Retail On Main Street

[Houston19514]

You seem to be right once you break down the numbers they cant be talking about the prison , 

 

There are "prisons" and groups homes on both sides of the bayou.  See my post above.

[HoustonIsHome]

Homeless shelters and church facilities, group homes etc are NOT jails. Residents are free to leave the facility and contributes to the street presence no matter how negative

[Houston19514]

Homeless shelters and church facilities, group homes etc are NOT jails. Residents are free to leave the facility and contributes to the street presence no matter how negative

Of course you know I never said they were jails.

But to the point, people living in homeless shelters and church facilities are not terribly relevant to a discussion of average occupancy of housing units or, for that matter, of the residential population necessary to sustain significant retail activity.

The numbers I've posted are the ones that are relevant to the downtown apartment/condo and retail markets.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Houston19514

[cloud713]

owntown multi-family residential is likely to have an average occupancy in the neighborhood of 1.2 per unit. Even at 1.25 per unit, with 7500 units, we're still talking only 9,375 total residents.

I thought the downtown population was over 4,000 when there were 2,500 units.. It would be interesting to compare how many of the new units are 1 bedroom vs multiple.

[Houston19514]

I thought the downtown population was over 4,000 when there were 2,500 units.. It would be interesting to compare how many of the new units are 1 bedroom vs multiple.

 

Only if you count prisoners, the homeless and others in group homes and the like.  As shown above, as of the 2010 census, there were 2,409 housing units in which there lived 2,384 people.

[livincinco]

Only if you count prisoners, the homeless and others in group homes and the like. As shown above, as of the 2010 census, there were 2,409 housing units in which there lived 2,384 people.

Nothing adds density like a prison. This might become a new urban living model.

[Urbannizer]

Finally a story that mentions the new downtown residential projects:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Downtown-views-call-to-many-suburbanites-5332897.php?cmpid=btfpm

[lockmat]

Wal-Mart is becoming more urban friendly in some cities (except here cough cough). But who knows, maybe they'll come downtown one day.

http://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/walmart-goes-urban/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=magazine

[livincinco]

Wal-Mart is becoming more urban friendly in some cities (except here cough cough). But who knows, maybe they'll come downtown one day.

http://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/walmart-goes-urban/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=magazine

It's funny how the media always seems to be surprised when companies evolve to take advantage of changing trends. Smart companies find ways to meet market demand and while Walmart is called many things, people rarely question their business sense. Walmart has to be looking at CVS/Walgreens and trying to figure out how to get more of their business. This seems like a perfect way to do that.

[UtterlyUrban]

They do contribute, that's why you have all the fast food restaurants in the tunnels. Beyond that, they don't support much more.

I don't fully agree with this.

I live in downtown now but 17 years ago (before leaving Texas), I commuted to DT for work. While here as an office worker I personally purchased Jewlery (there was a Jewlery store in the Park Shops where Tejas is now), luggage (Parkshops upstairs), and clothing (Macy's). If there was MORE retail, I would actually have purchased MORE items.

You are obviously correct though.... If there was a LOT of people doing this then the businesses I mention would still be in business..... They aren't..... They are closed......

[IronTiger]

I don't fully agree with this.

I live in downtown now but 17 years ago (before leaving Texas), I commuted to DT for work. While here as an office worker I personally purchased Jewlery (there was a Jewlery store in the Park Shops where Tejas is now), luggage (Parkshops upstairs), and clothing (Macy's). If there was MORE retail, I would actually have purchased MORE items.

You are obviously correct though.... If there was a LOT of people doing this then the businesses I mention would still be in business..... They aren't..... They are closed......

While the Foley's and its bastard successor is dead and gone, the Park Shops aren't. And most of the "real" shops have moved on.

[Urbannizer]

Houston will double the number of tax breaks it gives developers for apartments and condominiums they build downtown in a bid to lure residents and retailers to the city's long sleepy central business district.

 

The City Council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to expand the Downtown Living Initiative, first launched a year and a half ago, to offer tax breaks for 5,000 residential units, up from a previous cap of 2,500. The total cost of the tax breaks could reach $75 million.

 

***

 

Counting several apartment buildings under construction, the amount of downtown housing could more than double in the next few years. Today, there are more than 2,600 residential units downtown; Icken cited a study that suggested an appropriate target would be about 10,000 units. Though more could be developed, that would mean the subsidy could prop up half of all downtown apartments.

 

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/houston/article/Council-expands-subsidy-for-downtown-development-5408456.php

[UtterlyUrban]

Only if you count prisoners, the homeless and others in group homes and the like. As shown above, as of the 2010 census, there were 2,409 housing units in which there lived 2,384 people.

I'm curious: has any housing stock come online downtown since the completion of the census in 2010?

[Howard Huge]

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/houston/article/Council-expands-subsidy-for-downtown-development-5408456.php

I knew it!

[Houston19514]

I'm curious: has any housing stock come online downtown since the completion of the census in 2010?

 

I don't know of any.

 

[Purdueenginerd]

 

After a decade in which downtown saw only one residential project, the momentum is hard to miss. Thirteen projects have been announced since the subsidy initiative launched, including six recent proposals that could add more than 2,200 new apartments to the urban core.

Target: 10,000 units

Counting several apartment buildings under construction, the amount of downtown housing could more than double in the next few years. Today, there are more than 2,600 residential units downtown; Icken cited a study that suggested an appropriate target would be about 10,000 units. Though more could be developed, that would mean the subsidy could prop up half of all downtown apartments.

 

 

woo... that'd be a big jump. 

[rechlin]

I'm curious: has any housing stock come online downtown since the completion of the census in 2010?

 

I think the City View Lofts opened in 2011.  Also, it's possible some of the last units of the Commerce Towers opened since then.  I know that was a gradual process over quite a few years.

[Houston19514]

I think the City View Lofts opened in 2011.  Also, it's possible some of the last units of the Commerce Towers opened since then.  I know that was a gradual process over quite a few years.

 

I think you are approximately correct about City View Lofts.  They certainly opened after the 2010 census.

 

As to Commerce Towers, if there was any "gradual process" it was purely marketing.  The units were available if only they had been able to find buyers.  (Personally, I think they suffered from weak design and very bad marketing, but that's for another conversation.)

[IronTiger]

As to Commerce Towers, if there was any "gradual process" it was purely marketing. The units were available if only they had been able to find buyers. (Personally, I think they suffered from weak design and very bad marketing, but that's for another conversation.)

I agree, when emerging from the tunnels to that building, I didn't realize it was a condominium (I thought it was an office tower or perhaps a swanky hotel--not residential!)

[fkp5]

Does anyone know if the Texaco Renovation is included in the 2,200 total?

[mollusk]

As to Commerce Towers, if there was any "gradual process" it was purely marketing.  The units were available if only they had been able to find buyers.  (Personally, I think they suffered from weak design and very bad marketing, but that's for another conversation.)

 

I'll pile on here.  Commerce Towers underwent its condo conversion more than ten years ago.  The bad marketing extends even to the tunnel level food court.  There's a lot of foot traffic past one corner of it, but practically none through it.  As a result, about the only place that ever has a line even at the peak of lunch hour is the Skyline Deli, immediately adjacent to the foot traffic.  A couple of spaces have gone through a tenant or two, but more than half of them have never been built out.

 

There's a reason it looks like an office building - it used to be one.  

[Avossos]

So is commerce towers empty? Or is it full of condos on confused

[Houston19514]

So is commerce towers empty? Or is it full of condos on confused

 

It has been redone into condos.   The rebuild was completed and people started moving in to the building in 2002.

 

There are 122 condominiums in the building, plus a 2-story penthouse.  As of February 2010, 69 had been sold and 25 had been leased. 

Edited April 17, 2014 by Houston19514

[mollusk]

The entire building was converted to residential.  My understanding is that individual units were initially built out more or less "to suit," which has taken for - blooming - ever.

[ArchFan]

I'm guessing that the relative lack of success with Commerce Towers has discouraged other condo conversions (or even new construction) downtown.  I was looking downtown at one time, but as a consumer, I found CT a real turn-off; I don't think it was a very well done conversion.