Lockwood South: Buffalo Bayou Multifamily At 733 N. Drennan St.

[hindesky]

They created an entrance right before the Harris County Sheriffs building off Lockwood Dr.

[hindesky]

 

Super noisy due to the loading out of the scrap steel in to barges at the Proler Scrap yard.

 

[strickn]

On 12/23/2019 at 1:17 PM, CREguy13 said:

The project represents a unique infusion of investment into historically working class communities that typically don’t see investments of this scale, Hirschtein said in an interview. The restored industrial structures harken to other similar projects across the country, from Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx in New York City, Gas Works Park in Seattle or Steel Stacks Park near Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, which all turned industrial properties into nationally recognized community spaces. But this project would affect a much larger area than those parks in terms of acreage.

 

“There are really incredible industrial elements that we want to celebrate. It’s going to be unlike any other place in Houston, if not the country,” Hirschtein said.

 

The revitalization efforts focus first on 70 acres of land, including 50 acres owned by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, running along a four-mile stretch of the river. But the plan envisions a much wider area of influence and aims to give developers and investors design guidelines and a vision for renovating the eastern side of downtown.

 

The project is expected to be a game changer for commercial real estate in the area.

Who wrote this article?  You?  Another writer has also made the connection between Buffalo Bayou Park’s design ideas and the similar urban experience projects taking place nationally in a new book called Parks For Profit, linked.

https://www.archpaper.com/2022/11/parks-for-profit-kevin-loughran-relationship-postindustrial-parks-real-estate-development/

 

[hindesky]

"The partnership, which is working with the Chicago-based developer Brinshore Development, plans to develop Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou in three phases. Each phase will open onto a public park, which spans 11 of the site’s 18 acres."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/housing/article/Buffalo-Bayou-East-affordable-housing-17621288.php#photo-23178924

[hindesky]

They had the ground breaking ceremony this morning at 10 am. I missed the ceremony but I met two women involved with it that were about to leave, one was Anne Olson of the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. They told me the abandoned railroad on the southern edge will be converted in to a road for the project. They used the N. Drennan St. entrance to have access to the site for the ceremony.

https://www.houstontx.gov/council/h/affordable-housing/lockwood-south-apts.pdf

 

 

[hindesky]

Tree mulching machine.

[hindesky]

Big mound of mulch.

 

It's super noisy when those grappler track hoes are throwing the scrap around.

 

[hindesky]

Nothing going on.

[Luminare]

On 12/20/2022 at 3:56 PM, hindesky said:

It's super noisy when those grappler track hoes are throwing the scrap around.

 

So in one thread I just recently highlighted the benefits of not having zoning. This is an example where zoning can help.

In jurisdictions where they are trying to develop "brownfield sites" but there is still industrial in the area, or rail lines, or near highways often what would be called for are exterior wall assemblies with buffed up STC ratings. For you laymen out there, STC is an acronym for "Sound Transmission Coefficient". When choosing wall assemblies typically from UL (Underwriters Laboratories) they will typically spec what the STC rating is as well. The higher the STC rating is on a wall assembly the better a wall is at keeping outside sound or sound from other spaces out of another space. So what I'm saying is this can be solved with proper design practice. In this case one would hope that the Architect on the job is aware of the noise in general around the site, as well as the client, and they will make sure to spec, and put in their drawings exterior wall assemblies with high STC ratings in order to reduce sound transmission from operations like the one in the picture. It will be expensive, but if they hope for anyone to live in this building they will need too. I'm sure if one were to do a decibel reading it would be enough to cause stress to the level of which it would impact the well-being of inhabitants. Fingers-crossed they are keeping note of this. I know I would.

[samagon]

is the noise from that scrap yard a problem after business hours?

for 12 years I lived directly behind a commercial building.

during business hours on a weekday, it was noisy, if I was in the backyard, it was obnoxious, but in the house, windows closed, it was no worse than the freeway noise was in the same house (home was about 750 yards from i45), or the random noises that would echo from the railyard when two trains were connecting with more than a normal level of violence (and always that was at night).

anyway, most of the sound issues from commercial sites are only a problem during normal business hours, and certainly, in a building that is 90 years newer, will do a much better job of filtering out the noise from entering the living spaces. double paned glass, tighter seals for thermal efficiency will also make better sound quality in the home.

Edited January 5, 2023 by samagon

[Luminare]

3 hours ago, samagon said:

is the noise from that scrap yard a problem after business hours?

for 12 years I lived directly behind a commercial building.

during business hours on a weekday, it was noisy, if I was in the backyard, it was obnoxious, but in the house, windows closed, it was no worse than the freeway noise was in the same house (home was about 750 yards from i45), or the random noises that would echo from the railyard when two trains were connecting with more than a normal level of violence (and always that was at night).

anyway, most of the sound issues from commercial sites are only a problem during normal business hours, and certainly, in a building that is 90 years newer, will do a much better job of filtering out the noise from entering the living spaces. double paned glass, tighter seals for thermal efficiency will also make better sound quality in the home.

Good question. I don't know the yards standard operating hours. Might be a good question for @hindesky

Regardless of whether its during the day or night, its something that should be considered. I will say that while contemporary buildings do naturally have thicker walls due to ever growing insulation requirements due to code, through my studies for my ARE exams, it was interesting to learn about this specific area of building construction. As far as insulation it really depends on what kind of insulation it is and what its made off as far as impact on noise control. When it comes to exterior noise insulation only goes so far. Gypsum board can help. What is underestimated in noise control is one has to remember that each wall material in a wall assembly is nailed or screwed into one another, and like problems with cold or heat transfer the same goes for sound. If everything is bolted, screwed, or nailed to one another the moment noise hits the exterior cladding it starts its way through the various connections and faces of each wall material. This is why insulation and gyp can help, but if there is no air gaps or separation of gyp via metal channels then it won't help much. Its interesting you note windows. Windows literally do nothing to help with sound transmission! Doesn't matter if its double pane, triple pane, etc... or has tighter seals or thermal breaks. Thats great for heat transfer, but not sound. Any opening in a building is an area where you will get the most sound/noise going into a building. Anyway, I'm still learning a bunch on this for my last 2 exams, so I still need to know more, but thought this was an interesting thread on this topic.

[hindesky]

@Luminare According to Google Maps the Proler site is open from 7:30 am till 5 pm.

[hindesky]

[Arternative]

It gets dusty there when the wind kicks up from the Cemex mixing plant. It's kinda gross. That's the only issue there.

 

Also the bike path terminates on that property.

Edited January 28, 2023 by Arternative

[004n063]

40 minutes ago, Arternative said:

Also the bike path terminates on that property.

I think the Kinder grant has it extending through Turkey Bend?

Also, I think I saw somewhere on this thread that this project is in some way linked to a multi-use pathway planned for Lockwood (which would hopefully extend down to Telephone, which will be getting its own protected lanes; at the very least, it'll connect to the University Line BRT project if current plans come to fruition).

If all of the dominoes fall right, and I've read all the plans correctly, then by the late 2020's there should be a continuous, protected route from this end of the Buffalo Bayou trail (with all of its network connections) all the way to Sims Bayou (and including two connections to Brays Bayou). 

[hindesky]

Houston Housing Authority pics from the ground breaking ceremony held a while back.

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

Proposed plat for single family homes portion of the project.

[hindesky]

I forgot to mention that while I was taking pics of the project a neighbor walked up to me wondering what this was going to be. We got to talking and while mentioning about the East River project he brought up that his son talks with a lot of the workers from East River and they told him there could "possibly" be a grocery store in the project. I hate to even start this rumor but he said he heard a

Spoiler

Walmart

 

[JBTX]

That would be a very bold move for both Midway and said retailer to try that. Not sure the two fit, but hey... let's see!

[Amlaham]

11 hours ago, hindesky said:

I forgot to mention that while I was taking pics of the project a neighbor walked up to me wondering what this was going to be. We got to talking and while mentioning about the East River project he brought up that his son talks with a lot of the workers from East River and they told him there could "possibly" be a grocery store in the project. I hate to even start this rumor but he said he heard a

  Hide contents

Walmart

 

A WALMART???

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

Proposed plat for single family homes.

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

Looks like a road to N. Drennan St. I was told by Anne Olson that they were going to use the abandoned rail road right of way for the southern road to access the property from Lockwood and to N. Drennan St. From my pics you can see the old rail line next to people's yards.

 

 

[hindesky]

Plat was approved for the single family homes phase. This has a new name, "Lockwood at Buffalo Bayou".

[hindesky]

I listened to the Houston Chronicle Looped In podcast about housing projects along Buffalo Bayou East. They interviewed Anne Olsen from the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. She said they have the funding for phase I apartments and phase 3 single family homes but not for the phase 2 senior housing portion but are actively looking for the money.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/looped-in/

32 minute podcast, Buffalo Bayou East will transform East End.

 

Fence going up on the southern border of the project by Brinshore.

 

[hindesky]

[hindesky]