IntheKnowHouston Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 On 1/26/2024 at 2:47 PM, IntheKnowHouston said: Heights Marketplace is shifting from free parking to paid parking. The shopping center recently installed signs informing visitors of new parking guidelines. On 1/26/2024 at 3:29 PM, IntheKnowHouston said: There is outrage from some regarding Heights Marketplace implementing paid parking. As posted above, the shopping center recently installed signs instructing visitors to pay for parking. In response to paid parking complaints, someone supposedly with Collina's addressed the issue in various Facebook groups and other pages on the social media platform. Collina's one of several tenants located in the shopping center. According to the restaurant, the landlord is rumored to transform some of its strip centers into apartments. The restaurant speculates Heights Marketplace may be one of those properties. The Leader published an article this evening on the shift to paid parking at Heights Marketplace. The shopping center is located at 428-516 W 19th St. County records indicate the property is owned by Asana Partners. The Leader's article reports JLL a the owner. However, someone affiliated with JLL referred to themselves as the property manager to The Leader. The article doesn't make clear which company owns the shopping center. Regarding the addition of paid parking, The Leader reports this: Following a barrage of complaints and meetings with parking program officials, the assessment was temporarily stalled and the signs sleeved. After further discussion, the program conceded a 2-hour grace period, which has still not alleviated the angst it has caused. The article interviews several tenants and businesses utilizing the UPS store. All are dismayed not only by the parking meters, but rent increases over the last few years. More included in the article: https://www.theleadernews.com/community/heights-marketplace-turmoil-paid-parking-sparks-backlash-gentrification-fears/article_f9a14c94-fb79-11ee-8a15-23f4690dcbf7.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 I see why they put in paid parking in Rice Village. The tenants needed to keep spaces moving as parking is in very short supply. But this strip center's parking is never very full except for evenings when there is spillover parking from across the street. If that is the issue, just have the meters in effect after 5 pm when most of the daytime traffic to the UPS store, etc. is done. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntheKnowHouston Posted April 21 Share Posted April 21 On 4/19/2024 at 10:30 AM, s3mh said: I see why they put in paid parking in Rice Village. The tenants needed to keep spaces moving as parking is in very short supply. But this strip center's parking is never very full except for evenings when there is spillover parking from across the street. If that is the issue, just have the meters in effect after 5 pm when most of the daytime traffic to the UPS store, etc. is done. I can see parking issues caused by patrons from near businesses in the evenings. If that's the problem the landlord and property management are trying to address, then I can understand the need for parking meter. To that point, I agree with the idea you proposed. If towing signs for non-shopping center patrons aren't installed already, maybe that's another option management can explore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbg.50 Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 18 hours ago, IntheKnowHouston said: I can see parking issues caused by patrons from near businesses in the evenings. If that's the problem the landlord and property management are trying to address, then I can understand the need for parking meter. To that point, I agree with the idea you proposed. If towing signs for non-shopping center patrons aren't installed already, maybe that's another option management can explore. Does anyone really know what problem the landlord is trying to solve? The lot with the UPS can get busy. The lot with Collinas doesn’t ever seem that busy. As The Leader article implies, maybe the landlord is just trying to upset his current tenants so he can do something else with the properties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 14 hours ago, hbg.50 said: Does anyone really know what problem the landlord is trying to solve? The lot with the UPS can get busy. The lot with Collinas doesn’t ever seem that busy. As The Leader article implies, maybe the landlord is just trying to upset his current tenants so he can do something else with the properties? If the landlord wants to clear out the current tenants, it can just hike the rent when it is time to renew. And both sides of that development have had empty spots for a fairly long time. So, if they think that there is big money to be made with new tenants, those tenants have yet to show up. Of course, in the commercial real estate world, two birds in a bush are worth more than a bird in the hand and they may think that they can turn the little strip center into a high end development. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbg.50 Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 2 hours ago, s3mh said: If the landlord wants to clear out the current tenants, it can just hike the rent when it is time to renew. And both sides of that development have had empty spots for a fairly long time. So, if they think that there is big money to be made with new tenants, those tenants have yet to show up. Of course, in the commercial real estate world, two birds in a bush are worth more than a bird in the hand and they may think that they can turn the little strip center into a high end development. I was merely referring to the article… What began as growing contention over the implementation of a paid parking program in the Historical Downtown Heights community has now evolved into concerns about the future of retail and small businesses in this quaint Houston neighborhood. At the center of the controversy is the Heights Marketplace, which consists of two retail strip centers fronting W. 19th and divided by Nicholson Street. Tenants of the shopping center say that nearly four years ago, when property management changed hands, rents increased substantially, forcing some businesses to raise prices and others to leave. Outdoor landscaping and decor were overhauled and, most recently, one of the first paid parking programs in Downtown Heights was implemented. Last fall, according to tenants, they received a 2-page letter from third-party parking program managers, SP+ and Parking.com, letting them know what had already been decided and implemented; all of this occurring, tenants say, without any prior warning or communication from property management. Shortly thereafter, before managers had an opportunity to reach out to their respective business ownership, dozens of signs, described as unattractive and even threatening, littered the parking lots. … JLL was repeatedly contacted for their side of the story but failed to respond to multiple requests for information and comment. At one point, they even denied that Heights Marketplace was in their portfolio. However, a corporate source from JLL finally provided the first name and cell number of a retail property management contact for the Houston area. After multiple texts to an individual named ‘Jessica’ we received a brief call in which she confirmed that she is, in fact, the property manager for the Heights Marketplace property. However, she declined to answer any questions and refused to provide her last name. She stated that she would be texting an email address to “forward any questions or concerns”. To date, neither the text nor subsequent email contact information have been received. “That is not surprising in the least,” said Chris Newlin, a frequent patron of Heights Marketplace and a Heights homeowner for nearly 35 years. “It’s really about corporate greed. You’d be surprised to learn how many conglomerates have quietly bought substantial holdings in The Heights. There is growing fear that the excessive rent increases, unjustified demands and, most recently, the unnecessary parking program are all laying the groundwork to eventually scrape and replace the Heights Marketplace with higher grossing commercial or residential properties.” Newlin added, “I understand the need for gentrification, but this is going too far.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntheKnowHouston Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 It appears Heights Marketplace is adding Glosslab to its roster. The mani-pedi shop lists the shopping center as one a forthcoming location on its website. It will be located at 436 W 19th St. https://www.glosslab.com/book-services-v2/heights-marketplace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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