What Happened to Willowbrook? (The Woodlands, Anna: real estate, apartments, lease)

[dd1153]

Willowbrook used to be a thriving area for commercial real estate and businesses.
I drove through yesterday - it’s been about 10 years and all I see is for lease signs and empty stores

What happened?

[AcresHomes44]

Willowbrook is still thriving to a degree. The part of Willowbrook I live in has homes that go for no less than $300,000 on up to $1.5 million. Meadow Vista is off of Gessner and Beltway 8. If you are talking about Willowlake, I think it is pretty safe. If you are near the post office, there's some government apartments nearby that have had incidents go on day and night.

[dd1153]

Originally Posted by AcresHomes44

Willowbrook is still thriving to a degree. The part of Willowbrook I live in has homes that go for no less than $300,000 on up to $1.5 million. Meadow Vista is off of Gessner and Beltway 8. If you are talking about Willowlake, I think it is pretty safe. If you are near the post office, there's some government apartments nearby that have had incidents go on day and night.

Not the residential side - more so the commercial and business side
The strips along 1960 and 249 and further down 1960 toward Champions

[Stevehanrahan41]

Originally Posted by dd1153

Willowbrook used to be a thriving area for commercial real estate and businesses.
I drove through yesterday - it’s been about 10 years and all I see is for lease signs and empty stores

What happened?

I’m not sure but my buddy works in Willowbrook and they all call it WillowHood. Lol

[hbcu]

When wal mart closed that was interesting as that was a busy one but 1960 is like that in several patches

[fbf2006]

Willowbrook by 249 to Cutten Rd seems pretty busy and thriving to me every time I go there. Lots of retail and restaurants. Then it's busy right by Champion Forest Drive as well.

[Houston parent]

My guess is a combination of things:
1. They overbuilt the retail in that area by a good bit, then online retail came around to cannibalize physical retail centers
2. The traffic can be really congested in the area
3. Poor/no architectural controls led to a LOT of crappy looking commercial properties on 1960
4. Later street renovations/road widening screwed up some of the retail properties by chopping off the fronts of their property, leaving some buildings too close to the street with inadequate parking or blocking access with new medians.
5. Demographics got worse on the south side of 1960 and have crept across to the north side in a few flood-prone spots. This has contributed to property values not appreciating like the owners probably expected.

[DejaBlue]

When the Old Navy down by North Oaks, that area went downhill. The it was Mardel, then they closed Mardel. But I'm not sure if I'd consider that far down and Champion Forest area "Willowbrook".



That whole strip is sad. No more Anna's Linens either. I think Honey Baked Ham is still going strong though

[westhou]

The shopping center in front of the mall needs to be demolished and replaced with something nicer.

[a_guerrajr]

Didn't Willowbrook Mall get an expensive remodel?
Hopefully, it stands strong and doesn't end up like Greenspoint or Northline Mall.
Otherwise, all the chusma will end up in The Woodlands.