West Bryan development

4,983 Views | 31 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by woodiewood1
PS3D
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bcstx06 said:

I have been one the ones that have criticized the Towerpoint area development. My criticism has been in the planning/design of the area, not necessarily the businesses that have located there.

I think the people living in West Bryan would agree that they would take 1/10th of the business development that South College Station has seen. West Bryan has seen so much growth pretty much all areas, but when it comes to retail and restaurants its lacking tremendously.

It seems like the City of Bryan could do something to attract more retail and restaurants to the area.


I wanted to reply to this but didn't want to clutter up the C&G thread further. I think this poster is vastly overestimating West Bryan and how it in no way compares to Tower Point. Just looking at Tower Point, it is a very nice location. It's right next to the highway, which is probably one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area and at Highway 40 (also very busy), and within a three mile radius covers a lot of middle to upper class (well upper class for B/CS anyway) areas, including Nantucket, Pebble Creek, Indian Lakes, Castlegate, and Shenandoah, some of which have been around for years and still maintain their value.

In comparison, I guess by "West Bryan" meaning the Villa Maria/2818 intersection, it's nothing like that. Villa Maria/2818 isn't nearly as highly trafficked as 40/6 are, plus despite a lot of development happening west of 2818 including Traditions and a few newer housing developments, but east of 2818 is older, poorer areas which already have a large commercial district (and Tejas Center) to draw from. Tower Point doesn't have competition, its closest point of comparison is the Rock Prairie shopping center two exits down and a small smattering of fast food type places at Rock Prairie/Wellborn and that's pretty much it. I don't think Tower Point is "taking" anything from West Bryan at all.
95_Aggie
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I think the TP HEB gets a lot of business from S. Brazos County and Navasota also. They are not going to drive to West Bryan.
ooshwa
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I moved near TP (Nantucket subdivision) back in 2003 when the area was really only anchored by Pebble Creek. I now live near Hwy47 & VillaMaria, anchored by Traditions and HSC. I consider this area prime for explosion at about the same level as when I left south College Station (2008). It may never be as big/dense as the TP area, but I think we're going to see a lot in the next 5-10 years.

edit: I meant Hwy 47!
PS3D
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ooshwa said:

I moved near TP (Nantucket subdivision) back in 2003 when the area was really only anchored by Pebble Creek. I now live near Hwy40 & VillaMaria, anchored by Traditions and HSC. I consider this area prime for explosion at about the same level as when I left south College Station (2008). It may never be as big/dense as the TP area, but I think we're going to see a lot in the next 5-10 years.
I'm not saying West Bryan has no potential or won't change in 5-10 years, but RIGHT NOW I think that comparing it to Tower Point and thinking it is entitled to more restaurants/shops is a bit pre-emptive at best.
techno-ag
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Don't forget the increased traffic to West Side that RELLIS is going to bring.
ooshwa
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PS3D said:

I'm not saying West Bryan has no potential or won't change in 5-10 years, but RIGHT NOW I think that comparing it to Tower Point and thinking it is entitled to more restaurants/shops is a bit pre-emptive at best.

agreed.
95_Aggie
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Quote:

Don't forget the increased traffic to West Side that RELLIS is going to bring.
They hope ...
ShaggySLC
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The HEB complex going in at 2818 and Wellborn could take business from that area.
95_Aggie
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I am hoping the TP HEB becomes less crowded and zoo-like.
ShaggySLC
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Amen
GSS
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Please show us on a map "Hwy 40 and Villa Maria"






I know, you meant "47"
ooshwa
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my bad. you right.
bcstx06
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PS3D said:

bcstx06 said:

I have been one the ones that have criticized the Towerpoint area development. My criticism has been in the planning/design of the area, not necessarily the businesses that have located there.

I think the people living in West Bryan would agree that they would take 1/10th of the business development that South College Station has seen. West Bryan has seen so much growth pretty much all areas, but when it comes to retail and restaurants its lacking tremendously.

It seems like the City of Bryan could do something to attract more retail and restaurants to the area.


I wanted to reply to this but didn't want to clutter up the C&G thread further. I think this poster is vastly overestimating West Bryan and how it in no way compares to Tower Point. Just looking at Tower Point, it is a very nice location. It's right next to the highway, which is probably one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area and at Highway 40 (also very busy), and within a three mile radius covers a lot of middle to upper class (well upper class for B/CS anyway) areas, including Nantucket, Pebble Creek, Indian Lakes, Castlegate, and Shenandoah, some of which have been around for years and still maintain their value.

In comparison, I guess by "West Bryan" meaning the Villa Maria/2818 intersection, it's nothing like that. Villa Maria/2818 isn't nearly as highly trafficked as 40/6 are, plus despite a lot of development happening west of 2818 including Traditions and a few newer housing developments, but east of 2818 is older, poorer areas which already have a large commercial district (and Tejas Center) to draw from. Tower Point doesn't have competition, its closest point of comparison is the Rock Prairie shopping center two exits down and a small smattering of fast food type places at Rock Prairie/Wellborn and that's pretty much it. I don't think Tower Point is "taking" anything from West Bryan at all.
I never said that TP was taking away development from West Bryan. I basically said that the people in the TP area are complaining about the type of retail and restaurants that they are getting, when the people of West Bryan would be happy if they could see 1/10th of the retail and restaurants that TP has.

And if you want to get specific, I believe that the PetsMart in TP was supposed to go in West Bryan but changed to that location and also the Saltgrass was originally supposed to go in the Bryan Target shopping center. There were also plans for a new Academy Sport and Outdoors in West Bryan.

I think that you are underestimating West Bryan. If you have not been to the area recently I suggest you take a Sunday ride through the area. There is the Traditions area, Lakewalk, Atlas, TAMU Health Science, RELLIS, and much more.

To conclude, I think the City of Bryan needs to do more to attract retail and restaurants to the city period. They can start with a complete redevelopment of Texas Ave.
Bulldoze nearly the whole street.
Clear out all of the shack businesses.
Remove the power lines.
Widen it to 3 lanes in each direction to match the College Station side.

Yeah the city is offering incentives to businesses to redevelop their buildings, but that really doesn't make much of a visible difference. Its akin to putting lipstick on a pig. Come on Bryan! You have to go big to compete.
techno-ag
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AGnCS said:

Quote:

Don't forget the increased traffic to West Side that RELLIS is going to bring.
They hope ...
There's no doubt it will bring increased traffic, that's a certainty. The Blinn building scheduled to open next fall will bring in lots of traffic all by itself, and that's just the beginning.
The Original AG 76
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bcstx06 said:

PS3D said:

bcstx06 said:

I have been one the ones that have criticized the Towerpoint area development. My criticism has been in the planning/design of the area, not necessarily the businesses that have located there.

I think the people living in West Bryan would agree that they would take 1/10th of the business development that South College Station has seen. West Bryan has seen so much growth pretty much all areas, but when it comes to retail and restaurants its lacking tremendously.

It seems like the City of Bryan could do something to attract more retail and restaurants to the area.


I wanted to reply to this but didn't want to clutter up the C&G thread further. I think this poster is vastly overestimating West Bryan and how it in no way compares to Tower Point. Just looking at Tower Point, it is a very nice location. It's right next to the highway, which is probably one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area and at Highway 40 (also very busy), and within a three mile radius covers a lot of middle to upper class (well upper class for B/CS anyway) areas, including Nantucket, Pebble Creek, Indian Lakes, Castlegate, and Shenandoah, some of which have been around for years and still maintain their value.

In comparison, I guess by "West Bryan" meaning the Villa Maria/2818 intersection, it's nothing like that. Villa Maria/2818 isn't nearly as highly trafficked as 40/6 are, plus despite a lot of development happening west of 2818 including Traditions and a few newer housing developments, but east of 2818 is older, poorer areas which already have a large commercial district (and Tejas Center) to draw from. Tower Point doesn't have competition, its closest point of comparison is the Rock Prairie shopping center two exits down and a small smattering of fast food type places at Rock Prairie/Wellborn and that's pretty much it. I don't think Tower Point is "taking" anything from West Bryan at all.
I never said that TP was taking away development from West Bryan. I basically said that the people in the TP area are complaining about the type of retail and restaurants that they are getting, when the people of West Bryan would be happy if they could see 1/10th of the retail and restaurants that TP has.

And if you want to get specific, I believe that the PetsMart in TP was supposed to go in West Bryan but changed to that location and also the Saltgrass was originally supposed to go in the Bryan Target shopping center. There were also plans for a new Academy Sport and Outdoors in West Bryan.

I think that you are underestimating West Bryan. If you have not been to the area recently I suggest you take a Sunday ride through the area. There is the Traditions area, Lakewalk, Atlas, TAMU Health Science, RELLIS, and much more.

To conclude, I think the City of Bryan needs to do more to attract retail and restaurants to the city period. They can start with a complete redevelopment of Texas Ave.
Bulldoze nearly the whole street.
Clear out all of the shack businesses.
Remove the power lines.
Widen it to 3 lanes in each direction to match the College Station side.

Yeah the city is offering incentives to businesses to redevelop their buildings, but that really doesn't make much of a visible difference. Its akin to putting lipstick on a pig. Come on Bryan! You have to go big to compete.
so..exactly what do you intend to do about the many many people who own and work for those little independent small businesses ..the " shacks"? Just cause they don't measure up to some high brow standards are they not worthy of having the ability to participate in the American dream ? Do you include the indy BBQ and Tex-Mex " shacks" that have been there for decades? How bout the small little farmers market " eyesore" ?
Sounds good till you actually think about what you said.
95_Aggie
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Quote:

There's no doubt it will bring increased traffic, that's a certainty. The Blinn building scheduled to open next fall will bring in lots of traffic all by itself, and that's just the beginning.
We'll see how successful RELLIS will actually be in the long run. We have been told this line before. Remember when Research Park was going to be the next Silicon Valley? And how the BioCorridor was going to bring in thousands of jobs?
techno-ag
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AGnCS said:

Quote:

There's no doubt it will bring increased traffic, that's a certainty. The Blinn building scheduled to open next fall will bring in lots of traffic all by itself, and that's just the beginning.
We'll see how successful RELLIS will actually be in the long run. We have been told this line before. Remember when Research Park was going to be the next Silicon Valley? And how the BioCorridor was going to bring in thousands of jobs?
Blinn is kind of a sure thing. They've sunk millions into that campus. They've already got what, 17,000 students in Bryan? I just can't imagine they'd let a new building go unused, but maybe you're right. I doubt that you're right, but maybe you're right.
95_Aggie
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Blinn will probably be very successful. But they are counting on a lot of other things to be successful out there to cover their investment.

It will be a great thing if everything turns out as expected.
techno-ag
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AGnCS said:

Blinn will probably be very successful. But they are counting on a lot of other things to be successful out there to cover their investment.

It will be a great thing if everything turns out as expected.
Frio Cielo
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Retail and service business growth is going to follow where the population growth of persons with discretionary income is greatest.

If I new restaurant is looking at Bryan or College Station, it's a no brainer deciding between the College Station Tower Point/Rock Prairie area and West Bryan. Just take a look at the stats of new builder housing starts and student housing construction and you can see where the growth is. Businesses will follow that trend.

For example, take a look at where the new Whataburger is going. Although it will take a significant percentage of business from both the Dominik and the Rock Prairie sites, they Whataburger planners know where the growth in the area is.

West Bryan will grow as most all areas of the county will, but much slower than southern College Station.
MosesHallRAB83
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As a west Bryan resident, I would kill for a Lowe's or Home Depot near Walmart and a few other food choices. Perhaps as the new Edgewater subdivision fills out and the other development ongoing materializes I will get my wish.

What is the current status of the German grocery store that is/was supposed to go in at NE corner of 2818/Villa Maria (Lidl I think is the name)?
PS3D
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MosesHallRAB83 said:

As a west Bryan resident, I would kill for a Lowe's or Home Depot near Walmart and a few other food choices. Perhaps as the new Edgewater subdivision fills out and the other development ongoing materializes I will get my wish.

What is the current status of the German grocery store that is/was supposed to go in at NE corner of 2818/Villa Maria (Lidl I think is the name)?
Lidl. But the company's been having growing pains and are starting to make management changes to their U.S. division, so it may end up getting delayed (or not happening entirely). I'd say that as for "more food choices" I would expect to see more fast food restaurants before sit-down establishments.
PS3D
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bcstx06 said:

PS3D said:

bcstx06 said:

I have been one the ones that have criticized the Towerpoint area development. My criticism has been in the planning/design of the area, not necessarily the businesses that have located there.

I think the people living in West Bryan would agree that they would take 1/10th of the business development that South College Station has seen. West Bryan has seen so much growth pretty much all areas, but when it comes to retail and restaurants its lacking tremendously.

It seems like the City of Bryan could do something to attract more retail and restaurants to the area.


I wanted to reply to this but didn't want to clutter up the C&G thread further. I think this poster is vastly overestimating West Bryan and how it in no way compares to Tower Point. Just looking at Tower Point, it is a very nice location. It's right next to the highway, which is probably one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area and at Highway 40 (also very busy), and within a three mile radius covers a lot of middle to upper class (well upper class for B/CS anyway) areas, including Nantucket, Pebble Creek, Indian Lakes, Castlegate, and Shenandoah, some of which have been around for years and still maintain their value.

In comparison, I guess by "West Bryan" meaning the Villa Maria/2818 intersection, it's nothing like that. Villa Maria/2818 isn't nearly as highly trafficked as 40/6 are, plus despite a lot of development happening west of 2818 including Traditions and a few newer housing developments, but east of 2818 is older, poorer areas which already have a large commercial district (and Tejas Center) to draw from. Tower Point doesn't have competition, its closest point of comparison is the Rock Prairie shopping center two exits down and a small smattering of fast food type places at Rock Prairie/Wellborn and that's pretty much it. I don't think Tower Point is "taking" anything from West Bryan at all.
I never said that TP was taking away development from West Bryan. I basically said that the people in the TP area are complaining about the type of retail and restaurants that they are getting, when the people of West Bryan would be happy if they could see 1/10th of the retail and restaurants that TP has.

And if you want to get specific, I believe that the PetsMart in TP was supposed to go in West Bryan but changed to that location and also the Saltgrass was originally supposed to go in the Bryan Target shopping center. There were also plans for a new Academy Sport and Outdoors in West Bryan.

I think that you are underestimating West Bryan. If you have not been to the area recently I suggest you take a Sunday ride through the area. There is the Traditions area, Lakewalk, Atlas, TAMU Health Science, RELLIS, and much more.

To conclude, I think the City of Bryan needs to do more to attract retail and restaurants to the city period. They can start with a complete redevelopment of Texas Ave.
Bulldoze nearly the whole street.
Clear out all of the shack businesses.
Remove the power lines.
Widen it to 3 lanes in each direction to match the College Station side.

Yeah the city is offering incentives to businesses to redevelop their buildings, but that really doesn't make much of a visible difference. Its akin to putting lipstick on a pig. Come on Bryan! You have to go big to compete.
So your plan for Bryan renewal is to condemn a major commercial corridor and then use taxpayer moneys to artificially create enhanced districts. Yes, I'm sure that will work out in the long run and not permanently damage the local economy. But really, that's been tried to some extent, such as taking Townshire, giving it a major rehab, and tearing down the old Sears building for a new supermarket. Today, Townshire has a large print shop that takes up maybe a third of the in-line space, a CiCi's, a dollar store, a pawn shop, a "rent-to-own" home furnishings store, a branch of the Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union, and a few nail salons. That's it! Collectively, those things take up another third of the in-line space, an abandoned gas station, and a supermarket space that's been collectively sitting empty longer than it has been open as an operational store.
halibut sinclair
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Let's wait and see.
DontBeTriggered
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Bryan needs to up their game. Texas Avenue from the old Wendys down to Downtown Bryan needs to be revamped. Businesses need to be held to a higher standard concerning landscaping and building updates. Those sketchy motels need to go. That's prime real estate that could rival Restaurant Row on University Dr. It's depressing to see how trashy that HEB area at Villa Maria/Texas looks. Bulldoze the old Hastings and bring in a La Madeline/White Castle/Carrabas or some new venture.
PS3D
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MonkIsMyHero said:

Bryan needs to up their game. Texas Avenue from the old Wendys down to Downtown Bryan needs to be revamped. Businesses need to be held to a higher standard concerning landscaping and building updates. Those sketchy motels need to go. That's prime real estate that could rival Restaurant Row on University Dr. It's depressing to see how trashy that HEB area at Villa Maria/Texas looks. Bulldoze the old Hastings and bring in a La Madeline/White Castle/Carrabas or some new venture.
It's not prime real estate because the land value is low. If the land value was higher, than they would be priced out and wrecked for newer things. Also, "higher standards concerning landscaping and building updates" is one of the things why College Station is harder to work with development-wise.
bcstx06
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Bryan could look into annexing area around RELLIS Campus

http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/bryan-could-look-into-annexing-area-around-rellis-campus/article_548f95e8-acb0-5788-831c-0171c051f7b1.html
Oddity
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Back in my day west Bryan use to be anything West of Texas Avenue. I'm assuming the boundaries have changed within the last 15 years. Now west Bryan is anything west of 2818 between Hwy 21 and F&B road.
GSS
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bcstx06 said:

Bryan could look into annexing area around RELLIS Campus

http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/bryan-could-look-into-annexing-area-around-rellis-campus/article_548f95e8-acb0-5788-831c-0171c051f7b1.html

It would be just another area that would receive substandard benefits from being annexed, while having to deal with city regulations. Look at the CoB city limits map, and tell me how annexation is practical (not denying it's legal, just not ethical).
OnlyANobody
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GSS said:

bcstx06 said:

Bryan could look into annexing area around RELLIS Campus

http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/bryan-could-look-into-annexing-area-around-rellis-campus/article_548f95e8-acb0-5788-831c-0171c051f7b1.html

It would be just another area that would receive substandard benefits from being annexed, while having to deal with city regulations. Look at the CoB city limits map, and tell me how annexation is practical (not denying it's legal, just not ethical).
Points well made. But, when has ethics ever played a part of the annexation game in either city?
woodiewood1
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The west side of Bryan near Wal-Mart is where the next Whataburger is going.
Oddity
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woodiewood1 said:

The west side of Bryan near Wal-Mart is where the next Whataburger is going.


Meh. Quality over quantity for me. I feel this area can do better than these type of restaurants; especially with Traditions down the road. Nevertheless, I'm happy this area is continuing to attract companies!

woodiewood1
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Oddity said:

woodiewood1 said:

The west side of Bryan near Wal-Mart is where the next Whataburger is going.


Meh. Quality over quantity for me. I feel this area can do better than these type of restaurants; especially with Traditions down the road. Nevertheless, I'm happy this area is continuing to attract companies!





Eventually there may be nice dining restaurants in the western part of Bryan, but I suspect that over the next decade or so, most of the nice dining restaurants will be located near A&M campus and in south College Station.

There is some new home growth in west Bryan area, but many, many more are going in the southern College Station area.

Restaurants will chase the money.
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