COMMENT OF THE DAY: THERE’S A NEW DRY BUFFALO LAKE IN MY BACK YARD 
“I just did a google maps search of my place and I noticed the giant lake that they dug out in my ‘backyard’ for this mysterious Buffalo Lakes project. You would never [have] guessed something was going on back there because of the heavily wooded area. No water filled in yet but they cleared out the entire tract. I kept hoping something would develop back there and looks like there is finally some activity. . . .” [Chris, commenting on Gardening from the Sky] Plan: Kirksey Architecture
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Ok, I give up. Where the hell is this? I’ve spend 10 minutes googling and come up with nothing but the same Kirksey rendering.
Looks like “Buffalo Flood Abatement Lakes” to me (which is fine). Those are some nice Kirksey renderings…certainly an excellent area for Med Center future growth…midrise office/professional space.
Residential? Check map for proximity to the delightful, safe and clean Holmes Rd. dump area. Not for me.
Maybe this will create some synergy for the Astroworld site?
Gus, maybe yall can add this to my previous comment?
But what does the red line going through the center of the project indicate? Is there a rail line going to be built through there in the future? I haven’t checked the plans.
I’ll bet that’s commuter rail from Ft. Bend.
I won’t bet it will happen.
The 2nd rendering doesn’t show rail atop the bridge over “Buffalo Lake” like the 1st rendering implies.
I like infill – good example here.
@Jessie M, I think it’s one of the alternate routes of the proposed metro rail line.
http://www.ridemetro.org/ProjectsPrograms/PDFs/90A_Media_Briefing_020711.pdf
Too early to tell if it will definitely happen.
Are you sure that isn’t just an extension of the Willow Waterhole Greenway?
willow waterhole is further west… on the other side of south main
The “Buffalo Lakes” concept has been around since at least 2004. Versions of the site development plan have floated around for years. this is not a new concept…so no need to panic. These guys were part of getting W. Belfort punched through and the light put in at S. Main. will be nice to see it come to life one day along with the Astroworld site…maybe tie into the rail line and to the west with the new soccer fields…could be nice!
@LukiKris…are you sure? The .pdf from Metro Chris posted is from Feb 2011 and it has Buffalo Lakes shown on the map, albeit a future project.
Yes. It is just an updated rendering. I have personally seen variations of it many times. The group that owns Buffalo Lakes has shown it around. Last time I personally saw it was last summer.
Jessie M: re-confirming – I am looking at a version of it right now from December 1, 2006.
I’ve been meaning to bike down Willowbend to see if it intersected with Buffalo Speedway yet. Thanks for doing some bike-to-work route confirmation for me, Google and Swamplot!
Zooming in to the Kirksey rendering reveals little “Residential” labels in those large blue-gray blocks–more South Main traffic.
The intersection with Holmes Road to the south is interesting. It looks like they are doing an overpass. I wonder if there won’t be a connection like Belfort at Almeda.
The updated imagery also shows progress on the Menninger Clinic, just SE of S Post Oak and S Main.
Kirksey render (rotate left 90 degrees):
http://www.kirksey.com/project/menninger_clinic
Google Map:
http://goo.gl/3Sk75
The rail line has nothing to do with the commuter rail to fort bend. The rail line is an extension of the red line to eventually reach the north side of Pearland (north of Clear Creek).
It’s more a dream to waste money by METRO than anything else.
Look like it might be for sale-Mixed use land gateway to Medical Center
10999 S Main St, Houston, TX 77054 http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/15829083/10999-S-Main-St-Houston-TX/
Description
ASKING PRICE REDUCED! MOTIVATED SELLER! RIGHT TIME FOR THIS PURCHASE! Call Claude at make an offer and negotiate the ASBSOLUTE best deal in this area. Excellent site, in a booming market, for mixed use development of Multifamily, Hotel, Retail, mini- storage, entertainment and general commercial use in a key location gateway to the Medical Center, only minutes away.
Adjacent to this property there are new residential developments catering to the Medical Center market. City Utilities. 895′ on S Main, 681 on Old Main ROW running right behind the property, at the other side of which is the proposed Buffalo lakes Development. Will consider dividing the property.
This 6.86 acres property is located on booming South Main near Willowbend, adjacent to new, ongoing residential developments. It is in a gateway location to the Medical Center, Reliant Stadium and Rice University. It offers also great connections to Beltway 8 and the Ft bend Tollway. Near the new extention of Willowbend and Buffalo Speedway currently under construction.
Just drove past the newly opened Buffalo Speedway street. Sure looks empty back there but judging from the rendering–it won’t be for long! I sure hope they add a nice biking trail into the plans!!!
I just drove by the opened up street today too to check it out! I hope they add a jogging and biking trail. Heck I think I can probably jog around it now on the sidewalks they have put in place. Here’s some pics I took:
1) Their sign mentioning an opening of Spring 2012!
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss160/houstontexan80/BL1.jpg
2) And the aforementioned dug out “lake”:
http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss160/houstontexan80/BL2.jpg
Whatever. Another speculative land “deal ” by greedy owners / developers /brokers. Of course METRO is involved (because it’s board members buy the land through business partners ) and then profit from the scam- oh I meant scheme-same thing !! And once again a public /tax funded entity WASTES more scare tax dollars.. TYPICAL… Besides I don’t really care about this or any other commercial r/e deals ,as I live elsewhere in Houston.
I noticed completion by Spring 2012-that’s a lot of matchbox apt. housing if you ask me!
A note for any adventurous Swamplotters: Be careful wandering around North of the new “lake”. If you zoom in close in the Google imagery you can see that there is a “homestead” of somekind tucked back in the woods. About 7 or 8 years ago I had a run in with the old timer that lives there. I learned that just because a 4-wheeler trail runs out into the woods, doesn’t mean its open for everyone.