Residents Say New Development Is A Threat

[ricco67]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/m...politan/2852772

Oct. 18, 2004, 12:44AM

Residents say new development is a threat

Neighbors on near north side fear they will be forced out

By MIKE SNYDER

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Sylvia Castillo has burrowed deeply into the landscape of Houston's near north side, mingling daily with neighbors and friends who drive the same streets, shop in the same stores and watch children play in the same tree-shaded parks.

Now, Castillo fears that this network of familiar connections is in jeopardy.

She had to borrow money to pay her property taxes last year, and she worries that rising land values triggered by a major new development project will force her out of the neighborhood where she's lived since she was 11 years old.

"Let me tell you something about my community: We're close," said Castillo, 59. "We help each other out. If I am sick, I can call my neighbor for help. If I hear a gunshot in the night, my neighbor will call.

"Where can I find that at my age? I'm not young; I can't just pick up and go."

The focus of her concern is a planned new development, known as Hardy Place, on the site of an abandoned rail yard that separates the neighborhood from downtown. Developers who purchased the 43-acre site in 2001 plan to build about 1,400 townhouses and apartments, as well as retail and office buildings.

The project illustrates the continuing struggle to protect longtime residents of older, inner-city neighborhoods from displacement as developers respond to the movement of middle-class families into the city from the suburbs.

Hardy Place would be one of Houston's largest developments combining homes, shops and offices. Its pedestrian-friendly design has been widely praised by city officials and others promoting dense, urban-style projects in the city's center.

"This is a precedent-setting project," said Patricia Knudson Joiner, a former Houston planning director who now heads a private planning firm working on the Hardy Place development. "I think it's going to set the example ... that will give other developers some creative juices of their own."

The economic impact of the project, however, has ignited worry among many residents of the near north side, a predominantly Hispanic area of mostly working-class or poor families.

The city created a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone last year in a 242-acre area that includes the Hardy Place site. The plan for the zone projects that its total appraised property value will increase to $957 million over its 30-year life

[Talbot]

I hope they dont cancel the development.

[dbigtex56]

Almost four years ago I was searching for a new apartment, and a friend suggested that I check out the near northside. You won't find them advertised in any newspaper; you have to scour the neighborhood and look for "For Rent" signs.

Found a nice little duplex on a tiny street off N Main - the price was right, and it had room for a little garden in back. That I would be the only Anglo on the block didn't bother me in the least. We tracked down the landlord, and the first thing he asked me was if I was married. I'm not. "Well," he said, "I'm hoping to rent it to a family. We've had bad luck with single men around here."

And I wasn't offended. Hell, he doesn't know me. I'm not a dope dealer or a troublemaker, but how would he know? I was impressed that his first concern was for the neighborhood, and a desire to help out young families who couldn't pay much rent. It's this sort of attitude that creates and preserves neighborhoods where poor but decent people can live with some sort of dignity. I'd hate to see this neighborhood gentrified out of existance.

[jt16]

"We help each other out. If I am sick, I can call my neighbor for help. If I hear a gunshot in the night, my neighbor will call."

What a neighborhood. We should preserve this.

[guess]

I found these renders of Hardy Place.

Seems to be recent

[Talbot]

Nice renderings.

[ricco67]

One thing that I have noticed about the renderings (as nice as they are) they don't show how the light rail will be intergrated into the system.

From what they mentioned in the meeting, the development was willing to pay for part of the construction for their stop as and had two different plants to hit the development, of which, I don't think they decided which one they were going to use.

Ricco

[Guest danax]

The Near North is prime gentrification material. That render...a miniature Eiffel Tower? Maybe they'll come up with something more original. I just hope they save the majority of those "crummy houses" because there are many of the few remaining Victorians outside of the Heights there.

[UrbaNerd]

Hmm..I hope they go through with it, except, maybe diversify the architecture a bit, and scrap the mini eiffel. Some part look...errm..downscale? They should class it up a tad more. Some of the scenes look generic, like this:

[westguy]

They don't expect this to become a very diverse neighborhood.

[dbigtex56]

The Near North is prime gentrification material. That render...a miniature Eiffel Tower? Maybe they'll come up with something more original. I just hope they save the majority of those "crummy houses" because there are many of the few remaining Victorians outside of the Heights there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome to HAIF, danax.

I heartily agree with you regarding the preservation of the older buildings in this neighborhood. Even in its current deteriorated state, you can see the potential.

Unfortunately, there are harsh economic factors in place; the developers rule Houston with an iron hand, and have a blind spot for anything that doesn't include $ signs. Coupled with the nation's weakest preservation laws, this potentially charming neighborhood will probably end up looking like those horrors over on Studemont (Memorial Heights).

Alas.

[houstonsemipro]

This ____ rocks! Hey, I'm proud to be an houstonain. One love.

[Guest danax]

Welcome to HAIF, danax.

I heartily agree with you regarding the preservation of the older buildings in this neighborhood. Even in its current deteriorated state, you can see the potential.

Unfortunately, there are harsh economic factors in place; the developers rule Houston with an iron hand, and have a blind spot for anything that doesn't include $ signs. Coupled with the nation's weakest preservation laws, this potentially charming neighborhood will probably end up looking like those horrors over on Studemont (Memorial Heights).

Alas.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the welcome, dbigtex56. This is a great forum. Yeah, I fear you're right. The gentrification trend is powerful everywhere and can't be stopped. But there are 2 main factions within that trend; the gradual, restoration faction, like the Heights, where the neighborhood takes control before the developers do, and the frenzied blow em up/throw em up faction ruled by greedy developers. Now that the McMansion and Clownhouse "communities" have broke the ice around the city, it's a quick-buck setting and the developers have the upper hand and that means some real crap will eventually be replacing the few old architectural relics in town. Mayor White's term might be the most architecturally destructive in a long time. That Near North neighborhood could be very charming if it went the slow, gradual restoration route, with it's little hills and all, but once that Federal Prison looking Hardy Place is up, the hills will be dotted with turn of the 21st century beehives.

Alas is right.

[Astro]

One thing that I have noticed about the renderings (as nice as they are) they don't show how the light rail will be intergrated into the system.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In this picture,

It appears that Main street and the rail line run through this development on an elevated line. And the station is accessible by stairs down to street level. I guess they're trying to get away from light rail lines running at grade to cut down on accidents.

One thing I don't see in the picture is how will automobile traffic access the development from Main street?

[Astro]

Regarding the character of this neighborhood, I agree that it would be great to preserve many of the old victorians and bungalows. I wouldn't mind seeing a few townhomes scattered among them but I don't want to see a slash and burn here, like they did with the 4th Ward, West End and much of Montrose...

Regardless of whatever gets built there, I definitely don't forsee any of the current poor residents continuing to live there... They will all certainly be priced out.

[UrbaNerd]

Yeah, I agree. keep a large number of the old victorians, and mix it up a bit. Toss in some modern townhomes in some sections, while keeping some sections purely historical. A nice example of this is in West U, where modern THs can be seen mixed with old bungalows,and new mansions.

[ssullivan]

In this picture, it appears that Main street and the rail line run through this development on an elevated line.  And the station is accessible by stairs down to street level.  I guess they're trying to get away from light rail lines running at grade to cut down on accidents.

One thing I don't see in the picture is how will automobile traffic access the development from Main street?

I think it's a bit premature to assume the extensions to the light rail system will be elevated based on a developer's rendering for a proposed development. That type of decision is up to Metro, and from most of what I've heard from Metro executives and read, most of the extensions will be street-running at grade, like the current line is. However, more effort is going to be made to place the rail line in its own right of way adjacent to the street wherever possible, to cut down on possible car/train interaction.

Personally I hope very little of the rail line is elevated. I have yet to see an elevated rail line in any city that isn't an eye sore, and a number of cities have been trying to get remaining elevated lines put underground or at grade level. Elevated light rail is fine for grade separations at major intersections and railroad crossings, but I don't think anyone on this forum who advocates elevating the entire system would want an elevated light rail line running near his or her home. It also comes down to money. We can elevate the system and have much luch rail built, or we can keep it at grade level and build twice as many miles. I vote for more miles of rail myself.

[ricco67]

Ssullivan,

in OLD HAIF we covered the subject of the light rail expansion route.

There are three major sections that have to be Elevated and I will touch those one at a time and the reasoning behind it.

as the rail goes down the bridge, it will immediately turn into an elevated to clear the tunnel just north of downtown. One of the options for that elevation is to swing west over the UH parking lot and having a stop there for students before heading north and going back to ground level to another station on "hogan" (if memory serves me correctly).

The Development asked for a railstation and had offered to pay for the station and that particular elevated section to make it happen.

That part of the deal is still under consideration as far as I know of.

The 2nd part of the elevation will have to occur as it approaches a rail road crossing and come back down to groundlevel aftewards.

The 3rd elevation will HAVE to occur at the intersection of Crosstimbers and Irvington due to the extremely high congestion in the area and then go back to street level before heading to northline mall's transit center.

One option they are considering is to keep the rail elevated from the railroad all the way to crosstimbers before coming back down to street level. The deciding factor on two of these options will be cost.

I hope I have cleared up anything any questions you may have had.

Ricco

[ssullivan]

Thanks, Ricco. I was actually aware that there would be some elevated sections in the Northline extension to clear railroad tracks and that intersection (in my original post I did hint at this toward the end). However I was unaware they were considering elevating that long of a section.

[ricco67]

That's why we have discussions on here. You may know things that I don't, and I may know things you don't. We have discussions to reveal these little tidbits to eachother. It helps head off any misunderstandings in the future.

Ricco

[Astro]

Personally I hope very little of the rail line is elevated. I have yet to see an elevated rail line in any city that isn't an eye sore, and a number of cities have been trying to get remaining elevated lines put underground or at grade level. Elevated light rail is fine for grade separations at major intersections and railroad crossings, but I don't think anyone on this forum who advocates elevating the entire system would want an elevated light rail line running near his or her home. It also comes down to money. We can elevate the system and have much luch rail built, or we can keep it at grade level and build twice as many miles. I vote for more miles of rail myself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This particular property is bordered by a rail crossing as shown in the rendering (running along the bottom of the picture), so that is why the light rail line is elevated above it there. I believe this is the spot where North Main Street currently tunnels beneath that rail crossing.

Did someone say there was going to be a metro rail stop at Hogan Street? That's only four blocks north of this station! I hope they don't actually space the stops that close together, this train runs slow enough as it is

[ricco67]

Well, the reasoning they were going to put a station on hogan is to acess the retail and the medical facilities that are located on that corner as well as being able to serve the local neihborhood in that area. They were thinking of moving it a few blocks further, but that wouldn't serve as many people and put the station right next to the elementary school which would have been a bit of a safety hazard.

They (metro) also had reservations about putting a station at the new development because of hte fact that it would put the stops too close together, because they also wanted a part time station over the student parking area off to the west.

as far as I know, it's still very up in the air as to what exactly they are going to do with the locations.

Ricco

[houstonsemipro]

Who cares. They still going to build the damn thing.

[ricco67]

Which "Damn" thing are you refering to?

Ricco

[HeightsGuy]

Does anyone know how this could impact future commuter rail initiatives? I am all for light rail, but I remember reading some time ago that this plot is a great termination point for a rail station if we ever got off our tails and built a real rail system connecting Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas.

[20sGirl]

Just thinking aloud...There's no way to freeze the property taxes for current residents? (similar to rent control in other cities)???

[Guest danax]

This project is a dead deal. Now, Hardy Street Partners, who bought the land a few years ago for $3 million, want to sell it for over $20 million, and the City of Houston/Metro are negotiating to buy it. Chronicle article from 10-20-05.

This area is having a hard time getting out of the batter's box. Now, we have Bill White wanting to buy the Hardy Yard land for the city and will try to build "more than 20% affordable housing" and Metro wanting to do who knows what with it. Mayor White, while I know the people there don't want to move, half of the inner loop is already affordable (under 100K). The reason it is so cheap is because the residents have torn the neighborhoods up so badly, no one else wants to live there. When he says,"I drove (this area) and I walked it, and there's a whole tract of land that could be used for affordable housing," it sounds like he has a vision for that area being one big 21st century government housing project.

I really wish governments would just "fix potholes" and stay out of real estate development, although I know it's in Mayor White's blood. And with residents stating that their definition of affordable would be $60K to $90K, this just reeks of potential taxpayer subsidized housing. At least they have the sense not to build large-scale post-war type housing projects anymore. Now, they just keep them surrounded by market-priced housing to keep the areas from falling into decay.

Mayor White, take our $20 million and fix some potholes or improve our city in other ways and leave the development to private parties. We just re-elected you to be our mayor so, if you feel like getting into real estate again, please wait until you finish your term then you can use your own money.

Edited November 11, 2005 by danax

[citykid09]

I knew that wouldn't get built, then again there aren't any major projects like this in Houston that have gotten built latley.

[KatieDidIt]

I thought HCAD froze tax rates for those over 65? Maybe they could lower the age cut off for those getting taxed out of there homes in areas getting rejuvination?

[Guest danax]

I thought HCAD froze tax rates for those over 65? Maybe they could lower the age cut off for those getting taxed out of there homes in areas getting rejuvination?

Not only that, but appraised value increases are capped at 10% annually, which isn't horrible, especially if your land value is increasing by more than that.

Affordable housing has become, and will continue to be, a hot political issue because gentrification scare tactics have been thrown out there to the point where city leaders are under pressure to "keep the natives where they are" since gentrification is perceived and often portrayed publically as class warfare/ racial oppression rather than what it is; private citizens and companies taking risks and investing in a community which sometimes results in the area becoming cleaned up/more attractive.

I think the realities in Harris County, with the over 65 exemption and value caps, are never going to cause massive displacement but the illusion will persist causing all kinds of artificially created government-backed housing schemes in the future.