What should be done with the Chevron campus in Bellaire? (Houston: 2013, townhouses)

[Vicman]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/n...ajor-site.html

So as we know Chevron's vacating its Bellaire campus, which was its research lab. A few possibilities:

* 1. New offices/businesses: Bellaire city officials may prefer this as they want the taxes. Could be new corporate offices, a mini-mall, etc?
* 2. New houses: Like Southside Place did with the old Shell building they could replace 'em with townhouses - could help recoup some tax money
* 3. New schools: HISD may be chomping at the bit to rebuild Bellaire High. All this land is now available. Hmmm.... HISD is thinking about it, but it would make the budget for rebuilding Bellaire higher: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/loca...gh-9645287.php

Since I'm not in the Houston area at the moment I don't know what the officials are thinking...

P.S. HISD may be concerned about the high sticker price of the Chevron campus. While I believe they should NOT sell the former Gordon campus, as they should reopen that for West U Elementary relief, they should, if committed to the Chevron site, sell the former BHS campus... AND the old Dodson Elementary. HISD is smart in locating magnet schools in central Houston but I think they could make a killing selling the EaDo campus. That could help fund a new Bellaire High. Mike Lunceford said in October that he would no longer support that idea. The comments section of the article stated that he had stepped down from the HISD board http://swamplot.com/hitting-the-brak...lk/2016-10-13/ but I still see him listed here: http://www.houstonisd.org/Domain/10794

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Vicman

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/n...ajor-site.html

So as we know Chevron's vacating its Bellaire campus, which was its research lab. A few possibilities:

* 1. New offices/businesses: Bellaire city officials may prefer this as they want the taxes. Could be new corporate offices, a mini-mall, etc?
* 2. New houses: Like Southside Place did with the old Shell building they could replace 'em with townhouses - could help recoup some tax money
* 3. New schools: HISD may be chomping at the bit to rebuild Bellaire High. All this land is now available. Hmmm.... HISD is thinking about it, but it would make the budget for rebuilding Bellaire higher: HISD eyeing Chevron site for new Bellaire High School - Houston Chronicle

Since I'm not in the Houston area at the moment I don't know what the officials are thinking...

P.S. HISD may be concerned about the high sticker price of the Chevron campus. While I believe they should NOT sell the former Gordon campus, as they should reopen that for West U Elementary relief, they should, if committed to the Chevron site, sell the former BHS campus... AND the old Dodson Elementary. HISD is smart in locating magnet schools in central Houston but I think they could make a killing selling the EaDo campus. That could help fund a new Bellaire High. Mike Lunceford said in October that he would no longer support that idea. The comments section of the article stated that he had stepped down from the HISD board Hitting the Brakes on the Bellaire High School Chevron Campus Swap Talk | Swamplot but I still see him listed here: Michael L. Lunceford / Meet Michael L. Lunceford

I guess it depends on who the new owner is, but I doubt they will tear down a 10 story building though..

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

but I doubt they will tear down a 10 story building though..

The current North Atlanta High School is located in a former IBM office building (and the school is 10 stories tall): New North Atlanta High transformed from office building to school - The same could be done with the Chevron facility

More info http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/cms/lib...l%20Record.pdf

[predatorprey]

Hisd already decided they will not build the new Bellaire HS there. The additional cost would be significant.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

Hisd already decided they will not build the new Bellaire HS there. The additional cost would be significant.

If the Bellaire area wasn't landlocked/didn't involve crazy zoning I could understand... but they don't have a lot of options around there. Atlanta schools paid a lot of money for that corporate building ($147 million in total costs) but the NYT thinks it was money well spent. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/07/ed...c-schools.html - This isn't a wealthy suburban Long Island school district... it's Atlanta public schools.

[predatorprey]

I don't think Bellaire city wants to turn the taxable entity to a non taxable school.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

I don't think Bellaire city wants to turn the taxable entity to a non taxable school.

Yep, that's the big stumbling block. There was hubbub when Episcopal was built for that reason. It also blocked the new Rice School campus from coming in Bellaire (especially because Bellaire kids were not automatically zoned to that campus)

I notice NAHS got its corporate campus during a recession.

[txdemo]

Convert to multi-function CVS/Mattress/Starbucks fusion.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by txdemo

Convert to multi-function CVS/Mattress/Starbucks fusion.

Apparently the Bellaire city government wants to cut the property into pieces, with one commercial and the other full of townhomes. Video Outline - Bellaire City, Texas

I don't know if the previous Lunceford proposal was trying to grab the whole property and just demo and build everything new. If HISD only gets half of the site and renovates the tall 10 story building (there is a precedent for this in Atlanta) and leaves the rest of the cite to CVS/Mattress/Starbucks maybe the city government would be happier (then townhomes would go in the old BHS property).