Update, 4:48 p.m.: The map and drawing are not part of UCR Houston’s active plans, a representative from the retail advisor tells Swamplot; UCR is not marketing this property and does not represent and has never represented the property’s current owner. Read more here.
Is this where even more retail development will be coming to the Heights? UCR MoodyRambin Page is marketing A reader alerts Swamplot to a flyer representing a possible plan for this 4-acre site on Yale St. north of the Washington Heights Walmart and the recently sold San Jacinto Stone property — that’s that big empty green square right next to I-10 — for a bank and fast-food restaurants.
You can see a more detailed site plan after the jump:
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Here’s the site looking east from Yale St. The curve of those parking spaces in front of the proposed 3,554-sq.-ft. “restaurant” at the top of the map would run along White Oak Bayou. (On this property now is a smattering of vacant warehouses which haven’t yet received a demolition permit.) The site plan shows that the development would be for 3 new buildings totaling 25,803 sq. ft. of retail space.
- Washington Heights (PDF) (UCR Realty)
- Previously on Swamplot: The End Approaches for the San Jacinto Stone Age, Shops Replacing San Jacinto Stone, Just North of the South-of-the-Heights Walmart
Images: UCR Realty
Three-fourths of the property in the plans above is just asphalt. My gawd
Bank and fastfood…..gross.
It’s a shame that they created such an uncreative site plan. This is a unique property with street and bayou frontage in a dense, pedestrian neighborhood.
“…a bank and fast-food restaurants”
Good grief, how depressing – truly how much more of that crap do we need in this area? God forbid we could get some higher-end retailers…what I wouldn’t give for a DSW or a Container Store or a Whole Earth Provisions (yes, I just relocated the entire Post Oak/Westheimer shopping center). Don’t these developers look at the demographics in the Heights. We have money we want to spend! Don’t send us to the Galleria!
Only positive note: they are going to put in a right-turn lane from Yale to the feeder road. That’ll cut out at least 2 light changes from my morning commute.
Doesn’t the existing Walmart development and the strip mall across the street already include a bank and about 10 fast food/sandwich chains? How many sub-par burgers and sandwiches can one neighborhood eat??
The developers obviously did market research and demographics studies… So, it’s a proof that Heights is not as high and mighty as they may think of themselves, deep down it’s just a low to middle class soon to be suburb clone.
I agree with these comments, but I can’t believe the usual “those Heights NIMBYs” comments haven’t appeared yet. Guess I should just give it time. Great neighborhood attracting crap….at least before it was south of I-10. Now its knocking at the door.
I don’t mind that it’s fast food (though I don’t like it). I don’t mind a bank.
What I mind is a couple of structures in a big island of pavement in a busy neighborhood with growing density. What a pile of merde.
That’s what happens when you yuppie-ize an area – mom and pops that were always there slowly crumble under high property values and taxes, increased deed and code enforcement from scrutiny from more observant and meddlesome neighbors, and traffic and construction pressures. Then the chains move in!
Thanks for continuing to shit on the neighborhood, developers.
So glad they extended the feeders.
Taking Yale used to be the best route, pass under the train, not much traffic. As the I-10 / Yale area develops, taking Shepherd and waiting for the train to pass will be more efficient. It’s already a 2 to 3 light wait, and I’m not so sure that right-turn lane will improve the wait.
Some Say: Don’t these developers look at the demographics in the Heights?
Native Houstonian Craig Says: You will always be Heights Rats to me. Always.
How exciting. A bank and fast food.
I’ve yet to make a single visit to the Wal Mart development (all stores included) and it will be no stretch to include the additional development in the no-fly zone. Heights is cool, in part, because it has so many unique stores. No interest in this kind of run-of-the-mill development. The feeder extensions have been very bad to the neighborhood. But TXDOT has shown over and over that money comes first and people second.
Wondering if it’s time to move out.
At least half of that property looks to be in the 100 year flood plain. They are going to have to really build up the SW corner to get it out of the flood zone. I wonder whether they can get cheap dirt from the dig going on at the TxDOT Rutland drainage project just around the corner? I also wonder whether the restrictive covenants in place for the Walmart development apply to what looks like a northern extension (the brochure calls it “Washington Heights”). If not, that 18,000 sq ft parcel looks to be about the right size for a Trader Joes (let the completely unsubstantiated internet rumor begin). It would be a nice bone to through to the Heights to bring in Walmart with a beefy retrictive covenant keeping other grocers out of the development and then bring a grocer into a tract just across the street that is not part of the development. Probably will be Autozone and a CiCi’s Pizza. We can dream, can’t we?
Pedestrians on Yale at I-10??? Yeah right.
The Heights Cult needs to get over itself. Yale Street has been one of the junkiest streets in the inner loop for decades. It will still be junky for some time.
I see a couple of dilapidated metal warehouses being replaced with an 18,000 SF retail center, a restaurant and a bank. This is a MAJOR improvement. Hopefully it will jump start a new development cycle all the way up Yale.
Please, go on, go find your authenticity in the Third Ward.
It seems that the developers have tried to strike a careful balance between the need for customer parking on the one hand and sensitivity to the neighborhood and flooding/runoff conditions on the other. That balance being 100% in favor of customer parking, to the point where all customers the Saturday before Christmas could be accommodated and still have room for a meet of the local classic car club on the outer rows.
james, when a Cici’s Pizza moves in on 19th by Boomtown, then it’s time to move.
“The Heights cult needs to get over themselves”. Nice chuckle……..
Seriously, it backs up to a concrete storm channel–exactly what is so beautiful about that coupled with I-10 looming above? It was destined to be a tacky commercial space.
Shouldn’t we anticipate a Red Lobster or Olive Garden soon?
Thanks for bringing us more of what we do not want or need. The only good thing that may come out of this is a turn lane to get onto I-10 that the idiot TXDot omitted/ignored.
I could give a rat’s behind about what kinds of businesses are there. Fast food joints will come and go as the market pleases. But I am tired of pretending that the aesthetic means so little–isn’t this what Swamplot is about, at least in part? Why not just pave over the whole damned Gulf Coast? That would make parking a breeze. Wouldn’t it do a flood plain some good to have something green over there? Why not a little green space, a little parkland? So elevated parking is too expensive. How about instead of handing out tax breaks, the city subsidizes parking facilities? I don’t know, something, anything besides acre upon acre of asphalt.
Some developers are just stupid. As trashy as the area was, it can easily be transformed into foot traffic haven. It’s in the loop, how can you go WRONG?!?!
Rats, clones, cults – whatever. The bottom line is what’s been said: this development consists of the same crap not 3 football fields away, and a growing heat shimmer that can be seen from space. A word of warning Houstonians: all the slapped-together banks and fast food restaurants that were built 30 years ago in my hometown of – shocker – NJ look rundown and depressing today. No reason to hope this development will age any differently. You only have to drive up to IAH on 45 to know the truth of that statement.
Judge not…it’s only a matter of time before someone will be telling you to kwitcherbitchin’ about a Houston development outragery coming to your neck of the woods!
@JT: This backs up to White Oak Bayou, which will be part of the Houston Greenway project. There will be a bike path along the bayou with other beautification efforts. North of the bayou and just behind the development will be a new detention pond. People are working to make the pond open to the public with a jogging path around the rim. In a few years, if all goes well, it could actually be a pretty nice spot, except for the fast food restaurant and strip mall that is planned.
All was good before TXDOT extended the frontage roads along I-10 inside the loop. The wait at traffic signals was minimal, no junky suburban strip centers, and no out side the loop types cutting through the neighborhood looking for a shot-cut. Thanks TXDOT, your shovel-ready project really gave us the shaft in exchange for a few lousy extra construction jobs to help Pedro keep his family fed on rice, beans, and miller light.
In 24 comments post I’m surprised no one has mentioned that paving over this entire property, along with paving the San Jacinto Stone property, and paving the Wal-Mart parking lot makes for a sea of impervious cover in a major drainage zone for one of the Bayou City’s larger Bayous. Yes, someone will point out there is an existing metal warehouse there now, but it is surrounded by a gravel/caliche parking area. That’s pervious. Not so concrete fast food/bank parking area. Those downstream from here, east of Studemont should up their flood insurance. The COH or the Flood Control District really should think about this before granting permits, but this is Houston, so I doubt that will happen.
This area stopped becoming “The Heights” when I-10 ran through many year ago. Get over it. Just stand in the Shell (Cortland St) parking lot on the south side of I-10 to get a real feel of The Heights before I-10. It’s does not exist any more south of 10.
And for those requesting high end retail, please name one who would settle for a new frontier locale that has been devoid of retail for 40+ years? I can’t think of any existing “high end” retail off a dirty old freeway.
And FWIW “Heights Rat” is a reference to the gang that ran the hood in the 50s.
That location isn’t anything but tin shacks and asphalt right now anyway. This is an upgrade. And being right next to the freeway, it’s not like anyone would want that site for anything to enrich the lives of Houstonians anyway. Maybe a combo gas station/fast food would have been a classic fit.
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Are there any bucees in urban settings? That would have been worth seeing. The first urban bucees!
I hope it’s a Walmart Annex.
I’m glad to hear they are putting in a turn lane there. We really need it. If we have to have a chain there, give me Einstiens Bagels!!
Since this is now much ado about nothing, are the apartments still on the table?
The apartments are under construction.
Bean: …If we have to have a chain there, give me Einstiens Bagels!!
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Thanks for the suggestion. I’m going to walk down to Einstiens now. They’re constantly sending me coupons. The BYGO breakfast bagel cupons are turning all my pants into skinny jeans :(
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Come on down to Montrose my friend :)
Now that we know this one ain’t happenin, anybody know anything about the Rohe & Wright project that just started on Yale just north of Heights Asian Cafe (~22nd or 23rd St)?