WestMont: Mixed-Use Development Coming To Montrose

[cspwal]

What about a giant disco ball hanging over the intersection, similar to the rings over Post Oak?

[cspwal]

Because the market sets the parking requirements - home buyers, renters, and commercial tenants will still want parking, just not necessarily as much as the city's requirements

[Montrose1100]

On 8/7/2020 at 4:32 PM, dbigtex56 said:

I agree, that would be cool. Back in the day, many people would have a small business in the front of their bungalow and live in the back. and it made for a more lively streetscape.
Townhome developers like to cram as many square feet of living space on the lot as possible, which means no attics or utility closets are provided for things and stuff. Many townhome dwellers already have put their garages to use as mini-storage units, relegating their cars to driveways or the street.
Persuading people to give up their storage and/or parking space would be a hard sell. 

Not to drive this topic further off and into the burbs - but Town home people usually rent storage spaces. Or they park their over sized truck on the street because the garage is too small. Guest Parking is more of an issue. Or if there are Roommates.

 

Nearly every suburb I've been in - affluent or not, has every driveway crammed full of cars because people use their garages to store all their junk. League City, the Woodlands, Katy, Cypress, Spring, you name it. That's on top of having a storage unit as well. Consumers like their stuff.

[skooljunkie]

30 minutes ago, Montrose1100 said:

Not to drive this topic further off and into the burbs - but Town home people usually rent storage spaces. Or they park their over sized truck on the street because the garage is too small. Guest Parking is more of an issue. Or if there are Roommates.

 

Nearly every suburb I've been in - affluent or not, has every driveway crammed full of cars because people use their garages to store all their junk. League City, the Woodlands, Katy, Cypress, Spring, you name it. That's on top of having a storage unit as well. Consumers like their stuff.

 

I don't have a storage unit. Most people I know don't. When I peer into open garages I see some crammed with items. Other garages are spotless and vacant, but many just contain items along the walls. Suburban driveways are often crammed full of cars because there are multiple teenagers/young adults who drive as well. Also, I am a town home person and the ratio of vehicles on the street to homes around here is extremely low--mainly because very little street parking even exists. As for trucks, in my shared driveway, fewer than 15% of households contain a person who drives a truck. In the 10 town houses across the street its 20%. I'll be the first to admit that using just two examples in a metro area of 7 million+ people is not enough data to pipe out generalizations about basically everyone who lives here. That's baseless and tired. However, not everyone drives an over-sized truck, maintains a garage full of storage items, and rents a storage unit.

 

 

[Montrose1100]

2 hours ago, skooljunkie said:

 

I don't have a storage unit. Most people I know don't. When I peer into open garages I see some crammed with items. Other garages are spotless and vacant, but many just contain items along the walls. Suburban driveways are often crammed full of cars because there are multiple teenagers/young adults who drive as well. Also, I am a town home person and the ratio of vehicles on the street to homes around here is extremely low--mainly because very little street parking even exists. As for trucks, in my shared driveway, fewer than 15% of households contain a person who drives a truck. In the 10 town houses across the street its 20%. I'll be the first to admit that using just two examples in a metro area of 7 million+ people is not enough data to pipe out generalizations about basically everyone who lives here. That's baseless and tired. However, not everyone drives an over-sized truck, maintains a garage full of storage items, and rents a storage unit.

 

 

If you're going to expand on my statement, you should include those who own multiple cars, so we can both broaden our generalizations.

[dbigtex56]

Jack In The Box has closed.

[hindesky]

On 9/3/2020 at 5:57 PM, dbigtex56 said:

Jack In The Box has closed.

Yes it is. Checked all the doors of other business to see if they had any more info but nothing yet.

[trymahjong]

I am worried. Where can 1/2 Price books relocate with in Montrose......all the rent is so expensive. I don’t want to lose that business...I still go in weekly.

[jermh]

Skanska recently purchased that strip center, so If they move forward with development it's probably going to have to move if it survives regardless of the rent cost. Here's a link to the thread about the development.

Edited October 5, 2020 by jermh

[HNathoo]

4 hours ago, trymahjong said:

I am worried. Where can 1/2 Price books relocate with in Montrose......all the rent is so expensive. I don’t want to lose that business...I still go in weekly.

 

They generate foot traffic.

 

A smart developer would include them in their mixed use development, possibly losing money on the lease itself, but gaining a valuable tenant in the overall development (increasing the rents overall). 

[trymahjong]

40 minutes ago, HNathoo said:

 

They generate foot traffic.

 

A smart developer would include them in their mixed use development, possibly losing money on the lease itself, but gaining a valuable tenant in the overall development (increasing the rents overall). 

Is there a developer out there who could be intelligent enough to see that would be a smart move?

[HNathoo]

16 minutes ago, trymahjong said:

Is there a developer out there who could be intelligent enough to see that would be a smart move?

 

Pretty much every grocery store mixed use development. They make the money on the increased rents the apartment/office tenants pay.

[dbigtex56]

Are Half Price Books pockets deep enough to survive a store closure for however long it takes to construct the new building?

[HouTXRanger]

19 minutes ago, dbigtex56 said:

Are Half Price Books pockets deep enough to survive a store closure for however long it takes to construct the new building?

No, nobody has the money to sit around with zero income while a building is built. They're going to have to find some other place to move to (where they'll stay for the foreseeable future), and someone else will move into the new building.

I know for a fact there's a neat stripcenter just south of Shepard and Richmond that has tons of space, might feel right at home for them. I do hope they don't leave the neighorhood.

[trymahjong]

Any chance the GOV would grant money? Would COH? 
 

COH and DMD (downtown management district) are Always looking for ways to bring people back downtown at night.......maybe thatMall might offer books a million space. Midtown Management seems to have a lot of open office space.......I’m thinking the abandoned antique store across from Natachee.....?
 

I really hope 1/2 books can stay .........

Edited October 6, 2020 by trymahjong

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

they have more than 120 stores nationwide.

[trymahjong]

Hmmmmmmmm

i guess that’s a comfort, but if I want to practice walkability in a realistic fashion and advocate a small “ footprint” For my grocery, dry cleaner, restaurant, as a compliment to my walkability................I want a 1/2 Price Books with in Montrose or at least the Westside of Midtown. Hence the prime reason for starting this topic...........I’m afraid I am losing my 1/2 Price Books.......sigh. I was looking for discussion on how that might happen.

[H-Town Man]

Most used bookstores in America have been wiped out by rising retail rents nationally (and decline in reading among the public). Main era of this was 1990-2010. I doubt you'd see Half Price Books in a new mixed-use development; rent is too high and it's not the image developers will give a discount for (books just aren't hip the way food is).

 

I'm sure they are looking for a way to serve inner Houston. This is their only store inside of Beltway 8! And they are not going to want to be too far from Rice University or Montrose. But I think a pretty wide portion of the west Inner Loop is going to be on the table, and they will look for any place that gives them reasonable rent, good visibility, and protection from rapidly rising rents or redevelopment. They also seem to thrive on shopping center foot traffic, so look around at your older shopping centers along major roads. Something along Shepherd would make a lot of sense, maybe southeast corner of Shepherd & Westheimer.

 

[hindesky]

Chain link fence around the closed Jack In The Box

Edited October 17, 2020 by hindesky

[Luminare]

[Highrise Tower]

On 9/6/2020 at 4:44 PM, hindesky said:

Yes it is. Checked all the doors of other business to see if they had any more info but nothing yet.

 

Madison Marquette is listed as the Owner/Occupant on the demolition permit issued yesterday.

[Luminare]

1 hour ago, Highrise Tower said:

 

Madison Marquette is listed as the Owner/Occupant on the demolition permit issued yesterday.

 

For those who don't remember that name, they were behind The Travis in midtown, and 2929 Weslayn in the Greenway area off of W Alabama.

 

As of right now, the only thing we can expect is greater density for this block. The Travis has left a lot to be desired however. Though that might temper expectations for this site, maybe they come out with something different than whats in their portfolio? Hopefully. They need to choose more daring architects. Lets see.

[Luminare]

On 1/30/2020 at 5:06 PM, TowerSpotter said:

Found this from an architect at CRKTL, posted January 3rd, 2020. Potential development could be planned for this site. Renderings show a mixed-use development with retail, multifamily, condos, and office space. 

 

The site:

 

 

 

Renderings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.behance.net/gallery/90156931/Montrose-MUD-Houston-USA

 

 

If CRTKL which was behind these visuals is the architect still then there is reason to be excited.

 

I really think they need to take these and go to Michael Hsu. The stuff in these visuals fits his style, and Michael Hsu has proven in this city and others that he can do great work.

 

Just my opinion.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Luminare

[HNathoo]

4 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

 

Madison Marquette is listed as the Owner/Occupant on the demolition permit issued yesterday.

demo permits are weird. I believe they just go off the same ownerership as the last person to pull a permit. 

[houstontexasjack]

2 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

If CRTKL which was behind these visuals is the architect still then there is reason to be excited.

 

I really think they need to take these and go to Michael Hsu. The stuff in these visuals fits his style, and Michael Hsu has proven in this city and others that he can do great work.

 

Just my opinion.

I second that it would be cool to see a larger-scale project designed by Michael Hsu here. 
 

[gene]

wowsa i personally love that rendering and would be so excited to see that in what is THE intersection in Houston! 

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by gene

[Urbannizer]

4 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

For those who don't remember that name, they were behind The Travis in midtown, and 2929 Weslayn in the Greenway area off of W Alabama.

 

As of right now, the only thing we can expect is greater density for this block. The Travis has left a lot to be desired however. Though that might temper expectations for this site, maybe they come out with something different than whats in their portfolio? Hopefully. They need to choose more daring architects. Lets see.

 

4 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

If CRTKL which was behind these visuals is the architect still then there is reason to be excited.

 

I really think they need to take these and go to Michael Hsu. The stuff in these visuals fits his style, and Michael Hsu has proven in this city and others that he can do great work.

 

Just my opinion.

 

2 hours ago, HNathoo said:

demo permits are weird. I believe they just go off the same ownerership as the last person to pull a permit. 

 

@HNathoo Is correct, Madison Marquette no longer owns the site. It’s possible they filed for a demolition permit before the sale.

 

PMRG built 2929 Wesleyan, purchased this site and built The Travis before merging with Madison Marquette.

 

Now that Skanska has control of this land I expect them to partner with a different architect- therefore a new design. 

[Luminare]

1 minute ago, Urbannizer said:

 

 

 

@HNathoo Is correct, Madison Marquette no longer owns the site. It’s possible they filed for a demolition permit before the sale.

 

PMRG built 2929 Wesleyan, purchased this site and built The Travis before merging with Madison Marquette.

 

Now that Skanska has control of this land I expect them to partner with a different architect- therefore a new design. 

 

Appreciate the clarification. Was updating this on the map and spreadsheet, and noticed Skanska acquired the land, but didn't know if this displaced Madison Marquette.

 

I do agree it changes what the final product will be. With that being said. I trust Skanska to handle this land better than Madison Marquette.

[HouTXRanger]

Whatever ends up there, I just hope it doesn't end up as boring as Camden Midtown or the Travis . . . that's almost the worst case scenario for a redevelopment there.

[wilcal]

Just seen on Twitter. JitB is gone