“I heard (not joking) that KB homes (I think, or another home builder) was looking at this site for a new style of very small and relatively inexpensive 1,000 sf-ish single family hyomes on very small lots. The [target] pricepoint was about $150k I believe.” [Charlie, commenting on Boyd’s Wilshire Village Prayer, with Photos]
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35 Comments
Please, God, no. There is no way small house owners would be able afford taxes in this over-assessed area.
good point.
Even if KB could develop the $150k house at this location, the square footage of homes similar to them cost at minimum twice as much.
Unless they become low income government housing…..
I am guessing the feasibility would depend on quality of materials and the number of homes that you could shoe-horn onto this lot. Any affordable housing offset would help the developer get it done.
Maybe it was just a rumor? Maybe it would be ok? Whatever winds up there, I just hope it isn’t a monstrocity.
I own property nearby and am being taxed at a rate of $1.65 million/acre just for the dirt. At $150K target pricepoint including the house, those are going to have to be some mighty tiny lots.
That would not be in line with KB’s (or any large tract builder’s) business model.
They have some deluxe line co-branded by Martha Stewart but even those are out west somewhere.
no way…
back of the envelope math tells me it is very unlikely anyone can buy this land for $10+ million and make a profit selling a couple hundred homes for $150K, even if you could put that many homes in that lot…
this sounds ridiculous.
Man, I’ve heard quite a few rumors about Wilshire Village, even before it was torn down. One rumor I heard was that they were going to build a Target (which really doesn’t make sense) or even a HEB store there.
I think it’s just that, a rumor. Besides, how many houses, even tiny ones, can you build on that lot, anyway?
That would be extremely disappointing and a step back for the area - but it really doesn’t make any sense in this neighborhood. They can build and sell $540K+ townhomes on very small lots (3914 Woodhead on har) just a block away
KB homes are absolute crap in terms of construction quality. This development would deteriorate quickly but not gracefully like Wilshire Village.
Straight out of Monty Python.
Best that can be hoped for (for me anyway) is midrise mixed use development with ground floor retail @ zero foot setback to encourage foot traffic, sort of a mini West Avenue. City should take the opportunity to widen Dunlavy south of Alabama to accommodate traffic. Next to go will be Fiesta.
The only thing I would want to happen to Fiesta is if the shopping center is remodeled or rebuilt. The Fiesta should stay!
You can count on anything being built on this lot to be least as tall as a midrise…3-6 stories….or even more… thats where the money is….
markh pretty much does hit the nail on the head.
This will likely (whoever develops this) be a 3-6 story “luxury” apartment complex with parking garage in the back or underneath. The ground floor retail at this location will not likely happen with West Ave and all the other commercial places nearby.
I’d like to see the city buy it and turn it into a beautiful park. If that doesnt happen, I hope at least the trees get saved.
Thought that myself for a while, or rather hoped it. What a beautiful park it would be with all those old oaks already in place.
Okay back to something remotely feasible. It’s sufficiently far from West Ave that neighborhood pedestrians would use retail & restaurants in preference - it’s three blocks from me, I know I definitely would.
There’s already Mandell Park, Ervan Chew Park, and the Menil “park” pretty close by. Mandell and Ervan Chew can be kinda sketchy at times. Do you think the city, in this kind of economy, would really consider making the land into a park? I don’t, nor do I think it would be all that safe of a park. Unless the hood has improved a lot since I used to live there in the late 80s.
The area has improved, but wasting money on a park just to spare some old trees would be a complete waste of money (even in a great economy).
Trees are not a scarce resource in this town that somehow people think is all concrete.
Saving trees isn’t the only reason to build a park. As a parent of two small children I can attest to that.
Trees are not a scarce resource in this town that somehow people think is all concrete.
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You’re right. The developers replace the 50 year old 25 foot high trees with 5 year old 5 foot high trees. And in 50 years, well, the developers will replace them again.
Thanks for making my case matt!
Trees are renewable. We should selfishly save an aging tree when the future residents will have them die. They too will have pretty old trees.
;-)
Not sure what kind of trees are in the middle of this land, but the ones along West Alabama are Magnolias…BIG and BEAUTIFUL Magnolia Trees
I have to disagree that turing into a park would be a huge waste of money. Can you only see value in the taxes the properties would render? if this area were to be turned into a park, would it not raise property values of the surrounding neighborhoods? would the city not create jobs in the construction and maintainance of the park, would it not benefit the city and enviroment by adding more greenspace to a city this already a concrete jungle? does a park carry no value anymore? does a park not enhance the quality of life for all residents of a city? does a park not promote civil interaction and involvment? is that not valuable?
1) The city is not going to buy this property and make it into a park. Not this year, and probably not any year. There is already a park five blocks away from this property.
2) It could become a “park-like” space if the Menil Foundation bought it. This seems much more likely scenario than the city buying it. The Menil already owns a lot of property in the area (including the Richmont Square Apartments), but who knows if they want or need more?
It is really laughable that people think the city - facing a major deficit and publicly commenting on how it is going to tighten its belt - would buy this and make it into a park.
SD, read the thread before adding a comment. I merely stated it would be nice to see a park there instead of some development, and if there is a development, save the trees. My second post was to commment on that parks carry inherent value for neighborhoods. Yes, the city is facing a financial deficit, but property taxes on this acreage is not going to bring a balanced budget. How naive are you?
Thanks for making my case matt!
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If I did I didn’t intend to. It’s not just 50 year old trees but 100 year old trees. In some cases magnificent oak trees. Just so someone can have an extra 1,000 square feet in their home. Now that’s selfish.
Mr. Hand,
I was not suggesting that the additional property taxes on this property would balance the budget. Rather, I was suggesting there is no available funds to purchase this lot for $15 million, or over 10% of the deficit.
The Ashby Highrise will be relocated to this lot and renamed the Wilshire Village Highrise.
Back in 2005, Dilick was talking about putting a high-rise there. Seems doubtful now, but who knows? (My money is on something like the new apartments on Dunlavy just north of Ervan Chew Park, which is what markh suggested earlier in this thread.)
FYI: The Harris County Appraisal District lists the owner of the Wilshire Village as ALABAMA & DUNLAVY LTD and appraises the land at 15 million…. Is Dilick and Alabama & Dunlavy LTD one and the same?
Unless he sold it recently, that would just be the name he using on the land. Nothing unusual. My house is not in my name but in the name of a trust the I am the executor of. It really helps for inheritance purposes.
Yes. Prior to Alabama & Dunlavy owning it, Flatstone II did. Flatstone II was also a Matthew Dilick company. Before that it was owned by Jay Cohen, who was the guy who is largely responsible for letting it fall into disrepair.
Reading more online, I see that Dilick and Cohen are in Alabama Dunlavy LTD as partners and I believe Cohen has the controlling interest..
Does anyone know how I find out who asked for a variance? Where do I go? There is a variance for lot sizes on Branard going east from Woodhead to the Wilshire Village site….. want to know if this has anything to do with the future of the Wilshire site…
The variance request sign posted on site should have a number associated with it and a date the variance is to be brought to the Planning Commission.
Contacting the Planning Commission and using this number should be all you need to do.
You can also look for the agenda for upcoming meetings. It’ll have all the variance information (including parties involved) included. This is done so the commission members can determine ahead of time if they will have a conflict of interest with any projects brought before them. They cannot be a party to any planning commission votes on projects where a conflict or potential conflict exist.