City Council passes purchase of Inwood Forest Golf Course (Houston: low income, apartments)

[inwood dreams]

So, is this a turning point or will it flounder becuase of all the existing development hurdles?

All the things currently happening:
1) City is buying the course, deal to be funded by April
2) Antoine Corridor re-development Grant
3) Urban Land Institute - Antoine Corridor Study
4) White Oak bike trail almost complete - extending the trail from Oak Forest down to Inwood
5) New Lone Star college campus set to be done this year

Greater Inwood Partnership - March News - Area Revitalization

The Livable Centers Grant will provide funding to develop design recommendations, infrastructure improvements and urban design solutions that will provide residents and businesses with more appealing places for people to interact and gather, make walking, bicycling and transit more convenient, preserve the environment and create a unique community that will act as a catalyst for investment and development.

The focus of the Livable Center Study is to explore the creation of a Town Center along the Antoine Corridor from the former Inwood Forest Golf Course to Aron Ledet Park that would attract business into the area as well as increase the area's livability for its residents.
The Near Northwest Management District has selected LRK and TBG Partners to develop/design the Livable Center. Five recommended areas the design team will emphasize are:

1. Water (celebrate the bayou and its tributaries)
2. Parks & Gardens (all connected via bike trail)
3. Destination (bring people into the area)
4. Transforming Antoine Drive into pedestrian area (upgraded retail)
5. Upgraded transit connections such as express service and regional connections

[cheryjohns]

Still watching and reading - but I hope so.

[MNCold]

Where is this place?

[inwood dreams]

Basically it's north of Loop 610 at TC Jester. About 3 or 4 miles north of the Oak Forest area.

[modster]

I think the city buying the golf course is huge. On the other end of the spectrum I think the ULI study will be pretty useless. We had one done on Broadway. Those studies seldom result in any real action.

[inwood dreams]

Originally Posted by modster

I think the city buying the golf course is huge. On the other end of the spectrum I think the ULI study will be pretty useless. We had one done on Broadway. Those studies seldom result in any real action.

I can see why you would say that. I read through it all...seemed like lots of talk about great ideas, but not many action items or funding.

On the other hand they are using some pretty legit firms for the H-GAC study and grant. It looks like the same firms that did the Upper Kirby and Woodlands market place plans.

[dv1033]

Originally Posted by modster

I think the city buying the golf course is huge. On the other end of the spectrum I think the ULI study will be pretty useless. We had one done on Broadway. Those studies seldom result in any real action.

My thoughts exactly.

Originally Posted by inwood dreams

I can see why you would say that. I read through it all...seemed like lots of talk about great ideas, but not many action items or funding.

On the other hand they are using some pretty legit firms for the H-GAC study and grant. It looks like the same firms that did the Upper Kirby and Woodlands market place plans.

That is interesting you found out there is some seriousness beyond it. Well if someone actually had the cojones and money to put something there it would bring something to a part town that didn't previously have it.

[modster]

Originally Posted by inwood dreams

I can see why you would say that. I read through it all...seemed like lots of talk about great ideas, but not many action items or funding.

On the other hand they are using some pretty legit firms for the H-GAC study and grant. It looks like the same firms that did the Upper Kirby and Woodlands market place plans.

That's the thing, we have been through this and through this with Broadway Boulevard. One thing we have in our favor over here is Broadway is sort of a gateway into Houston because of Hobby. You would think the city planners/leaders, whatever, would figure out a way to address that strip of land and create a whole different first impression of Houston for visitors coming in from Hobby. Every few years a plan gets floated around. ULI did the study same time as the Antoine corridor. Nobody down here has heard anything more from it. Before that, they did have a plan to so-call overhaul the apartments along Broadway and turn them into official low income housing (they aren't exactly exclusive now). In some giant boondoggle that benefited the private apartment owners and no one else. Before that the Hobby airport system posted this elaborate "image plan" that called for a complete redevelopment of Broadway. When the community started asking why not that plan instead of the rehash of the existing units into low income housing, we were told there was no funding for the image plan. A plan, btw, which wasn't just posted on some architect's site as some big pie-in-the-sky dream, but was posted on the Houston Airport System's site.

So to make a short story long, until you see the funds or them actually do something, well, I hate to be such a skeptic and I am all for it, but believe it when you see it.

[mtgmike]

I grew up in Arbor Oaks, so I would love to see that area make a comeback.

Not holding my breath, though.

[Olive34]

wow, that's huge. The plan going forward is to preserve it as green space, not re-open the course, correct? What abou the pool and the tennis courts near the clubhouse? What's to become of those? Public park? How about the club house itself?