From the folks currently in the process of bringing you Heights Mercantile: plans for East Village, a 2-block mixed-use complex planned along St. Emanuel and Hutchins Sts. between Polk and Lamar in East Downtown — a few blocks south of the Dynamo’s BBVA Compass Stadium, and across 59 from the George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green. New real estate investment and development firm Ancorian (founded by Finial co-founders Neil Martin and Michael Sperandio with Matthew Donowho) is behind the development; as of two months ago, land for the project (across the street from the Yen Huong Bakery and the now-closed Kim Hung Supermarket) was still being acquired.
A few renderings are up on the Ancorian website — the view above is of a Lamar-facing courtyard and a renovated version of the warehouse currently housing Kitchen Depot. But a presentation dated late November shows many additional angles, siteplans, and renderings of the planned development, one block of which is credited to the design firm of Austin-based Michael Hsu, and the other to MÄk Studio Architecture:
***
MÄk did the 1201 St. Emanuel St. block (on the left above, south of Dallas St. across Hutchins from 8th Wonder); a more detailed view of the siteplan includes a “creative office” space tucked into the L of the forthcoming Secret Group comedy club, as well as retail spaces, a parking lot, and an area labeled for Air BNB rental:
A closer zoom on the northern half of the block, which shows an interior courtyard accessible to many of the surrounding spaces:
A conceptual rendering of the corner of Dallas St. and St. Emanuel (bottom right in the site plan above) incorporates the structure of an existing warehouse on the site:
Meanwhile, on the north side of Dallas St., Hsu’s section (referred to as 2118 Lamar in the presentation deck) includes several large outdoor areas, an office building, restaurants, and a distillery, seemingly the Houston branch of the Our/Vodka project:
More conceptual renderings also incorporate some existing structures into their designs — check out the corner of Lamar and St. Emmanuel:
Take a glimpse down the length of the walkway between Dallas and Lamar on the same block:
- East Village [Ancorian]
- Vodka-fueled party place headed to EaDo as international distillery teams up with Houston duo [CultureMap]
Renderings: mÄk studio architecture (1201 St. Emanuel St.), Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (2118 Lamar St.)
I hope they’re aware that the northeastern end of their property will be a giant construction zone, then trench, in the next five years.
Sorry, northwestern
Whoa. I’m actually very excited about this. This is exactly what EaDo needs and I’m sure this will propel it into being the next up-and-coming neighborhood. What these people are doing with the area is fantastic. Love the designs!
Anyone who uses the term EaDo is a colonialist who is ruining the neighborhood. Go away.
Looks like all the talent started a new company! Killer project!
I agree with Eastwood, retire EaDo now, it’s too Kitsch!!!! Just keep 2nd Ward!!! Montrose was inhabited by several waves of gentrifying colonists and yet it retains its name.
I think EaDo is actually a useful term because it describes a certain part of the second ward. The second ward can be broken up into a few different areas. First is EaDo. This is the farthest west section which is almost entirely brand new town houses. It extends from downtown to Scott street. Then you have Eastwood/Greater Eastwood, which extends from Scott down to 90. Then there’s Idylwood, which is of course it’s own place, and then there’s the stuff on the other side of 90, Forest Hill and whatnot. Not really sure what to call that area. Eastwood/Greater Eastwood could get some additional granularity of course, specifying the Harrisburg corridor and the areas north of it as a different area would be good, similarly Country Club Place isn’t really in Eastwood either. To me Eastwood Proper is the area around Lantrip elementary school, so the area centered around Poly and Lockwood.
.
Anyways. EaDo is a fine name for that area as it is very distinct compared to Eastwood proper, which almost entirely preserved as traditional old homes, whereas EaDo is almost entirely new construction. I don’t see that wave continuing past Scott btw, it just doesn’t make much sense.
.
And for those that are so against these new constructions, I think you’re either not actually that old in the neighborhood or you’ve got some rose-tinted glasses, because the area that’s been so heavily redeveloped in the EaDo area was an absolute dump before this. I remember looking at a beautiful home over by Moon Tower inn a few years ago and the neighborhood was disgusting. Like people just piling garbage in their front yards. That area was very different from Eastwood, which is very charming and has seen almost no teardowns/townhomes, because the houses are in great shape. EaDo still is a dump frankly, just now it’s a dump with really nice town houses everywhere. There’s almost no foot traffic there at night, unsurprisingly. Hopefully we’ll start seeing some retail like this filling the area which should reduce that issue.
@Mr Ection:
Nobody (I mean that literally) considers the area north of Harrisburg as part of Eastwood…. and Country Club Place isn’t AT ALL in Eastwood, by anyone’s definition. I’m not sure where you are getting your info.?
Sorry, meant to say that they are part of greater 2nd ward, but are all distinct areas themselves. Not sure why I kept saying Eastwood. My point was just that its ok to have names for all the different parts of the 2nd ward, because they are all pretty different.
EaDo and Second Ward/East End are two different neighborhoods. EaDo is the East portion of the Downtown district. Second Ward is north of the railroad tracks. East End is the entire piece of pie (minus EaDo) between I-10 & 45, 59 & 610.