Survey: Many Houstonians want better land use planning, urban renewal

[Chanteuse d' Opéra]

Sometimes I wish Houston had zoning, it's probably irrelevant to this post. But I guess that's why we have Dallas

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by Chanteuse d' Opéra

Sometimes I wish Houston had zoning, it's probably irrelevant to this post. But I guess that's why we have Dallas

I'm pretty sure I'm for zoning too, but any way you slice it, no zoning is what makes Houston unique. I just wish Houston had better land use, like this post brings up.

[bamba_boy]

Originally Posted by AK123

Call me crazy, but Gulfton seems ripe for redevelopment from a developer's perspective I'd think. Borders the West Univ area to the west, Bellaire to the southwest, Meyerland south, and the Galleria area / Uptown to the north. The land is probably in parcels unfortunately, but if it was sold off in one big chunk and the crummy apts torn down and the land totally redeveloped into a cohesive community that complemented the surrounding area, seems like it would do very well on location alone.

That's going to take some serious money to EVER happen. Although it looks like a bunch of old rental apartments a couple of the biggest were converted to condos in a "owner-pride" minority-empowerment scheme where tore-up rental apartments were sold to Mexican, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan immigrants to encourage redevelopment of the area. The same apt complexes that were very ragged 10 or 15 years ago are in much better shape now that the residents rather than just absentee landlords are the main steakholders in their maintainance.

However, as a result someone would now have to buy out thousands, not just dozens of landowners to do a major redevelopment. There also many small business owners who are well-entrenched there in profitable businesses in that great centrally-located close-in neighborhood who are in no hurry to leave and know that they would not be welcome in a upper-class residential development. Don't see anything happening soon to change the character of the Gulfton Area. I think it's going to be a working-class Mexican/Central American enclave in the middle of the upscale white area (surrounded by Bellaire, W.University,Larchmont, the new Galleria townhouses) for a long time.

This might be a good thing. Those upscale working young mothers have largely farmed-out the raising of their kids to the hispanic nannys in the area. I've gone to parks in the area and seen them filled with little blonde 5 year olds speaking in spanish to their hispanic escorts with narry a white mother in site. It's kind of neat because they'll grow up completely and naturally bilingual and without a lot of that Arizona-law-type predudice because of their memories of their beloved "abuela" that raised them. If all those folks were forced out by gentrification there would be an exodus of half the professional white women in the Houston and Bellaire office towers.

[robertrulez]

Originally Posted by bamba_boy

That's going to take some serious money to EVER happen. Although it looks like a bunch of old rental apartments a couple of the biggest were converted to condos in a "owner-pride" minority-empowerment scheme where tore-up rental apartments were sold to Mexican, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan immigrants to encourage redevelopment of the area. The same apt complexes that were very ragged 10 or 15 years ago are in much better shape now that the residents rather than just absentee landlords are the main steakholders in their maintainance.

However, as a result someone would now have to buy out thousands, not just dozens of landowners to do a major redevelopment. There also many small business owners who are well-entrenched there in profitable businesses in that great centrally-located close-in neighborhood who are in no hurry to leave and know that they would not be welcome in a upper-class residential development. Don't see anything happening soon to change the character of the Gulfton Area. I think it's going to be a working-class Mexican/Central American enclave in the middle of the upscale white area (surrounded by Bellaire, W.University,Larchmont, the new Galleria townhouses) for a long time.

This might be a good thing. Those upscale working young mothers have largely farmed-out the raising of their kids to the hispanic nannys in the area. I've gone to parks in the area and seen them filled with little blonde 5 year olds speaking in spanish to their hispanic escorts with narry a white mother in site. It's kind of neat because they'll grow up completely and naturally bilingual and without a lot of that Arizona-law-type predudice because of their memories of their beloved "abuela" that raised them. If all those folks were forced out by gentrification there would be an exodus of half the professional white women in the Houston and Bellaire office towers.

Never doubt the power of a developer. If the University Metro Line does happen, the area will gentrify rapidly.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by bamba_boy

That's going to take some serious money to EVER happen. Although it looks like a bunch of old rental apartments a couple of the biggest were converted to condos in a "owner-pride" minority-empowerment scheme where tore-up rental apartments were sold to Mexican, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan immigrants to encourage redevelopment of the area. The same apt complexes that were very ragged 10 or 15 years ago are in much better shape now that the residents rather than just absentee landlords are the main steakholders in their maintainance.

I think that's what happened with that Candelight Trails complex off Antoine on the near northwest side. It was essentially condemned and emptied out and became squatter/junkie heaven but they can't do anything with it until they've served paperwork to everyone who owned a unit there, many of whom don't live anywhere around here.