Comment of the Day: Mystery Neighbor for the Meyer Park Walmart?

COMMENT OF THE DAY: MYSTERY NEIGHBOR FOR THE MEYER PARK WALMART? “Well it looks like just about all of the vacant spots in that complex have been demolished. i know the Luby’s is moving and Kohl’s is moving in. there has to be something else planned to go in there. it’s too big of an area for just those two businesses. i’ve tried to call the management company but they’ve been tight lipped. you’d think they’d want to advertise and drum up as much business as possible in that spot. hope it doesn’t mean something craptastic is moving in. . . .” [Matthew, commenting on The New Smash Hits at the Meyer Park AMC 16 Theater]

44 Comment

  • Maybe they’ll take a leaf from the Starbuck’s playbook and build another WalMart….

  • I live near there and agree that the demolition exceeds the announced plan of Luby’s and Kohl’s.

    I suspect the Walmart store there makes a difficult retail neighbor given that it is usually crowded and the customers trash the parking lot (which trash ends up on the streets and highways across the way).

    Greenspace? No, not likely in Houston….

  • i assumed that they were just tearing up the empty stores that faced the freeway to give Kohl’s more visibility from a major road (in other words, they would use those stores former locations and back-in to where the theater used to be). I wouldn’t be surprised if they just turned the back area into additional parking. just guessing though.

  • More townhouses? That’s what we do here in Rice Military. :)

  • There goes the neighborhood. All the hot shot real estate people got to make a buck quick,
    they’re justing visiting our town you see.

  • Randalls is closing and and a super H.E.B. store is going in with a strip center. HE Butt from San Antonio would miss this chance with the growing population across Post Oak
    of low income housing.

  • “Randalls is closing and and a super H.E.B. store is going in with a strip center. HE Butt from San Antonio would miss this chance with the growing population across Post Oak
    of low income housing.”

    What low income housing are you referring to? I haven’t noticed any section 8 projects being propped up. If anything, the neighborhood has done a really good job of holding on to its middle class core for decades.

  • @ Gordon, I think he is meaning the apartments behind there, on the West side of Post Oak before Willowbend, and closer to Stella Link. Belfort goes both ways.

    @ Richard, I would love a Gucci-HEB. That Randall’s, as well as many others have gone downhill since the Safeway buyout. Where did you get the info?

  • I’m curious about the HEB comment. Any basis in fact? I’d love to see a site plan. I had assumed they were giving Kohls a frontage on Post Oak. I’m hopeful this will cause Wallyworld to upgrade some. I live nearby. In fact, I’ve spent a bit of time watching the demolition and dirt moving with my son. He’s really into the big machines.

  • New HEB? Cue the reno of the dowdy Kroger at South Post Oak and Bellfort.

  • The Kohl’s won’t share any of the Walmart parking. The Walmart customers are never enough to pour into the form AMC Theater’s parking lot.

    I knew about the Kohl’s many months ago and it wasn’t much of a secret. I have some friends in the area and they would love for the Walmart to enlarge and turn into a Walmart Supercenter. Walmart never built a Supercenter there as part of an agreement with the developer since Randall’s was already signed on as a tenant when the shopping center was planned.

    Where is the information regarding the switch to an HEB? Rumor or is there some real info?

  • Re: “Growing population across Post Oak in low-income housing”

    You bet, that’s the defining trend in the area. Willow Meadows/Willowbend.

    Not a demographics buff, eh?

  • There is very little “technical low income” housing in the area. The apartments across from Walmart were filled with refugees from New Orleans with lower rent made possible by FEMA and a city program.

    As for true Section 8 housing, there isn’t much in the area.

  • I was told by multiple employees of Randalls that they were told when the demo began on the empty theatre that the store would be closing once the lease was up. The stories I get from HEB HQ is that they are in fact interested in the 1/2 of the center where Randall’s is. Once Kohls is built the other 1/2 (Dollar Tree etc) will be demoed along with the Blockbuster centerette and the Schlotzky’s and old Chili’s. The plan is to reinvent the entire shopping center. The small ghetto Wally World will most likely close when the SuperCenter they are shopping to build close to Reliant is opened. Hopefully they will then demo it and build enlarge the park or something. That announcement will happen once they find a good location. I vote for Stella Link and S. Braeswood.

    On the Kroger subject. Bill Breetz told me in an e-mail that there are no plans to do anything further with the W. Bellfort store. They had already spent significant amounts of money remodeling the store a couple of years ago. The management team of the store has to ask for remodeling and currently the team feels the store fits the needs of the customer base. That’s why we shop at the West U Kroger, yeah its a 20 minute drive, but it beats getting carjacked in broad daylight.

  • Based on talking to people in the area I have heard the Walmart will be demolished when it’s lease is up and a mid rise senior assisted living residence will be constructed in it’s place. There is a possibility that an Academy store will accompany the Kohls. I have also heard the HEB rumor. As for demolishing the South end of the center I have heard that it will be retained.

    One somewhat disquieting fact is that the owners are not talking publicly about what their plans are.

  • Hi everyone – I live in Braeswood Place, but south of Braeswood Bayou, so the comment about a potential Walmart near Stella Link and S. Braeswood got my attention. Is there any truth to this? If so, what might it mean for the neighborhood? While I’m on topic, does anyone know anything about the many low-income apartments around Reliant? Are there any rumors of them going or staying? Just interested from an elementary school zoning perspective (zoned to Longfellow).

  • I see they are starting construction. This isn’t going to be nothing more than a strip center anchored by kohl’s. Probably have lah-de-dahs record shop and a bbq. These guys will leave fiesta park on south main and move to this new location. It’s coming sports fans.

  • The H.E.B. building is really going up fast. Kohls is having second thoughts , it looks like.

  • where the heb building going to be located i see the kohls building but here is heb??

  • I never would have thought that a W would matter so much.

  • http://edge-re.com/Properties/Houston-MeyerParkCenter_WithBand.pdf

    here is the site plan of the new meyer park nothing really new it does show randalls and wal mart but i bet u it going to change

  • Is anyone but me concerned about the poor ducks I see constantly killed in the Walmart parking lot at MeyerPark? I saw another one yesterday, killed with 2 of his buddies near his body,waiting to be killed by the throngs of people there. Their breeding ground is becoming a Kohls and they are unsafe, in danger, and being killed off. The management company should pay to have them relocated before they are all killed.

  • @Sharon: I too drove by the other day & just broke my heart of what I saw on the side of the street. Some of the ducks moved across to the other pond but still cross the street and/or hang out right by the median. I cannot wait for the day they tear down Walmart and hope it’s still in the planning!!

  • @ MAB

    Wow, so they have ALOT of available pad sites, plus it shows the proposed senior care center and an even bigger anchor store than the Kohls.

    Very interesting.

  • If anyone has any contact information for the property mamangement company, or if anyone knows someone with some clout (a news person, rich animal advocate) I am willing to expend the time and energy to find the right person to pay for relocating the ducks before more of them are killed. I don’t know if any of you remember that the lot used to be a golf driving range with a duck pond. Now it a thriving commercial center with a duck pond, and the ducks are paying the price for all the growth.

  • Ok,

    Before you go all crazy here, how many ducks out of the entire localized duck population is hurt here? Also, do you ever consider that ducks may not want to move? Or do you always know what is best for others.

    These ducks probably are much better off here (more available food) than they are when it was a driving range. A little more food with a little more danger. Really not much danger than a wolf, badger, alligator, or bear eating them. I would wager the amount killed by cars is about the same that would be lost naturally.

  • As one in the insurance field, I’m also concerned about a heavy waterfowl startled into flying into a windshield – yep, I had the claim on my desk a couple of years ago – a big goose or gander can cause a lot of damage, and I’m not talking about pinching or staring at someone other than one’s dinner partner. The hazards of dodging animals are obvious as well (though I would do it every time). If the construction is riling them up, perhaps temporary relocation should be considered.

  • We are discussing the demise of the Houston duck population. On Swamplot.

  • To kjb: Excellent points made. I did think about the ramifications of moving the ducks, but at least being eaten by wolves,… are things that happen in nature, and at least those ducks become food and have served a purpose. There is nothing natural about being struck and injured in a Walmart parking lot, probably drawn there by all the fried chicken tossed out onto the pavement by those who shop there. The Walmart “patrons” have ruined our neighborhood and made it a crime-ridden area.

    As far as the number of ducks in the population, there are several very large white ducks (who are the ones I have seen hit and killed) and a population of small spotted brown ducks, who seem a bit smarter and stay near the water.

    Some of the relocation spots are supported by bird enthusiasts and are protected from non-natural dangers, such as a Walmart parking lot. And just for the record, I am not a lcrazy liberal, trying to save the world. I am too busy for that. I am a conservative who is just really tired of seeing the non-natural events played out at Walmart. I suggest that before you sit in judgement, you should see the sight for yourself.

  • And pet pigs. And satisfied ghosts. I love this place.

  • For the record, I didn’t call you liberal.

  • @Gordon

    yes it very interesting to see all of the pads in my opinion the bigger tenants area will be divided in two because it is 80000 square feet and probably will be an academy and something else the two pads on south post oak will be most likely more restrants also the pad on west belfort in my opinion will be a gas staton for the rumor heb if it ever come but it look very exciting all of the new stuff coming to this area

  • There are several compartments of the Willow Waterhole Greenspace that are complete enough for duck to live in. It lacks a fried chicken source though (do duck eat FC?). Nearby food amenities include La Michoacana, a BBQ joint and taco truck.

  • You are funny Adolph. Love a good laugh! And you made an excellent suggestion re: the Willow Waterhole. Thanks.
    I am still looking for contact information for the property management company at MeyerPark. Any tips?

  • But don’t yall think having a Kohls nearby is well worth the price of a few ducks?

  • @Sharron I don’t have a contact for the management co, but I bet that the security dudes in the pick-up trucks do.

  • Thanks Adolph. I will try that.
    I know you guys are tired of hearing about ducks; a Google search for the management company led me here (to Swamplot).
    Thanks for all the help.

  • If all else fails, you may be able to set up a nice little lucrative sidedeal with Revival Market to help take this problem off your hands. *wink wink* if you know what I mean!

    (I’m just kidding, y’all)

  • I was more worried about the new Chinese food place on S Post Oak! They serve duck. And that taco truck Adolph mentioned. Mystery meat.

    If you see a taco truck next to the pond, I didn’t call them.

  • I am wondering WHEN the Kohls will be opening?

  • Is there any update about Meyer Park and HEB?

  • I’m wondering what they’re working on at the SE corner of the lot at Bellfort and Meyer Park Blvd.

  • I passed by this morning and was wondering the same myself!