]

17 hours ago, HoustonIsHome said:

True, but from the pics it looks like the building barely occupied 50% of the land. Much better street presence 

Agreed. I was hoping to see UK area infill more here so this is great.

[hindesky]

Building is down and just load out and breaking up the concrete parking lot is left.