West Houston Developments: Proposed Apartments
Memorial Drive in Front of Kickerillo Property
__________________________________________
West Houston Developments
Since the last MTHA newsletter, a steering group composed of residents from the nearby neighborhoods has been formed related to the West Houston Developments and a website has been set up. On the website you can subscribe for news updates by clicking on the button on the home page to register to receive regular email updates. The petition noted in the last newsletter had over 1,100 signatures before closing. The steering committee met at the home of Wendy & Simon Kanaan on Sunday. Councilmember Mary Nan Huffman and her staff were also present. The information that was presented in the last newsletter has been updated and is below. The goal going forward is to have that website and its emails be the primary source of communicating information to our community.
Memorial Thicket Home That Backs Up to Kickerillo Property
_________________________________________________________
Potential Apartment Projects in Our Area
Caroline at Memorial Project (Kickerillo Property) Background. The acreage where the Kickerillos had their home (15635 Memorial Dr.) has not been occupied since Harvey and the home was torn down in 2017, which left over 6 acres of undeveloped land. Over the ensuing years, various discussions and potential projects related to the property have occurred, but none have come to fruition. In fact, HCAD shows the property as still being owned by a Kickerillo trust. Current Status. At a meeting of the Houston Housing Authority Board of Commissioners (“HHA”) (more about HHA below) on June 14, 2022, Resolution 3460 was passed related to lower income housing on that property. The related Memorandum supporting Resolution 3460 states in part that HHA is “to facilitate the acquisition of that certain parcel of land located at or about 15635 Memorial Dr., Houston, Texas 77079, [and] the construction and development of the 334-unit Caroline at Memorial (the "Project")”. Under the terms, “no less than 50% of the units in the Project will be reserved for or occupied by individuals or families earning less than 80% of area median income.” For 2022, 80% of the area median income ranges from approximately $50,000 for a one-member household to $71,000 for a four-member household. The Legal Structure for the Project: HHA created Lakeside Place PFC ("PFC") to assist in the development of certain multifamily housing developments such as the Project. On the same day as Resolution 3460 was passed by HHA, PFC passed Resolution LPPFC 22-23 in support of the Project. PFC is to purchase the Project and then PFC and Caroline at Memorial Owner, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Owner"), will enter into a lease agreement granting site control of the Project to the Owner. The Owner will obtain a loan in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $60,000,000 from Amegy Bank to finance the Project. Permits. We are not aware of any building permits having been issued by the City to date. Memorial at Six Project (Addicks-Howell) Background and Status. On July 19th, we noted that building permits had been issued by the City for four apartment buildings and a parking garage to be built in the wooded triangle piece of property south of Memorial on Addicks-Howell Road on the east side of Highway 6. On that date, we communicated this information to points of contact in surrounding neighborhoods. Further information indicates that these will be 5-story multifamily units and a 7-story garage with no less than 50% of the units reserved or occupied by individuals or families earning less than 80% of area median income. Site clearing of the property has commenced. HHA Involvement. Subsequent research by us revealed that HHA is also involved in this project. On August 17, 2021, HHA approved a resolution to “facilitate the acquisition of the land located at 850 Addicks-Howell Road, Houston, Texas 77079 (the "Land"), [and] the construction and development of the 297-unit Memorial at Six (the "Project") thereupon”. The Legal Structure for the Project. PFC and Memorial at Six Lessee, LLC, a Texas limited liability company (the "Owner"), are to enter into a lease agreement granting site control of the Land and the Project to the Owner. Houston Housing Authority (“HHA”) HHA was created by City Council in 1938 and all members of its Board are appointed by Mayor Turner. Part of Houston Housing Authority’s mission as stated on its website is it “provides affordable homes and services to more than 58,000 low-income Houstonians, including over 17,000 families housed through the Housing Choice Voucher Program and another 5,700 living in 25 public housing and tax credit developments around the city. HHA also administers the nation’s third largest voucher program exclusively serving homeless veterans.” HHA had scheduled its monthly meeting for this past Tuesday. A number of residents were intending to speak at the meeting, but on Monday HHA canceled its meeting. Just today a notice has been put up on its website rescheduling the meeting for 3:00 pm on Wednesday, September 7th. With both of the above projects, no property taxes will be paid on the land and the improvements for the life of the lease, which is a minimum of 75 years. Westlake 3 High-Rise Conversion The last project we are aware of is converting Westlake 3 across Memorial from Memorial Thicket from an office building to high-rise residences. No public funding is involved in this project that we are aware of. "The project involves renovation of a 19-story office building that sits on 4.537 acre parcel, constructed in 1983, remodeled in 2016, which was originally developed in 1983 as part of the Westlake Park Subdivision Section One, a 63-acre office park. Unfortunately, the office building flooded during Hurricane Harvey, and has sat vacant ever since. DeBartolo Development, based in Tampa, Florida, plans to renovate the abandoned office building to be used as class-A luxury multifamily use." Given its prior status as an office building, the infrastructure burden would be probably be about the same with the conversion.
Lest We Forget - Plainwood August 2017
Greg Sergesketter Treasurer - MTHA 815 Elk Run Cir. 713.234.0604
August 25, 2022