Bridgeland Will Bring 65,000 Residents To Northwest Area

[KatieDidIt]

The Woodlands is suburban sprawl in the (flat) trees.

Agreed. Except Indian Springs Village had some roll. But the back part where we lived was flat as a pancake honestly didn't have many more pine trees than east Katy. We planted 17, 100 gallon hardwoods to try to create an effect. We have far more trees where we live now, and we didn't have to plant one!

But I hope what everyone is projecting about other "downtowns" for each burb comes true. I think we are all in for a big shock when the 2010 census comes out with all RECORDED residents. The more that work close to their "perfect place" the better. Just compared to my drives around the Galleria and West Houston 3 years ago, I swear it feels like a million more have moved in. There isn't any open land around here, so they must be commutung in.

[cnote]

They're creating the new template for landscape planning and have done an awesome job sculpting that landscape and accentuating the natural features like Cypress Creek.

I really think they are doing a quality job in the Bridgelands, and the park along the lakes they created on Cypress Creek with the disc golf course and gaint hardwoods is breathtakingly beautiful. But I can't stand the street layout and I swear the houses are set closer to the street than any other community. Those are the only two things that really bug me about the place...but maybe I am just slow to catch on to their ideas. Does anyone else see this? The houses seem really close to the street and give off a claustrophobic vibe...

I still think Coles Crossing and Longwood are it for me...but the Bridgelands has a Looooong way to go, give it time and I think it will become a great place to raise a family, which is what these neighborhoods are all about in the first place.

[hbcu]

just buy in Waller...10 extra minutes = alot more space for less money...

I ventured back to the NW this weekend...its jammed packed and not worth the drive if you got to work in downtown....its great if you work against the traffic like I did for 5 years.....

Like football said....champions, anywhere off 249 and cypresswood, etc. were great buys as the areas are mature with trees and you have several options to go home.....I lived off 249 and 1960 and worked in Waller County....I could go home though Tomball on 2920 to 249 or cut through by Cy-fair High, etc....

[cnote]

just buy in Waller...10 extra minutes = alot more space for less money...

I ventured back to the NW this weekend...its jammed packed and not worth the drive if you got to work in downtown....its great if you work against the traffic like I did for 5 years.....

Like football said....champions, anywhere off 249 and cypresswood, etc. were great buys as the areas are mature with trees and you have several options to go home.....I lived off 249 and 1960 and worked in Waller County....I could go home though Tomball on 2920 to 249 or cut through by Cy-fair High, etc....

We live in Cypress and have mature trees (Coles Crossing)...also I commute into downtown every day on the park and ride, about an hour each way. Living in the area is easily worth an hour commute to me and my family, and obviously many others as the area is booming. Waller sure does have a lot of space but I would rather live in Cypress and have much better schools than Waller ISD for my children to attend and save the extra 10 minutes.

Also, many roads in the area are currently being widened...I never have traffic problems getting anywhere in Cypress...the Champions area along 1960 near 249 is a totally different story....

[westguy76]

Yeah it was. It looked just like Cinco Ranch. A lot of areas were middle and upper middle, then turned to ghetto, then people start moving farther out.

Sorry, but Alief never looked like Cinco Ranch, (well, before it was developed it probably did) As you know, Cinco Ranch is a master planned community, so the comparison just isn't there. Maybe you could point out to me some upper middle priced enclaves in Alief but I can't see the resemblance.

Why are you begrudging the fact that you have to live in "crappy plastic suburbia" would you be better off in Alief?

[Trae]

Sorry, but Alief never looked like Cinco Ranch, (well, before it was developed it probably did) As you know, Cinco Ranch is a master planned community, so the comparison just isn't there. Maybe you could point out to me some upper middle priced enclaves in Alief but I can't see the resemblance.

Why are you begrudging the fact that you have to live in "crappy plastic suburbia" would you be better off in Alief?

Damn, the post I made is ancient. Look at the date.

[hbcu]

Now, all Cypress is alot of Waller and Hempstead natives who moved out that way....not much difference except the scenery

Coles Crossing is nice but that proves that the Northern side of 290 is the better side to invest in as all the "mature" areas rest over there....

however, some areas concern me.....when those KB Hones begin to rot what exactly happens?

[Trae]

Anyone know how sales are doing? Is this place still going strong?

[cnote]

however, some areas concern me.....when those KB Hones begin to rot what exactly happens?

I know what you mean about the south side of 290, but there are neighborhoods like Stonegate, Blackhorse, and Bridgelands down there that will likely age very well with their golf courses and strong HOAs. The KB homes down there are for lower income families now, and as they age....we'll see, but that problem is not unique to Cypress....

[CDeb]

Copperfield has aged quite nicely as well.

[Trae]

I know what you mean about the south side of 290, but there are neighborhoods like Stonegate, Blackhorse, and Bridgelands down there that will likely age very well with their golf courses and strong HOAs. The KB homes down there are for lower income families now, and as they age....we'll see, but that problem is not unique to Cypress....

Definitely. The areas with all of those KB Homes (and other lower-budget builders) are the new Aliefs. Tacky put together homes and neighborhoods that will go down quick once completed and the builders leave. Lakeville is also another one that I can see that will go on the decline.

Bridgelands will be like Cinco Ranch. The oldest sections of Cinco Ranch still have really high value and the homes are nicely kept. The pine trees the developers planted are now pretty tall, so makes for some nice shade. The Bridgelands will be the exact same way. I think it will be better since Bridgeland covers an entire area with no different little communities inside. Cinco Ranch goes on and off between Kelliwood, Green Trails, Falcon Pointe, etc. Bridgeland won't be like that.

[Mom22Blessings]

Please look at the post you are going to reference and make sure it isn't half a year old!! Tis has happened twice in this thread!

Edited March 15, 2008 by Mom22Blessings

[Pumapayam]

Hey "Bridgeland", looks like companies know a poor investment choice when they see one.

Epic Fail.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Pumapayam

[mrfootball]

I'm guessing reading comprehension isn't one of your strong points, Pumapayam.

Epic fail? Really?

Sales have gone well in Bridgeland. It's a beautiful new community surrounded by other really nice communities in the $200K+ to $1M+ range. GGP has taken a hit nationally and is trying to reduce its debt load.

Edited January 26, 2009 by mrfootball

[Pumapayam]

I'm guessing reading comprehension isn't one of your strong points, Pumapayam.

Epic fail? Really?

Sales have gone well in Bridgeland. It's a beautiful new community surrounded by other really nice communities in the $200K+ to $1M+ range. GGP has taken a hit nationally and is trying to reduce its debt load.

Which translates to cutting the fat, removing the dead weight, = poor investment returns.

"Slow" sales maybe, I dunno what you are referencing then, "well" is considered slow, then yes.

I just sensing location bias since you live in NW Houston. Of course you will see it "half glass full".

[Trae]

Sales are slow everywhere and definitely in the suburbs. I wouldn't be surprised if Bridgeland sales have dipped quite a bit.

[Pumapayam]

Check at this recent aerial photo of Bridgeland. . .

Looks inviting huh. . .

Okay, I kid, just a random development in California that went bankrupt, but who can tell the difference.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Pumapayam

[cnote]

Which translates to cutting the fat, removing the dead weight, = poor investment returns.

"Slow" sales maybe, I dunno what you are referencing then, "well" is considered slow, then yes.

I just sensing location bias since you live in NW Houston. Of course you will see it "half glass full".

BizJournal Article

If you read this, it paints a pretty rosy picture of Bridgeland. The article emphasizes strong sales in a tough market. When you are a company leveraged to the hilt and you need cash, you have to sell some strong assets you would otherwise hold. I am sure they are selling it because of strong performance and expect high interest from buyers. As the article mentions, there is some precedent for companies to take on partners in master planned communities.

Check at this recent aerial photo of Bridgeland. . .

Looks inviting huh. . .

Okay, I kid, just a random development in California that went bankrupt, but who can tell the difference.

You could tell the difference pretty easily if you had ever been to Bridgeland...the winding street pattern is supposed to be a selling point of the community. I found it a good way to get people going to wrong way down a divided drive...

[Pumapayam]

You could tell the difference pretty easily if you had ever been to Bridgeland...the winding street pattern is supposed to be a selling point of the community. I found it a good way to get people going to wrong way down a divided drive...

I was always under the impression that a winding street was a fake way of introducing road design dependant on topography of the land. Developers think it makes the neigborhood more pleasant to drive in, but it is a waste of space in a location with flat land.

[editor]

I was always under the impression that a winding street was a fake way of introducing road design dependant on topography of the land. Developers think it makes the neigborhood more pleasant to drive in, but it is a waste of space in a location with flat land.

I've never understood why, but for some reason cul-de-sacs and curvy roads are supposed to deter crime. I've lived in a few cities where through streets were turned into dead-ends as a crime prevention measure.

[brijonmang]

I've never understood why, but for some reason cul-de-sacs and curvy roads are supposed to deter crime. I've lived in a few cities where through streets were turned into dead-ends as a crime prevention measure.

I don't see any other reason that cul-de-sacs would deter crime other than keeping the road from being a "straight shot" so to speak through the neighborhood. As far as curvy roads, we were told in school that they promote slower driving due to the constant turning and limited visibilty.

[h2obuff]

I've never understood why, but for some reason cul-de-sacs and curvy roads are supposed to deter crime. I've lived in a few cities where through streets were turned into dead-ends as a crime prevention measure.

Cul-de-sacs have less traffic (no through traffic). In many markets, especially in Houston, home buyers, especially those with children love it! New urbabnist's hate it, they feel (and rightfully so) that it reduces vehicular connectivity and new urbanist would prefer a more grid pattern, mostly to give a driver more than one option to get from point A to point B, therefor not reducing overall traffic counts, but not putting all of the cars on one or two main roads.

But, again, in Houston, cul's rule and that is what buyers want, so that is what buyers get. I live in one, and I always seem to notice when a car that doesn't live there comes into it, usually a lost driver. i notice because traffic is so low, less than 20 cars a day, so nice and quite, especially for those of us with families.

Check at this recent aerial photo of Bridgeland. . .

Looks inviting huh. . .

Okay, I kid, just a random development in California that went bankrupt, but who can tell the difference.

Glad to see you still have no idea what you are talking about. Will you ever learn to have some actual, true, practical, relevant and useful knowledge about anything before commenting.

[TxDave]

Cul-de-sacs have less traffic (no through traffic). In many markets, especially in Houston, home buyers, especially those with children love it! New urbabnist's hate it, they feel (and rightfully so) that it reduces vehicular connectivity and new urbanist would prefer a more grid pattern, mostly to give a driver more than one option to get from point A to point B, therefor not reducing overall traffic counts, but not putting all of the cars on one or two main roads.

But, again, in Houston, cul's rule and that is what buyers want, so that is what buyers get. I live in one, and I always seem to notice when a car that doesn't live there comes into it, usually a lost driver. i notice because traffic is so low, less than 20 cars a day, so nice and quite, especially for those of us with families.

You expressed another reason why new urbanists dislike cul de sacs: when you "notice when a car that doesn't live there comes into it", you illustrate how the cul de sac helps to isolate you from the rest of the neighborhood/world. For some people that is very appealing, but it does prevent the type of desired community new urbanism promotes for much of the rest of the population.

[TheNiche]

Which translates to cutting the fat, removing the dead weight, = poor investment returns.

"Slow" sales maybe, I dunno what you are referencing then, "well" is considered slow, then yes.

I just sensing location bias since you live in NW Houston. Of course you will see it "half glass full".

No, it translates to that they're facing bankruptcy and desperately need to convert any and all assets that they can into cash. Otherwise they run out of cash and go under.

And I live closer to downtown than you do, so you can't merely write me off with a circumstantial ad hominem.

I was always under the impression that a winding street was a fake way of introducing road design dependant on topography of the land. Developers think it makes the neigborhood more pleasant to drive in, but it is a waste of space in a location with flat land.

Developers must optimize three factors as part of their land planning scheme: 1) market demand for lots of varying dimensions, 2) lot yield, which is the number of lots that can be gotten per acre, and 3) the cost of developing alternative schemes.

Part of satisfying the first factor is looking at comparable subdivisions so as to figure out what lot dimensions, community amenities, and aesthetic considerations are necessary to support various price points and rates of lot sales to builders. They recognize that winding roads and wide esplanades have a larger hard cost and diminish lot yield, however also recognize that if their subdivision is not at least as appealing as the comparables, then they can't realistically achieve those prices.

Then they can just run a scenario analysis at each price point to figure out which price point would be the most profitable, and they do what they have to do to make that work out for them. Big-time developers like General Growth Properties (formerly Rouse) spends lots and lots of money to hire land planners, market research consultants, and financial advisers to figure out what is the optimal strategy.

Typically only the low end of new subdivisions, such as those that are designed to accommodate patio homes, have grids or straight roads. Margins are thinner on low-end lots, so driving down costs as far as possible and maximizing lot yields are the top priorities. Wasted space is wasted money under those circumstances.

If you want to speculate as to why the moderate- and high-end customers prefer windy roads and what you would consider to be wasted space, the answer is threefold IMO: 1) landscaping as an aesthetic preference or a recreational amenity, 2) waste as a sign of prestige, and 3) that the waste is relatively affordable in the suburbs, which comes back to why suburbs are attractive to so many in the first place.

-------------

That photo you posted as an example of Bridgeland was a ridiculously inefficient layout, btw, and represents the TND take on new urbanism as championed by such respected folks as Andres Duany. I don't know why he's actually respected by anyone--he's actually a real jackass--but he developed Seaside, FL, and for some reason that is his ever-lasting redemption.

Houston has a few examples of this style, developed mostly by K. Hovnanian or subsidiary companies, but all of them target middle-to-low value homes. This style is also rare outside of Texas except in municipalities with strict development guidelines that deem it to be more aesthetically or socially acceptable and therefore mandate it.

I live in one, and I always seem to notice when a car that doesn't live there comes into it, usually a lost driver. i notice because traffic is so low, less than 20 cars a day, so nice and quite, especially for those of us with families.

Somebody might be able to guess at what one (or more) of the previous jobs I've held was from my response to Puma, but needless to say I've spent a lot of time driving around new subdivisions. And especially in the higher-end communities with on-call security any time I got turned around and ended up on a dead-end street, I always got nervous when coming up into a cul-de-sac with only a few houses on it. Even though I wasn't doing anything malicious, I was a very young guy trespassing on private property (many of these communities' streets are private property) in a strange car, driving slowly, and occasionally stopping to take notes or a photo. If I had been casing a neighborhood to plan a burglary, I would've been very hesitant to hit a home along a dead end street, or especially in a cul-de-sac. It just gives you this trapped, surrounded, and watched feel...whether justified by reality or not.

[mrfootball]

FWIW, Bridgeland won the National Association of Homebuilders, National Community of the Year for 2009.

Bridgeland was named Master-Planned Community of the Year during The Nationals 2009 Gold Awards, topping both national and international entrants.

Presented by the National Sales and Marketing Council of the National Home Builders Association, The Nationals pay tribute to superior new-home sales and marketing achievements. Gold Award winners were announced Jan. 20 during NAHB

[Mr. Chenevert]

I've never understood why, but for some reason cul-de-sacs and curvy roads are supposed to deter crime. I've lived in a few cities where through streets were turned into dead-ends as a crime prevention measure.

Im not sure about the curvy road part, but dead ends deter crime because it limits their escape route. Criminals like to know they have multiple exits when the police come a chasin'

Curvy roads might be because they cant see when the police are coming?

[toga]

hmmmmm

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2022/10/28/bridgeland-central-commercial-development-start.html

"The 23-acre Village Green at Bridgeland Central will include a 100,000-square-foot H-E-B, the first grocery store within the community; a 49,000-square-foot, three-story mass timber office building; plus other retail and restaurants."

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/cyfair/article/new-heb-bridgeland-central-construction-18100488.php#photo-23096793

"Bridgeland residents may see construction start on a new H-E-B this fall.

The supermarket chain recently registered an architectural barriers project with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for a 128,310-square-foot location at 20017 Bridgeland Creek Pkwy. in Cypress."

[ChannelTwoNews]

Howard Hughes' Village Green at Bridgeland Central breaks ground - Houston Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

"Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HHH) broke ground on the highly anticipated Village Green at Bridgeland Central on Feb. 26.

The 70-acre mixed-use project is adjacent to the Grand Parkway and bound by Bridgeland High School Drive, Bridgeland Creek Parkway and Summit Point Crossing. It's part of the 925-acre urban core of the 11,500-acre Bridgeland master-planned community in Cypress.

Village Green will be anchored by an H-E-B grocery store spanning more than 100,000 square feet, which is scheduled to open by the end of 2024. Additionally, the mixed-use project will include more than 28,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space slated to be complete in spring 2025."

 

[ChannelTwoNews]

After @TowerSpotter mentioned the possible redevelopment of the old Timberloch Tower site in The Woodlands, I went to the website they linked.

Saw this mentioned as a possible HQ or campus for Bridgeland. Conceptual of course.