Downtown Lubbock revitalization news (Houston, Dallas: real estate, apartments, condos)

[shoe01]

As many of you know, downtown Lubbock isn't the best looking of its kind, nor is it one of the more aesthetically pleasing parts of the city (look to the Tech campus and neighborhoods to the south and west for examples of that). For that reason, a developer is looking to spearhead a massive redevelopment to improve the area, similar to his North Overton effort immediately to the west of Ave. Q:

First phase of downtown utility project to finish late fall | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Here's a key paragraph (emphasis mine):

“This one, we’re going to have to stay with the utilities. You can’t get ahead of them because you will see almost all the alleys being closed,” McDougal said. “There’s some exciting projects that will start to be announced over the next year. That’s going to be really a kickoff to what you will see in the months and years ahead. ... It will really start coming along once those utilities start to make their way in place.”

As stated in the article, the Pioneer Condos project (a renovation of a 1925 hotel) is a start in the hoped-for direction.

[nategdh]

I read today's paper as well. I cannot wait until they get finished. Lubbock needs a better downtown bad. Especially for its size and growth.

[shoe01]

Yeah, I think that since it will be even less of an "island" than it was, with the MSF completion, more development should start to trickle in.

[guba33]

Can't wait! Go Lubbock! And wreck em tech!

[TT Dave]

Great news! The North Overton area re-development in recent years has really been amazing so it would be great to see more development happening downtown as well.

[Prairieparson]

Revitalizing downtown Lubbock is a waste. Cities have gone beyond "downtowns." Large cities don't grow in the downtown anymore. Its inefficient. Why put all the office space in one place, when you can put an office anywhere? Everyone driving into downtown to work etc. Traffic jams galore, lack of parking etc. Modern cities have industrail parks, office parks, shoping all spread out and so people can buy a house where they want, close to work or school or whatever. Look at Plano Texas. No downtown at all, and totally unnecessary. Downtown Dallas? Last time I heard, their office space what about 1/2 empty. Downtown Houston? The place is deserted on the weekend. Downtown revitalization is money down a rat hole. Its for the "good old boys" who own real estate in downtown that isn't worth much any more.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by Prairieparson

Revitalizing downtown Lubbock is a waste. Cities have gone beyond "downtowns." Large cities don't grow in the downtown anymore. Its inefficient. Why put all the office space in one place, when you can put an office anywhere? Everyone driving into downtown to work etc. Traffic jams galore, lack of parking etc. Modern cities have industrail parks, office parks, shoping all spread out and so people can buy a house where they want, close to work or school or whatever. Look at Plano Texas. No downtown at all, and totally unnecessary. Downtown Dallas? Last time I heard, their office space what about 1/2 empty. Downtown Houston? The place is deserted on the weekend. Downtown revitalization is money down a rat hole. Its for the "good old boys" who own real estate in downtown that isn't worth much any more.

I think you're looking at the wrong places. Plano is a suburb, and Dallas and Houston are known for their lifeless, office-filled downdowns, which they are trying to revitalize themselves. The whole idea behind a downtown now is to have a dense, mixed-use area where the city actually has life and character. Look to places like Austin and San Antonio in the region (I was pleasantly surprised by both Greenville, SC, and Prescott, AZ, if you want cities of comparable size) if you want and idea of what a downtown is supposed to be like.

I personally think it's inefficient to have to drive everywhere and have acres upon acres of parking lots. If you concentrate museums, entertainment, specialty retail, offices, and apartments all in one area that is properly planned, you have a lively destination that people can actually take pride in.

I think Lubbock is capable of pulling it off. The North Overton area was once considered a loss, but it's now a lively student district. Downtown is just right next door, and the revitalization has been kickstarted with the Depot District and things like the First Friday Art Trail. Alamo Drafthouse has announced plans to expand to Lubbock, and it's likely it'll be placed downtown. Lubbock has a large population of young people that would likely be eager to live in apartments that have convenient access to Tech and the nightlife.

[shoe01]

Originally Posted by Westerner92

I think you're looking at the wrong places. Plano is a suburb, and Dallas and Houston are known for their lifeless, office-filled downdowns, which they are trying to revitalize themselves. The whole idea behind a downtown now is to have a dense, mixed-use area where the city actually has life and character. Look to places like Austin and San Antonio in the region (I was pleasantly surprised by both Greenville, SC, and Prescott, AZ, if you want cities of comparable size) if you want and idea of what a downtown is supposed to be like.

I personally think it's inefficient to have to drive everywhere and have acres upon acres of parking lots. If you concentrate museums, entertainment, specialty retail, offices, and apartments all in one area that is properly planned, you have a lively destination that people can actually take pride in.

I think Lubbock is capable of pulling it off. The North Overton area was once considered a loss, but it's now a lively student district. Downtown is just right next door, and the revitalization has been kickstarted with the Depot District and things like the First Friday Art Trail. Alamo Drafthouse has announced plans to expand to Lubbock, and it's likely it'll be placed downtown. Lubbock has a large population of young people that would likely be eager to live in apartments that have convenient access to Tech and the nightlife.

Good post.

I was listening to a local streamed radio show (don't live there), and a new business at University and Broadway was advertising the new easy access thanks to the MSF. I think the same pretty much applies to downtown, since residents and workers there will have very easy access to the university, medical center, SW side, and airport.

From what I've read, it looks like McDougal might initially target an area consisting largely of surface parking lots near the Wells Fargo building and spread out from there.

[guba33]

I really am excited for it to start taking shape. I believe the first project will be a movie theatre called the draft alamo house.

[doctorjef]

Downtowns can be revitalized. In Texas, Austin is a good example. By the time I was at UT in the early/mid-1970s, Austin's downtown was pretty moribund. It gradually got revived during the late 1980s and not just because of, or limited to, the 6th Street entertainment district. But some things have never come back, like Scarbrough's (an upper end department store that moved to the malls and later ceased to exist entirely when bought up by Dillards). In the same way, downtown Lubbock wouldn't be getting a modern-day counterpart to Hemphill-Wells (much as I loved the old downtown store). It's got to be restaurants/bars, entertainment venues, cool indie coffee houses, cool little shops selling wonderful and eccentric things you can't get elsewhere, etc. For it to work, downtown has to become trendy.