280 replies to this topic

[UncaMikey]

There will be paths down to the river at some point, and although I don't know when that will happen, it was my understanding it would happen sooner rather than later.

The problem is that there are no trails on that side of the river between Taylor St. and the water district offices near E. Northside. Access to the river will only work if they either extend the trails or build a pedestrian bridge.

I am not holding my breath.

[John T Roberts]

Well, I was riding the trail on the other side of the river this afternoon, and the project looks very nice from the opposite bank. It's rather imposing on that side of the bluff.

[John S.]

Just saw a segment about the foreclosure story of Le Bijou on WFAA Channel 8 and the reporter interviewed developer-builder Tom Struhs about any impact this incident might have on his flagship development, Villa De Leon. Mr. Struhs was very reassuring in his reply. He said financing for the VDL project had been restructured for a longer term and more importantly, those units in VDL that had not sold were being leased in the interim. The report also showed that downtown condominium units were taking an average of 100 days on the market to sell compared to the broader Fort Worth market average of 150 days, so, relatively speaking, the downtown demand for housing remains healthy. The news segment also showed camera views from Villa De Leon which provide a unique panorama of the downtown skyline as well as the Trinity River basin-few areas of Fort Worth provide such a great view. In summary, it appears the Le Bijou incident is not indicative of an overall decline in the downtown housing market, so that's good news for those who appreciate the downtown living experience and support urban residential growth.

[John S.]

The Star-Telegram had an article today (Sept. 27 '09) about the downturn in the downtown housing market: Downtown housing article
While the T & P Lofts, because of their lower prices, seem to still be doing well, condominium sales on the high end of the market appear to be more challenging. Difficulty of finding financing and delays in selling former residences were also cited as two of the factors contributing to the slowdown. Fortunately, Villa De Leon was said to be positioned to weather the downturn. No mention was made about the state of downtown apartment leases such as the Lincoln Park development now being completed adjacent to Villa De Leon. Compared to areas of the country like Florida where the condominium/apartment boom was largely speculative and heavily over-built, Fort Worth's downtown condo/apartment market is far more modest and less saturated by comparison. If Gov. Perry's prediction that Texas will be one of the first states to emerge from the recession holds true then downtown housing markets will recover accordingly.

[Fort Worthology]

No mention was made about the state of downtown apartment leases such as the Lincoln Park development now being completed adjacent to Villa De Leon.

As of August, Downtown apartment occupancy was 92.10%.

[John S.]

No mention was made about the state of downtown apartment leases such as the Lincoln Park development now being completed adjacent to Villa De Leon.

As of August, Downtown apartment occupancy was 92.10%.

That sounds like a healthy number, but I must plead a lack of knowledge about what constitutes "normal" occupancy rates.

[Brian Luenser]

Shot I took on Thursday.

[John S.]

That's a really great shot as it shows all of the new development in the front which contrasts with the low-density (older) housing in the background. It also highlights the disconnect between the brand new part of the neighborhood and the old. Somehow, someone in the future will have to find a way to seamlessly integrate the new with the old so it seems like a cohesive neighborhood again. That extreme contrast between the south end and north end was brought out in the Star-Telegram article about Samuels Avenue a few weeks ago. Let's hope some of the old can be adaptively reused and saved for the future. The recession seems to have eased for the moment development pressures on the older part of the neighborhood. Of course, we all know that won't last forever.

In the FYI category, I noticed the cinder-block Community Outreach Center near the corner of Peach and Samuels has been emptied of its contents. (large piles of stuff behind the building) I guess that means demolition is imminent. No tears shed here as it was an ugly building made even more so by vivid "graffiti" of a religious nature on the exterior walls. The new extended-stay hotel-motel is now rising above Samuels and Belknap nicely. Still haven't had much feedback on how Villa De Leon units are selling or if Lincoln Park units are leasing. We did get news in the last neighborhood meeting that a gas well for the neighborhood will soon be drilled near Cold Springs road east of the railroad tracks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nat. gas prices will be higher when that happens. Some mineral leasing activity is also happening again on Samuels but at much lower amount bonuses than when prices were at their peak.

[Brian Luenser]

Took a walk over here on Saturday. A few pics here.





Not Villa, but close...

[AndyN]

Christmas Eve 2009

[John S.]

It is interesting to compare Brian's daytime photos of Trinity Uptown with Andy's nightime view. The daytime view shows the connection the new construction has with downtown. Compared with the few neglected homes that stood there previously, it looks like a big improvement. Looking at it at night is a different experience and in the Christmas eve photo it looks deserted, gloomy, and lonely rather than the "happening place" it is supposed to be. In fairness, Christmas eve was a major winter weather event so there was not much traffic anywhere. I expect the night image to change over time as more units are sold or leased. It remains to be seen if narrowing Samuels Avenue at the south end will help manage traffic or make it worse. I would expect the traffic volume once the hotel is opened and most of the new apartments are leased, to increase substantially. And there is a proposed street car route to Pioneers Rest cemetery? Sounds like a recipe for future gridlock.

[AndyN]

I would say that one of the bright prospects is that a few of the townhomes on the right actually have Christmas decorations. My framing isn't great, but I was trying to capture VDL & adjoining development with downtown in the background. The snow doesn't show well in the foreground, which was something I was also trying to capture. I took another one with flash turned on and it looked a little better.

As for the narrowed streets, I have been dismayed by them since I learned about them. BAD idea. IMHO.

[redhead]

Andy, many would agree with you at first blush. However, studies have shown that narrower streets with parking alongside have an amazing ability to "calm" traffic. This is one of the fundamental precepts of "new urbanism." One of the other intended consequences is to deter all of the 18-wheeler traffic that used Samuels as a short cut---that benefit has already been observed! They used to nearly run me over multiple times a day---now, I rarely see them!

[longhornz32]

Andy, many would agree with you at first blush. However, studies have shown that narrower streets with parking alongside have an amazing ability to "calm" traffic. This is one of the fundamental precepts of "new urbanism."

The theory may be popular but from someone who has to pull out on Berry east of University twice a day it is extremely dangerous. The parked cars block the view of oncoming traffic downhill from the side street. Every day I wait for a break in traffic and slowly pull out blindly not knowing if anyone is coming. I haven't noticed a slowdown and constantly almost get hit by oncoming traffic.

[RD Milhollin]

... studies have shown that narrower streets with parking alongside have an amazing ability to "calm" traffic.

Yes, narrow streets, and narrow streets with parallel parking slow traffic, but I don't think Samuel's is wide enough for two way traffic AND on-street parking. Looks like the parking will have to be somewhere else (behind the buildings...?)

[AndyN]

I have employed traffic calming devices in several of the subdivisions I have designed so I do understand the concept. I fear that the developer has over-calmed and excessively restricted traffic. I think they are looking only at the buildout of the Trinity Bluffs part and ignoring that north Samuels Avenue will likely redevelop as it becomes more desirable due to proximity to Trinity Uptown and Trinity Bluffs. There is no historic district, no protection. Big lots in a great location will flip to redev as the current owners sell out.

The streetcar committee results show a line running to a point near Pioneer's Rest Cemetery. With the construction already completed I don't see how that is possible and even if the proper turn radii would be possible, the congestion would make operations a nightmare. I suppose I wouldn't be as disappointed if the sidewalks had been upsized to an urban scale to allow for more pedestrian activity or if dedicated bike lanes had been included in the ROW. But, the Villa DeLeon is virtually on the street and were the walks any wider than a suburban 4 feet? The sidewalks are shamefully narrow and IIRC, not very pedestrian friendly.

What I also am not fond of is the proposal to close the Peach Street railroad crossing. Less route options, more construction and more congestion. It's going to be a mess down there. I suppose I am lucky to be close to Northside, but I-35 southbound is usually another mess.

I suppose one man's traffic calming is another man's obstructed access. Calm traffic=congestion. Time will tell whether my opinion is valid.

[Fort Worthology]

I have spent a lot of time on Samuels, chronicling the development of Trinity Bluff and otherwise. Thus far, I have not had much problem with the dimensions of the street. I still don't have a major problem, but I do see some potential problems on the horizon because of a combination of factors.

Andres Duany once noted that when you deploy urbanism in its entirety, it works incredibly well. If you deploy it half-*ssed, things can be more problematic. There is a large "kit of parts" for great places, and only using one or two doesn't get us there. This plays into Samuels, but it also plays into this quote:

The theory may be popular but from someone who has to pull out on Berry east of University twice a day it is extremely dangerous. The parked cars block the view of oncoming traffic downhill from the side street. Every day I wait for a break in traffic and slowly pull out blindly not knowing if anyone is coming. I haven't noticed a slowdown and constantly almost get hit by oncoming traffic.

The fact that you have to pull out slowly indicates something positive, but otherwise I feel that the problem on Berry is that it is a half-*ssed situation. The design of the brief stretch of Berry where you have the new wide sidewalks, the streetscaping, the medians, the reduced traffic lanes, the on-street parking, etc. is rather well-designed. The problem is (at least) twofold:

One, the stretch of Berry where this design is used is relatively microscopic.
Two, the development on Berry is, with only a couple of exceptions, not assisting in creating a calmed street.

The development problem is transitional, of course, and can't be solved overnight. Along Berry, you have only two new developments that really embrace the form of the kind of street they city would like Berry to be - the Grand Marc and the new TCU Bookstore. This is not a discussion of architectural style, but of form. These developments are brought up to the street, engage the sidewalk (for the most part), encourage walking (especially the Grand Marc) and help to create better spatial definition. It is this spatial definition that helps calm traffic as well. You can build a two-lane road through the middle of nowhere and people will still speed. The new Berry, with its two fewer lanes, increased sidewalks, on-street parking, etc. works *in conjunction with* compatible development to create a place where it becomes obvious the central focus of the place is to encourage and support pedestrian life, not funnel cars as quickly as possible. The problem arises that, because the Grand Marc and the bookstore are the *only* developments so far that do so (apart from a tiny handful of older structures), this sense is not yet in place. All the other development on Berry, pre-dating the current street project, is auto-centric, low-density development that is completely and utterly focused on people moving about in cars. Think CVS/Walgreens-style pharmacies, fast-food places, gas stations, drive-through banks, etc. which is what the majority of existing development on the street is comprised of.

The other problem is the scale of the new street. The calmed, more "complete" Berry only exists for a short stretch. Before and after that short stretch, Berry resumes its over-scaled and completely-and-utterly-auto-centric form (it in fact gives up completely even before reaching the new bookstore, which retains the extra turn lane and created an excessive curb cut which does nothing to help pedestrians cross the street).

Combine the short stretch of the new design with the fact that new development has not yet arrived to support a calmer and more mixed-traffic streetscape, and drivers view the new design as mainly a temporary obstacle at best, and because development has not "caught up" to the new situation, it still *feels* subconsciously to drivers to be a world exclusively for them - hence the continued speeding. Berry is currently working only with a couple of components from what Duany called the "kit of parts."

And now, we come to Samuels.

What I also am not fond of is the proposal to close the Peach Street railroad crossing. Less route options, more construction and more congestion

One of the components of the "kit of parts" of great urban places is their connectivity. In contrast to the modern American suburb, which uses a series of dead-end, looping auto-oriented streets feeding into only a handful of "collectors" and "arterials" resulting in only a handful of ways to get from one place to another, urban settings feature interconnected street networks. This connectivity allows the traffic loads to be spread over a greater number of streets, resulting in streets that can be much, much smaller and much more friendly to pedestrians, cyclists, and transit as well as the automobile. These interconnected streets can take several forms, from the grids of places like downtown Fort Worth (which, unfortunately, has several interruptions in its small-scale grid in the form of superblocks):



To a classic "streetcar suburb" like the Near Southside:



To the more organic interconnected webs of older European cities and some smaller American pre-war towns:



The point is, as Andy alluded to: many paths, many streets, many options. This works beautifully.

This is why some otherwise fine enough developments can look urban, and even somewhat perform as such, but wind up being a kind of super-dense suburbia. Compare the setting of West 7th, by Cypress Equities, in a conventional grid with many routes and ingress/egress and is fully integrated into its surroundings:



To So7, which has but a handful of ways in and out and has absolutely no connectivity with its surroundings - in fact, it actively blocks connections in its current form:



What does this have to do with Samuels?

Recently, I was riding my bike back from Fuzzy's on Race Street and passed through the Uptown area. One is struck by how few connections are in the area and how little connectivity there actually is, mainly due to the railroad. There are a couple of other ways to get in and out apart from Samuels, but they are neither obvious nor especially well designed or cared for. There is Peach, crossing the railroad between Grant and Harding, and Gounah, crossing the railroad between Harding and Nichols, and Cold Springs, crossing the railroad between Woods and Hampton. Even once one is across the tracks, one must navigate a soup of streets that have been chopped & rearranged by the railroad and by the Weatherford/Belknap alignments. One may have to head multiple blocks in the wrong direction to get to streets that actually connect. Once east of the railroad, the closest ways to get back across are the Weatherford/Belknap bridge (which requires awkward routing to get to if in a car and is so completely auto-dominated as to be almost a non-option for pedestrians or bicycles) or 1st Street, but I am concerned that 1st will not be a through connection forever due to the railroad.

There is no other logical way to get into the Bluffs than Samuels, once one crosses the Belknap/Weatherford area and heads down Bluff. There is no road along the river, and won't be until the TRV arrives decades hence. Even once that's complete, it remains to be seen how connected the "waterfront drive" would be. There's also no pedestrian or bicycle connection across the river.

If Peach were closed due to the Tower 55 improvements (as it likely will be), Samuels will have connectivity similar to your typical exurban housing pod. In a connected urban grid, the form of Samuels would not be a problem - this is seen all over the world. A two-lane street with street parking is fine for such a setting in a fully integrated grid. Along the Bluffs? It is indeed not as certain as I used to hope.

Compare a similar sort of development in some ways, the State-Thomas neighborhood of Uptown Dallas, which is a fabulously full, dense, active, and mature neighborhood. It sits within a fully connected grid, with multiple ingress and egress points and multiple routes. No streets in State-Thomas are larger than Samuels, and there is no congestion. (It also helps that State-Thomas is fully connected to McKinney Avenue as well as featuring a small number of businesses in the center of the neighborhood, giving people a reason to get out and walk and enjoy the neighborhood rather than heading everywhere with their car, where Trinity Bluff is thus far a single-use development whose closest real urban activity area is Sundance Square to the southwest across two over-scaled speedways in the form of Belknap and Weatherford and a smattering of barren parking lots and incompatible development.)

The streetcar committee results show a line running to a point near Pioneer's Rest Cemetery. With the construction already completed I don't see how that is possible and even if the proper turn radii would be possible, the congestion would make operations a nightmare.

The current Uptown stub of the streetcar proposal is indeed the one part I think rather stupid in its current design. Running a streetcar to the area has merit, but that particular form makes little sense in its present configuration.

I suppose I wouldn't be as disappointed if the sidewalks had been upsized to an urban scale to allow for more pedestrian activity or if dedicated bike lanes had been included in the ROW. But, the Villa DeLeon is virtually on the street and were the walks any wider than a suburban 4 feet? The sidewalks are shamefully narrow and IIRC, not very pedestrian friendly.

Some of the sidewalks are decently wide, some look a little narrow. They look a bit confused in some ways, like here in Brian's photo:



The other problem with the sidewalks is that they're sort of "backward" in a way. Great sidewalks provide plenty of room to walk and talk, provide buffers from traffic, and help with spatial definition. These sidewalks do have some buffering from traffic, in the form of the parked cars, but it's sort of disappointing to see that the streetlights and street trees are inboard next to the development, rather than out along the street helping to define the space. Another example seen here:



Yes, it's a small thing, but the devil is often in the details. Compare and contrast with these images from my own database of photos of great places - scale, setting, and use changes, but the form/arrangement of great (or even just good) sidewalks tends to follow a pattern:


Downtown Fort Worth


Magnolia Avenue, Near Southside


2nd Street District, Austin


Pearl District, Portland


Chinatown, Portland


Downtown, Portland


Pearl District, Portland


Downtown, Portland


Mississippi Avenue, Portland


Mississippi Avenue, Portland


Goose Hollow, Portland


Northwest District, Portland


Northwest District, Portland


State-Thomas, Dallas


Uptown, Dallas


State-Thomas, Dallas

You get the idea. This sort of arrangement is often specified by code in urban districts because it helps create great, walkable sidewalks - by pushing the treets, lights, etc. out to the street edge, you're not only increasing the buffer between cars and pedestrians, you're also letting the streetscaping play off the urban form of the buildings to further enhance the sense of enclosure that is key to making people feel comfortable and happy on the sidewalk. It's been done for ages - not because they didn't have room to put them anywhere else, or something like that, but for specific reasons of supporting street life.

A good, clear example of this that has been written into code can be found here in Fort Worth, in the Near Southside development standards. Similar (but from my experience, less clear and less well-illustrated) sections are in the Downtown and Trinity Uptown design standards:

5.A - INTENTS AND PRINCIPLES
STREETS AND PUBLIC SPACES

7. Adhere to time-tested roadside design strategies that create walkable streets, including shade trees and pedestrian lights located along the curb, between the roadway and the walkway.















3. ROADSIDE ELEMENTS
a. Street trees
2. Public and private development shall provide shade trees within the street tree/furniture zone.
c. Pedestrian Lights
1. New public and private development shall provide pedestrian lights within the roadside's street tree/furniture zone.

I don't want to come across as being overly critical - I just figure that if there's anywhere to get all nerdy and in-depth on things, it's the development area's own thread.

[AndyN]

Excellent analysis, Kevin. Glad to see you back.

[John S.]

Great in-depth analysis, Kevin. As we all know, the Metroplex as a whole is still very much automobile-centric. Glad you shared photos of Portland, OR which is perhaps the most pedestrian and bicycle friendly place in the country. My mother lives in the Portland area and I was amazed at the different kinds of streetcscapes and pedestrian-focused new development and historic preservation ethic embraced by Portland. Doubtful in my lifetime Fort Worth will take on a Portland, OR type street "vibe" but there is still a lot of room for making minor improvements. I'm really appreciative that you showed examples of what makes an urban setting desireable and scaled for people. Maybe local developers will take notice of these ideas and incorporate them into Fort Worth's future built environment. As you pointed out, there's some of that already happening along Magnolia, the Central Business District downtown (Sundance Square-Main Street) and in a couple of other places. With Metroplex suburbs and exurbs sprawling out now almost to the Oklahoma border, the old automobile culture will still be a necessary evil for a long time.

[redhead]

Kevin, In Trinity Bluff, I think part of the reason it was done with lights and the trees on the opposite side of the sidewalk was due to street right of way. You may or may not recall that Samuels was significantly wider, and was "stoved down" using the parallel parking on either side to make the actual street smaller. The ROW for street, did not change, however. I think that is the reason the planting is located where it is. Additionally, the entire streetscape had to be coordinated and approved by the city, as well as the city council, because some of the pedestrian improvements were eligible for a NTCOG grant. FYI.

[Fort Worthology]

Kevin, In Trinity Bluff, I think part of the reason it was done with lights and the trees on the opposite side of the sidewalk was due to street right of way. You may or may not recall that Samuels was significantly wider, and was "stoved down" using the parallel parking on either side to make the actual street smaller. The ROW for street, did not change, however. I think that is the reason the planting is located where it is. Additionally, the entire streetscape had to be coordinated and approved by the city, as well as the city council, because some of the pedestrian improvements were eligible for a NTCOG grant. FYI.

Thanks - I know it's a quibble, and I hope I didn't come across as being too negative. Appreciate the explanation.

Speaking of Villa de Leon, I finally had the opportunity to tour the building. While it's not my personal style (I'm a loft guy), it is a beautiful development and very high quality - it's obvious that Struhs has put a lot of care and attention into his flagship development.

http://fortwortholog...-villa-de-leon/







http://fortwortholog...-villa-de-leon/

[JBB]

Wow. What a view!

[Brian Luenser]

I took this picture with my biggest lens from the Burnett Plaza building on Saturday.

I really like this development and would love to live there for sure. But if I were a guessing man, from this image it looks mostly empty still.
Pretty much a hillbilly census, granted, but on a hot afternoon, it would seem that any of these West facing windows would have blinds or curtains closed. And maybe furniture. I hope I am wrong and it is doing better than it looks. Sure could be if it had been a year earlier or 2 years later the place would have sold out pretty quickly. I am not speculating that sales were slow there. (Saw the developer on TV stating so) I think at that time they stated they would lease the units. Like many buildings that did not sell their units. The Tower never leased any units because pretty much all 292 condo's sold out in a month or two. A great building, good value and the first of its kind in downtown. (Owning a hi-rise condo) It could be there was exactly 292 people wanting condos downtown. (there is something to that) but surely thrown into that mix is the economy in general. Good then, poor now. General supply and demand of course. The T&P put a lot of condos downtown at once. (Not unlike the Tower, but in addition to The Tower) Home prices have been rising a little lately giving at least mild encouragement. Villa is a great place. I hope they can hang on until demand rises. (We sure can't blame interest rates at they are like nothing...) Sure wish I was a kid again buying my first house now. My first new house in Arlington was at 11 7/8%. (And only got that with 30% down)

[John S.]

I took this picture with my biggest lens from the Burnett Plaza building on Saturday.

Nice photo, Brian, as are nearly all of your downtown FW shots. Perhaps today's "monsoonal" type rains will offer some unique photo opportunities. As for Villa De Leon, there is nothing wrong with it structurally or esthetically, it is and will remain one's of FW's nicest urban residential sites. However, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, we are now smack in the middle of a recession in Fort Worth. The relatively prosperous days of the Barnett Shale activity boom have greatly dimmed with nat. gas declining from $14 to around $4 per market unit. Energy boom and busts are almost as old as Fort Worth and Texas; I've lived through a few of them myself. Against this economic backdrop we should pause to look at the current situation in the neighborhood.

I think a distinct drag on the popularity of Villa De Leon and the south end of Samuels' development is one of perception. As most everyone knows, Samuels Avenue had a pretty unsavory image and reputation until the new development arrived. While some "rebranding" and polishing up the area's public image was part of the redevelopment process, it was never completed and the rough edges are still visible to all. From a developer's perspective, having low income and faded old housing just north of the sparkling new development creates an "image" problem. On the one hand, you are asking top-tier pricing for your living units yet there's an unfinished atmosphere and look to the area that indicates it still has a way to go for such primo prices to be honestly justified. Part of the luxury living experience is providing a feeling of exclusivity in a coveted neighborhood. The new development doesn't have that coveted feel; instead, it has the artificial feel made of instant gentrification without enough evidence that it is real and lasting. So, either development of quality needs to continue along Samuels (albeit, at the expense of the older structures) or the historic homes there should be restored and new, appropriate in-fill houses compatible with the historic neighborhood's character need to be built alongside them. Given that development is stalled right now, everyone with a stake in the neighborhood's future has the time to take a careful look and decide on that path. Otherwise two separate worlds will exist within the same small neighborhood and that cannot be good for either's future.

[eastfwther]

I think a distinct drag on the popularity of Villa De Leon and the south end of Samuels' development is one of perception.

I very much agree with your assessment of the problems facing Deleon. I'll add my two cents:
First of all, the pricing is simply outrageous for Fort Worth. Second, Fort Worth has never been a city that was bold in regard to architecture and the architecture of this place is boring and lacks any imagination. That acrustone stuff was a really bad idea. You could hang a "Comfort Suites" sign on the building and no one would be none the wiser. In my opinion, the style of this building, doesn't fit the (possibly) gentrifying neighborhood. And there is a type of buyer that will buy into this type of rough around the edges neighborhood like Samuels. Unfortunately, I don't think the exterior, even more so, the interior, beckons "that" type of buyer. The interior is too much like a mini mcmansion. Not at all the type of clean lines, modern space that younger, and some older, urban dwellers want. This is a condo building much better suited for Monticello than Samuels. I think we can expect to see lots of leases here as well as substantial discounts in sale prices.

[John S.]

[I very much agree with your assessment of the problems facing Deleon. I'll add my two cents:
First of all, the pricing is simply outrageous for Fort Worth. Second, Fort Worth has never been a city that was bold in regard to architecture and the architecture of this place is boring and lacks any imagination. That acrustone stuff was a really bad idea. You could hang a "Comfort Suites" sign on the building and no one would be none the wiser. In my opinion, the style of this building, doesn't fit the (possibly) gentrifying neighborhood. And there is a type of buyer that will buy into this type of rough around the edges neighborhood like Samuels. Unfortunately, I don't think the exterior, even more so, the interior, beckons "that" type of buyer. The interior is too much like a mini mcmansion. Not at all the type of clean lines, modern space that younger, and some older, urban dwellers want. This is a condo building much better suited for Monticello than Samuels. I think we can expect to see lots of leases here as well as substantial discounts in sale prices.

Thanks for your comments. I very much agree with your views. Although VDL was much ballyhoo'ed as cutting-edge, exclusive, and unique, in the end it is rather mundane and understated, not what one might expect from the most expensive condos in our City. Compare that to the new Omni, for example. You're also correct in putting a "possible" on the on-going gentrification aspect. As of right now, it is limited to a two block area south of Belknap and stops just short of the old cemetery. There the "rough edges" begin. It's somewhat ironic that we received a contract offer on our property in 2008 from a developer who was going to build 10 LEED (Green) certified living units (don't remember if they were condos or apartments) on our 1/2 acre of land. Given that it meant demolition of our historic home and it would be the very first new development in the middle of the neighborhood, we countered at our full asking price and the developer went away. (our property is still for sale, BTW) Had we sold, I wonder what Samuels might look like today? So, in conclusion, development will likely come down Samuels but right now the recession is holding everything in check. This buys extra time to see if the historic homes remaining can be integrated into the future layout of the neighborhood or not. Time will tell...

[John S.]

My spouse walked by Villa De Leon this AM and passed by Mr. Struhs. She stopped, they exchanged pleasantries, and she asked him how things were going. He told her that VDL was for sale, not just the individual units, but the entire building. She thinks he was serious, but he didn't disclose a price. It's probably not the best time to be in the high-end condo business in Fort Worth.

[vjackson]

My spouse walked by Villa De Leon this AM and passed by Mr. Struhs. She stopped, they exchanged pleasantries, and she asked him how things were going. He told her that VDL was for sale, not just the individual units, but the entire building. She thinks he was serious, but he didn't disclose a price. It's probably not the best time to be in the high-end condo business in Fort Worth.

Most of the problems with VDL have pretty much been covered in the last few posts, but
with some reconfiguring, this place would make a cool boutique hotel.

[David Love]

My spouse walked by Villa De Leon this AM and passed by Mr. Struhs. She stopped, they exchanged pleasantries, and she asked him how things were going. He told her that VDL was for sale, not just the individual units, but the entire building. She thinks he was serious, but he didn't disclose a price. It's probably not the best time to be in the high-end condo business in Fort Worth.

Most of the problems with VDL have pretty much been covered in the last few posts, but
with some reconfiguring, this place would make a cool boutique hotel.

DFW hotel bankruptcy numbers have recently tripled.

[tjh1]

My spouse walked by Villa De Leon this AM and passed by Mr. Struhs. She stopped, they exchanged pleasantries, and she asked him how things were going. He told her that VDL was for sale, not just the individual units, but the entire building. She thinks he was serious, but he didn't disclose a price. It's probably not the best time to be in the high-end condo business in Fort Worth.

Most of the problems with VDL have pretty much been covered in the last few posts, but
with some reconfiguring, this place would make a cool boutique hotel.

I like that idea. Fort Worth is seriously lacking in boutique hotels--The Ashton being the only one I would classify as a legit boutique hotel.

[Keller Pirate]

My spouse walked by Villa De Leon this AM and passed by Mr. Struhs. She stopped, they exchanged pleasantries, and she asked him how things were going. He told her that VDL was for sale, not just the individual units, but the entire building. She thinks he was serious, but he didn't disclose a price. It's probably not the best time to be in the high-end condo business in Fort Worth.

Most of the problems with VDL have pretty much been covered in the last few posts, but
with some reconfiguring, this place would make a cool boutique hotel.

I like that idea. Fort Worth is seriously lacking in boutique hotels--The Ashton being the only one I would classify as a legit boutique hotel.

Another boutique hotel wouldn't hurt. However, the VDL isn't that close to downtown and the walk isn't that attractive, plus it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Turning those condo's into hotel rooms would cost a lot of money. I think something else needs to happen in the neighborhood before it would be a good high end hotel location.

[John S.]

[/quote]Another boutique hotel wouldn't hurt. However, the VDL isn't that close to downtown and the walk isn't that attractive, plus it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Turning those condo's into hotel rooms would cost a lot of money. I think something else needs to happen in the neighborhood before it would be a good high end hotel location.[/quote]


There already is a hotel just a stone's throw away but as a Marriot brand extended stay hotel it's hard to classify it as "high-end". Then there's the issue of an existing owner already purchasing the top floor of VDL, so a hotel conversion would appear unlikely. But in this economy, I suppose anything can happen...

[vjackson]

According to the Star Telegram, VDL is leasing units. Not a single unit has sold.

http://www.star-tele...-more-real.html

[Brian Luenser]

Wife and I walked up Samuels Blvd. last night at dusk. It has really become a very nice street. (To me. I am sure it has been a very nice street to many for 100 years) I think they have done a really great job with the street and sidewalks and lighting. Very interesting brick treatments in the sidewalks etc... All the apartments over there really seem first class. Lincoln Park I think. Sure the folks that live above the river on the West side are treated to some premium stink' views. Downtown, the Trinity, Ballpark, TCC etc... Really great.

Villa DeLeon. Sure do like it. I think if the economy had not collapsed it would be doing great. They are expensive. I think they are worth a lot more to me personally than they used to because it is easier for me to buy into the neighborhood now as I can see the progress. Again, I have nothing against little old houses. I do have something against junky houses with barking dogs. They are going by he wayside it seems. The two icky places next to Villa always had a chained up (I would bark too) dog ruining the entire neighborhood. It seems they may be gone now as the street was more peaceful and quiet than I have ever seen it. A few photos of the street and Villa. And one from the apartments across the street from Villa as it is part of my story...

This neighborhood is going to do great.

[Dismuke]

According to the Star Telegram, VDL is leasing units. Not a single unit has sold.

http://www.star-tele...-more-real.html

Well, if they are are not able to lease the units any better than they were able to sell them, TCC could always come along and purchase all 84 units at their full original asking price and convert each unit into a dorm room to go along with its nearby $1,538 per square foot campus. TCC will then have not only the ugliest, most expensive (on a per square foot basis) campus of any school in the country, they will also have the coolest dorm rooms!

[Brian Luenser]

I read the Business section of the paper yesterday where it stated none of the Villa units were sold. I thought, "Yikes, the Villa people are sure going to be unhappy about that as it is mostly an exaggeration." I was really thinking it was like 40% sold. I just now thought to look at the TAD records. It shows 1 unit not owned by Villa De Leon LTD. That would be pretty disappointing to the developer all right. I do think it was kind of a mean thing for the Telegram to say. They should have said "Sales have been disappointing." Would have been correct and much nicer. Think about being the developer today and a prospective buyer coming in after having read that article. You can just imagine he will be dealing with clowns pulling the, "I know you want 1.4 million but I will give you 400k considering this place is going bust" offers.

Speaking of the Star Telegram article, I do like the fact that there is a training course for Realtors to learn about listing and selling downtown properties. It is a different place and condos are not just like houses. (Condo Assoc. paperwork, parking issues, condo rules, getting approvals by the condo assoc. in the first place etc...)

[Dismuke]

I do think it was kind of a mean thing for the Telegram to say. They should have said "Sales have been disappointing." Would have been correct and much nicer. Think about being the developer today and a prospective buyer coming in after having read that article. You can just imagine he will be dealing with clowns pulling the, "I know you want 1.4 million but I will give you 400k considering this place is going bust" offers.

I will defend the Star-Telegram on this. It is not their job to make things easier for properties or businesses that are not performing as they had hoped to. Their job is to simply report the truth, however unpleasant it might be. And I think the fact that such a nice and highly visible building has only sold one unit after all this time is quite remarkable and definitely newsworthy.

Besides, I am not sure that the article ultimately does that much harm. Isn't the lack of sales something that is going to be pretty evident and come out during the sales process anyway? And given that, and given the state of the economy and that it is, right now, a "buyers market," wouldn't any person inclined to make a lowball offer based on the newspaper article probably be inclined to do so anyway?

[John S.]

I do think it was kind of a mean thing for the Telegram to say. They should have said "Sales have been disappointing." Would have been correct and much nicer. Think about being the developer today and a prospective buyer coming in after having read that article. You can just imagine he will be dealing with clowns pulling the, "I know you want 1.4 million but I will give you 400k considering this place is going bust" offers.

I will defend the Star-Telegram on this. It is not their job to make things easier for properties or businesses that are not performing as they had hoped to. Their job is to simply report the truth, however unpleasant it might be. And I think the fact that such a nice and highly visible building has only sold one unit after all this time is quite remarkable and definitely newsworthy.

Besides, I am not sure that the article ultimately does that much harm. Isn't the lack of sales something that is going to be pretty evident and come out during the sales process anyway? And given that, and given the state of the economy and that it is, right now, a "buyers market," wouldn't any person inclined to make a lowball offer based on the newspaper article probably be inclined to do so anyway?

Nice neighborhood photos, Brian. Dismuke, I agree that there is no way to "whitewash" the reality of the local real estate market these days. We just ended our realtor listing and now have our property back to "for sale by owners". I had a candid discussion about the current state of the market with our realtor and basically, it amounts to people being scared because of the uncertainty in the local and national economy. Buying real estate is a huge investment for most people and right now, no one knows the long term prospects for real estate. The old economic model of real estate was, that over time, it was fairly certain to appreciate in value and during the "bubble" of the past decade, some markets had meteoric rises in values. But it seems these days that old investment model is obsolete and real estate can no longer be counted on as a monetarily appreciating investment. Most economists will emphatically tell you deflation is very bad and indicative of a very weak economy. Japan went through a period of 20 years of economic weakness and deflation and some feel we may have a similar situation at hand here. In today's real estate market, deflation in values is exactly what is happening thus making real estate far less attractive to investors than in the past. Until the foreclosures and mortgage defaults drop back to pre-recession levels, I don't see much improvement in the real estate picture. Moreover, banks have tightened their lending standards so those few people who have good credit and want to buy can find the bargains they are looking for. I predict a number of years of continued uncertainty and weakness; I'd certainly love to be wrong on this one.

As for VDL, I think the timing of development was very unfortunate. Had it been completed just two years earlier, one could make a fairly strong argument that most if not all of the units would have been sold. But Condo developers in Miami and Las Vegas sitting with huge empty towers are probably wishing the same. I can only hope that we are nearing the bottom of this abyssmal market and that a slow recovery is somewhere on the horizon. If there is any silver lining in the dark cloudy real estate market, it is that this lull buys time for preserving those historic homes on Samuels Avenue worthy of that effort.

As for those two non-descript bungalows at the foot of VDL, they belong to the legendary Marion Burda who, by selling his multi-acre low-rent properties, got the whole Samuels Ave re-development movement going. By agreement with our local developer, Mr. Burda can remain and retain these two properties for life and by all accounts, he will do just that. Samuels Avenue is the most unique neighborhood we've ever lived in and really has lots of "character". (and some pretty interesting "characters" as well)

[cberen1]

Samuels Avenue is the most unique neighborhood we've ever lived in and really has lots of "character". (and some pretty interesting "characters" as well)

I've got a friend whose daughter wants to move into the Samuels Ave. area. He's not realy familiar with the neighborhood. Anything I can tell him to make him feel better about it?

-Chuck

[JBB]

I do think it was kind of a mean thing for the Telegram to say. They should have said "Sales have been disappointing." Would have been correct and much nicer. Think about being the developer today and a prospective buyer coming in after having read that article. You can just imagine he will be dealing with clowns pulling the, "I know you want 1.4 million but I will give you 400k considering this place is going bust" offers.

Any serious buyer or realtor with half a brain would know the status of the building with or without the newspaper being "mean".

[Brian Luenser]

I do think it was kind of a mean thing for the Telegram to say. They should have said "Sales have been disappointing." Would have been correct and much nicer. Think about being the developer today and a prospective buyer coming in after having read that article. You can just imagine he will be dealing with clowns pulling the, "I know you want 1.4 million but I will give you 400k considering this place is going bust" offers.

Any serious buyer or realtor with half a brain would know the status of the building with or without the newspaper being "mean".

Surely we have a few Forum members with at least half a brain and I don't remember anybody marveling at the fact that none have sold. I also know people that considered purchasing a condo there. (One friend, really smart, that ultimately bought up top at the Omni was not aware of that fact.)

[Dismuke]

Brian, how long ago did your friends consider purchasing there and how seriously did they follow up on it after their initial consideration? On something like this, the amount of time that has gone by is an important factor. It is one thing for sales to get off to a slow start. But every month that goes by without a single unit of out 84 selling the more noteworthy and remarkable the fact becomes - something far more significant than merely "disappointing" sales.

There is also the issue that, even if a prospective buyer was not aware, to NOT share this knowledge with them is to do them a very profound disservice.

Imagine if one of the friends you mention had actually purchased one of the units. They would definitely be "upside down" on any mortgage they might have on the place. And if they had paid in cash - imagine buying into what you believe will be an exclusive community of owners only to find out that the only other residents will end up being renters. My guess is they will be quality renters and nobody will likely hold their nose and say "yuck, there goes the neighborhood." But I can see why a lone buyer would not be especially thrilled by it.

And no matter the quality of the renters, something like this certainly makes one wonder what will happen to the development in the long run.

If you had knowledge of the building's situation, would YOU allow a friend you knew to be considering making a purchase to remain in the dark on the matter just to help out the owners of the property? If so, don't you think that might result in your friend perhaps saying that it is YOU who is "mean"?

And the Star-Telegram could have been far "meaner" than this if they had wanted to. They could have run a front page article about how a very nice luxury development has been unable sell a single unit with detailed analysis as to what went wrong and why. Had they done so, nobody would be able to say that the story was somehow non-newsworthy.

[UncaMikey]

... imagine buying into what you believe will be an exclusive community of owners only to find out that the only other residents will end up being renters. ...

You touched on what I think has been the biggest problem VDL faces -- not just renters in the same building, but renters throughout the immediate neighborhood. I think the developer made a huge mistake placing an expensive property in the midst of a sea of rental units. If you are in the market for a $1M condo, do you want to be surrounded by 800 or more rental apartments?

[Fort Worthology]

[If you are in the market for a $1M condo, do you want to be surrounded by 800 or more rental apartments?

800 or more very nice, quite high-end apartments, to be fair.

I don't think the presence of Lincoln's projects is the key to this. There are super-posh condos/townhomes mixed in with apartments across the country, including here in Texas (heck, including here in Fort Worth) that do fine. It's an urban neighborhood - you're going to be in a mix of housing types. That's the point, after all.

Nasty economy + expensive units is enough.

[Brian Luenser]

I am amazed at the number of people renting these days. Like the nice apartments (Townhouses included) along Samuels. They are giving away houses these days and interest rates are like 3%. I can only guess these people mostly have credit scores of 510. Surely some of these people only plan on being in town a year and what not.

I wish I was 20 needing my first house right now. (Rates were 12% when I was looking for my first house) And you, like, had to have a real job and 20% down to get a loan.

[UncaMikey]

I can only guess these people mostly have credit scores of 510. Surely some of these people only plan on being in town a year and what not.

You'd be surprised at how many of us renters are old, with good credit. :-) After retiring four years ago and selling our house, I hope to never own real estate again.

[vjackson]

I am amazed at the number of people renting these days. Like the nice apartments (Townhouses included) along Samuels.

Maybe some of these renters would buy downtown, maybe even right down the street at VDL, if they were not expected to pay almost a million dollars for a condo. Sorry, but even in a good economy, VDL was greatly overpriced. The fact that none sold doesn't surprise me one bit.

[John S.]

Samuels Avenue is the most unique neighborhood we've ever lived in and really has lots of "character". (and some pretty interesting "characters" as well)

I've got a friend whose daughter wants to move into the Samuels Ave. area. He's not realy familiar with the neighborhood. Anything I can tell him to make him feel better about it?

-Chuck

Hi Chuck,

Just got through taking a gentleman who has a university photo-journalism assignment around the place and even in for a mini-tour of our historic home. He also took photos around the Getzendanner and landmarked Garvey House in the 700 block. The neighborhood today is about as safe as any in Fort Worth and has long had an active Citizens on Patrol group as well as a neighborhood police storefront. While a decade or two ago, people were sometimes afraid to walk down the sidewalks, today, young mothers and couples with strollers ply the sidewalks while bicyclists and joggers go from one end of the neighborhood to the end and back. Have your friend talk to our NPO (neighborhood patrol officer) for local crime stats-the last I heard, ours were among the lowest in Fort Worth. While there are still a couple of "sketchy" areas and pockets of poverty to the east of Samuels (and Greer St. to the west) overall, Samuels Avenue has improved greatly in the past few years with all the new development on the south end. Had not the Great Recession arrived when it did, probably by now most of the neighborhood would be re-developed. The future is anyone's guess but I can see no reason for development not to pick up again where it left off once the local economy gains some strength again. Lincoln Park apartments, according to some I've talked to, are now fully leased, so new apartments may be the beginning of the next phase of redevelopment whenever it comes. I assume your friend's daughter is looking at an apartment or condo on the south end? If your friend wants a neighborhood tour, PM me and I'll try to help out. John

[John S.]

[If you are in the market for a $1M condo, do you want to be surrounded by 800 or more rental apartments?

800 or more very nice, quite high-end apartments, to be fair.

I don't think the presence of Lincoln's projects is the key to this. There are super-posh condos/townhomes mixed in with apartments across the country, including here in Texas (heck, including here in Fort Worth) that do fine. It's an urban neighborhood - you're going to be in a mix of housing types. That's the point, after all.

Nasty economy + expensive units is enough.

Thanks for making that distinction. The West 7th corridor development has a similar mix as well as retail and, as you point out, mixed use downtown development which includes apartments and condos is not unexpected nor incompatible. I believe the Turtle Creek area of Dallas has a similar mix. I was a bit concerned when the new "extended-stay" Marriot was being built right next to Belknap that esthetically it might marginalize the look of the new residential development but at least for now, it seem compatible. "Molly the Trolley" is often parked out in front these days.

VDL is primarily a victim of the current recession. The severe economic downturn coincided with the double whammy of rapidly declining natural gas prices-which really took the wind out of the Barnett Shale boom, so the recession hit here fast and went deep very quickly. Energy prices are showing a little bit of a rebound in recent weeks so maybe we can look forward to slow but steady improvement in coming months and years. I don't see any chance for a quick rebound to pre-recession levels but overall Texas is better positioned than many other States in this current recession.

[John S.]

I am amazed at the number of people renting these days. Like the nice apartments (Townhouses included) along Samuels. They are giving away houses these days and interest rates are like 3%. I can only guess these people mostly have credit scores of 510. Surely some of these people only plan on being in town a year and what not.

Brian,

I think the FW real estate market reflects the uncertainty and fear a lot of people are experiencing these days. While the national unemployment figures continue to hover around the 10% level these "official" figures do not reflect the actual number of unemployed nor do they tell us which companies may be considering further downsizing and/or layoffs. In this kind of volatile economic environment few people feel secure enough to buy real estate at market rates so many are taking the more cautious and prudent approach by renting/leasing. There are almost countless people who bought at the peak of the real estate boom and now find themselves "upside" down with houses they can't unload for anywhere near enough to cover what they still owe on them. That situation has made many otherwise responsible people simply mail in their keys to the mortgage company and walk away. Texas real estate did not boom as in other states and property values have only slightly dipped-but no one knows if we're at the bottom of the market or if it still has some ways to decline. Given this reality coupled with job uncertainty and the new tighter lending standards, (wondering to myself: what will happen to those millions of people who have lost their former good credit during this recession?) I can't expect much improvement in our local markets until there's less economic uncertainty. On the other hand, it should be a good time to be in the residential rental business for the next couple of years.