ULI Technical Assistance Panel - "Redeveloping Richmond Avenue: A Roadmap Forward"

March 2, 2015

Filmed Tuesday, February 24, 2015, at the JW Marriott Hotel in Houston, Texas.

A multidisciplinary panel of experts convened by the ULI Houston District Council present their recommendations for reviving a faded section of Richmond Avenue known as the Richmond Strip.

In the late 1970s and through the 1980s, the vibrant area attracted original restaurant concepts, such as Houston’s first Chuy’s restaurant, the first Taco Cabana and the first Joe’s Crab Shack. Apartments surrounding this commercial strip were sought out by young professionals working in the Galleria area.

Decades later, the area’s appeal for young professionals has declined. Vacant properties and adult entertainment venues mingle with the remaining office and restaurant developments. Concerned property owners, the Houston Independent School District, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), and Houston City Council Member Mike Laster invited the ULI Houston District Council to conduct this Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) to develop a new vision for the area that can offer a brighter future as an economically viable and sustainable neighborhood.

Learn more about ULI Advisory Services and TAPs.

Panelists

  • Daniel Brents, FAIA, AICP, Panel ChairJohn Dupuy, Sr. Associate, TBG-Partners
  • David Foor, Vice President, Lovett Commercial
  • Tyler Ford, Associate Director, HFF
  • Edwin Friedrichs, Infrastructure Division President, Walter P Moore
  • Marlene Gafrick, Planning Director, MetroNational
  • Amay Inamdar, Principal, Real Estate Investments, AAI Affordable Housing
  • Chris Reyes, Associate, Tenant Advisory, Transwestern
  • Steven Spillette, President, CDS Market Research
  • Jeff Weatherford, Deputy Director, City of Houston Department of Public Works and Engineering

Assisting the Panel

  • Oliver Sanchez, Designer/Project Architect, STG Design
  • Suzan Ozcelik, LEED Green Associate, Gensler
  • Wally Reid, Managing Director, HFF
  • Lance Gilliam, Partner, Waterman Steele Real Estate Advisors
  • Christine Hall, former real estate reporter, Houston Business Journal

Sponsors

  • Houston City Council District J, Council Member Mike Laster
  • Houston Independent School District
  • METRO
  • Feroze Bhandara Interests, Inc/Ardenwood Group
  • Roalty 1 Properties, LTD
  • Kensinger Donnelly LLC