andre154 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 City Council is set to vote this week to declare the Houston Heights Waterworks Reservoir site as surplus property, and to have it appraised. http://t.co/DsQhvwFHV6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanith27 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I would love for this to be a park or shared greenspace. But that won't happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Tract 1 should be street-facing retail. (Or Chase should move onto Tract 1 so their current site can be developed into mixed use w/ GFR.) It would help bridge the no-mans-land on 19th between Ashland and what is set to become a very lively cluster of restaurants at Shepherd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 7, 2016 Share Posted November 7, 2016 (edited) This has apparently been sold, pending City Council approval, to an as-yet-unnamed buyer. Not clear from the article if the sale includes the second tract between 20th and 21st streets. Edited November 7, 2016 by Angostura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamHouston Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 I heard that it's going to be a giant Bucee's once Prop One passes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 8, 2016 Share Posted November 8, 2016 Whatever goes in there, part of the green space is almost certain to become a parking lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre154 Posted November 18, 2016 Author Share Posted November 18, 2016 (edited) Alliance Residential is set to acquire the sites. A public meeting will be held on November 29th to discuss their plans. Edited November 18, 2016 by andre154 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Multi-family complex with possible retail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EllenOlenska Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 Tract 1 (Which I've puzzled at many times; I like the large dark bricked building.) Tract 2 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Very interesting that they plan to save the historic structures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 On 11/19/2016 at 9:05 AM, Houston19514 said: Very interesting that they plan to save the historic structures. Don't think they have a choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HNathoo Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Does anyone know the price they're paying to acquire these sites? It seems as if it would be information available to the public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Dear Admin: Please let this thread stay up in the Heights forum and do not merge with the going up thread. There are very few big projects in the Heights and when threads about them get merged into going up, a lot of Heights people miss out on the discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 AFAIK, City Council will have to approve the sale, at which point the amount will be public, if it's not already. Apparently there were 19 bidders and Alliance submitted the highest bid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 i love that dark brick building too!!! love that 4th shot and i cannot wait to do a photoshoot in front of it!!! thanks for posting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAG Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Wondering how Alliance Residential will balance the landmark status with building a mega-complex. Anyone know what the historical status actually protects/does not protect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedmondson Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 I believe it requires notifications and waiting periods before you tear down a city recognized building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 37 minutes ago, bedmondson said: I believe it requires notifications and waiting periods before you tear down a city recognized building. The water works is a protected landmark, which means they can't be demolished without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the HAHC, which is unlikely to be forthcoming. Anything Alliance plans for that site will have to either incorporate or build around the three existing buildings. AFAIK, this only applies to the exterior of the buildings. Alliance can pretty much do what they want with the interiors without needing a CoA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innerloop Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 I don't know about the other two buildings, but my first thought of the best way to save the water tank is to take the top off and make it the pool. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedmondson Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 (edited) 20 hours ago, Angostura said: The water works is a protected landmark, which means they can't be demolished without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the HAHC, which is unlikely to be forthcoming. Anything Alliance plans for that site will have to either incorporate or build around the three existing buildings. AFAIK, this only applies to the exterior of the buildings. Alliance can pretty much do what they want with the interiors without needing a CoA. http://www.chron.com/homes/article/What-does-it-take-to-protect-a-historic-Houston-6075235.php "The 'protected' designation means that the structure cannot be demolished or altered without the approval of the Commission," Hartgrove says. "The landmarks can proceed with an inappropriate alteration or demolition after the Commission denies their application for that activity once 90 days is up." Is this Houston Chronicle article incorrect on this? Edited November 23, 2016 by bedmondson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 The wording in the article is confusing. They're contrasting Protected Landmark status with just Landmark status. Landmarks may be altered or demoed after a 90-day waiting period; Protected Landmarks may not. The Alabama Theater (mentioned in the article) only had Landmark status. The water works has Protected Landmark status. Anyone can apply for a building to be designated a Landmark, but only the property owner can apply for Protected Landmark status, which CoH did as then-owner of the water works site. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 1 hour ago, Angostura said: The wording in the article is confusing. They're contrasting Protected Landmark status with just Landmark status. Landmarks may be altered or demoed after a 90-day waiting period; Protected Landmarks may not. The Alabama Theater (mentioned in the article) only had Landmark status. The water works has Protected Landmark status. Anyone can apply for a building to be designated a Landmark, but only the property owner can apply for Protected Landmark status, which CoH did as then-owner of the water works site. The city website indicates that the waterworks has just landmark status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 The City could sell the property with deed restrictions that limit what can be done with the existing buildings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 I care more about those massive trees on the southeast corner of Tract 2 than those buildings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdm1130 Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 13 hours ago, H-Town Man said: I care more about those massive trees on the southeast corner of Tract 2 than those buildings. Same here! I'd love to see tract 2 turned in to a park (although, I know that won't happen). The Heights could use some more parks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 On 11/23/2016 at 1:48 PM, Houston19514 said: The city website indicates that the waterworks has just landmark status. The website is incorrect. Well, partially correct. It has both Landmark and Protected Landmark status. HAHC Report: https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/HistoricPres/landmarks/15PL123_Heights_Water_Works.pdf City Council Minutes: http://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/DisplayAgendaPDF.ashx?MinutesMeetingID=176 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Angostura Posted November 30, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted November 30, 2016 Public meeting on the development tonight. Some very quick details: Tract 2 (NW corner of Nicholson & 20th) will be an 8-story, 275-unit apartment building (80% 1BR, rest 2BR) East half of Tract 1 (SE corner of Nicholson & 20th) will be a 63-unit "boutique" apartment bldg (90% 2BR, rest 3BR) Harres Exezidis (Cottonwood, Lagrange, Liberty Station) is a partner in the development for the restaurant spaces Each of the existing buildings (4000 sf reservoir, 1700 sf and 4000 sf pumping buidlings) will be restaurant spaces, with additional patio space, as well as space for food trucks. Up to 5000 s.f. will be community garden. They want to commission a sculpture made from the salvaged, excavated pipework. Planned construction start, late summer 2017, for 2019 completion. (Harres expressed a hope that the restaurant spaces would open earlier than that.) All of this is preliminary, of course. Deal is not closed, and permits have not been issued. Some photos of the posters at the event are below. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Could use some tree facing the street but maybe not if the street is to be widened down the line? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmitch94 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Wow very promising. I hope this comes to fruition. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 7 hours ago, jmitch94 said: Wow very promising. I hope this comes to fruition. There was a fair amount of hand-wringing and pearl-clutching at the meeting, as one might imagine. Concerns expressed included: "How will this affect children coming to and going from Helms ES?" (across 21st from the 275-unit building) "It's already hard enough to cross 20th at the bike trail, now it will be impossible" "Where will all the poop go?" "That sure seems like a lot of apartments. Couldn't you build fewer?" "If people park on Nicholson (like they do around the apartments on 23rd & Nicholson) it will be impassible." The irony of wanting ever more walkability but opposing every apartment development is apparently lost on the Heights. Also, the renderings kind of make these building stick out, but they're adjacent to a hospital and across from a medical building of similar height. The value of Alliance's bid won't become public until city council votes to approve the sale, but I'm guessing it's in the low 8-figures. I wonder what will happen when Chase realizes that their drive-thru lanes are sitting on $5M worth of dirt? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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