I would have thought that area would be great for retail space.... Close to the highway and other shopping areas.

According the the City of Bryan's zoning map, all of the land along the feeder between Boonville Rd and Sam Rayburn Intermediate is zoned Retail, to include the property on Sam Rayburn Drive.

So they would have to get a zoning change to do their project.

I'll say it - this is a terrible idea. Isn't adding low income housing just asking for trouble? Nobody makes money on this except for the developer.

doubledog said:

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I would have thought that area would be great for retail space.... Close to the highway and other shopping areas.

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You are right that it is close to the highway and other shopping areas. However, I think this would be a tougher spot for retail as there is only one direction to get in and out of that spot onto HWY 6. So it means having to drive down 6 or the feeder to pop a u-turn if going in the other direction.

Retail is such a finicky real estate because of how much psychology is built into our heads. You may not realize it but you'll notice how the restaurants that do well are on the "going home" side of the road. Coffee shops and donuts are on the "going to work" side of the road. Major retailers want to be located on multiple ingress/egresses and traffic lights to appeal to driver/traffic preferences.

Perfect examples: Drive down university and see Razoo's, Blue Baker, Etc all on one side. Look at the other side and count how many successful restaurants you see? Or take a look at the behemoth vacant leasing on University and Texas. That would have been perfect but getting in and out of there is a nightmare. No one wants to lease there unless you're a barber. World of beer loved it until they jacked the rents up tremendously.

The City of Bryan mailed notices to all registered neighborhood association presidents on Jan. 8, 2024 when OPG Rayburn Partners, LLC and Harris Pointe Limited Partnership provided notice to the city that they were making applications with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). However, they did not submit full applications.

At this time, there are no pending tax credit, multifamily bond, or direct loan projects in Bryan.

[This 30 day ban is the last ban that you will get that will not be permanent for making personal attacks on this forum. -Staff]

I think car dealerships are different that eateries. It's much more deliberate - I'm shopping for a car, so I go where the dealer is. Their location is more for visibility, although easy ingress and egress doesn't hurt (I love being able to get out of BCS Toyota through the back gate and onto Boonville Rd, for example)

What he's talking about with restaurants is the "Hey honey, can you pick up something for dinner on your way home?" factor. I don't know if that would necessarily apply to the restaurants in the main part of the Kroger shopping center, which is on the left side for people heading away from downtown - Los Cucos, T Jin, Double Dave's - but it's fairly easy to get out of there and back onto Boonville via the signal at Austin's Colony.

The further up the feeder you go toward Old Reliance, the more inconvenient that side trip becomes.

I personally think its a great location for low income housing or any other type of family targeted housing development. Close to grocery shopping, a school, a few less expensive fast food restaurants, and a block from a city park. Not sure if there is a much better location.

crime always follows and occurs at low income housing. It would be right next to a middle school that a lot of children walk to. Not exactly ideal.

I think a better location would be in different area code.

Brewmaster said:

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crime always follows and occurs at low income housing. It would be right next to a middle school that a lot of children walk to. Not exactly ideal.

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"Always" is a very interesting word.


Myths and Realities about Public Housing
Myth #1: Public housing is crumbling everywhere!
Reality: 85% of public housing meets or exceeds federal quality standards and more than 40% of developments are considered "excellent."
Myth #2: Public housing is a hotbed for criminal activity!
Reality: Researchers agree that high crime rates in areas with lots of public housing are not due to the housing itself, but more likely to the lack of opportunity in the area in which the housing is built. Public housing in neighborhoods with access to employment, commerce, good schools, and other community institutions have crime rates similar to the rest of the neighborhood. https://nlihc.org/resource/myths-and-realities-about-public-housing

woodiewood said:

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Brewmaster said:

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crime always follows and occurs at low income housing. It would be right next to a middle school that a lot of children walk to. Not exactly ideal.

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"Always" is a very interesting word.


Myths and Realities about Public Housing
Myth #1: Public housing is crumbling everywhere!
Reality: 85% of public housing meets or exceeds federal quality standards and more than 40% of developments are considered "excellent."
Myth #2: Public housing is a hotbed for criminal activity!
Reality: Researchers agree that high crime rates in areas with lots of public housing are not due to the housing itself, but more likely to the lack of opportunity in the area in which the housing is built. Public housing in neighborhoods with access to employment, commerce, good schools, and other community institutions have crime rates similar to the rest of the neighborhood. https://nlihc.org/resource/myths-and-realities-about-public-housing

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Respectfully speaking here and not trying to rustle anyone's Jimmie's, I've spent quite a bit of time in the MF lending side. These properties always start out well meaning and usually on good feet. But as time wears on - the inability to raise rents as required to offset increased operating expenses leads these properties into disrepair. Ownership usually starts cutting corners whether it be maintenance, lawn, parking lot, trash, other services. So these properties end up decaying faster vs a market rate deal.

This usually requires a very efficient/streamlined ownership entity that can adequately handle the ongoing maintenance and work to prevent the deferred maintenance from growing. But the current operating environment for multifamily right now is tough. Increased labor, increased insurance rates, increased property taxes, increased supplies costs are taking a huge toll. So operators with 30-40 years of XP under their belt are struggling. And as properties age, the operating expense ratios get bigger and eat into the margins.

Usually these type of affordable housing end up eventually getting bought as the LURA expires, old tenants pushed out and extensively renovated and rents pushed up higher. Or they go onto total disarray and eventually plagued with so much issues that even low income folks leave - and then some syndicator comes along and does the hapstick conversion/renovation in attempts for profit.

So while this property may get off to great start, probability/chances are higher that it may end up being dragged down. This also assumes nothing about the development (will they do it right? Will they cut corners?)

Again not trying to ruffle feathers - just giving my input on what I've seen happen across apartments across the country.

Red Pear Luke (BCS) said:

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woodiewood said:

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Brewmaster said:

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crime always follows and occurs at low income housing. It would be right next to a middle school that a lot of children walk to. Not exactly ideal.

---

"Always" is a very interesting word.


Myths and Realities about Public Housing
Myth #1: Public housing is crumbling everywhere!
Reality: 85% of public housing meets or exceeds federal quality standards and more than 40% of developments are considered "excellent."
Myth #2: Public housing is a hotbed for criminal activity!
Reality: Researchers agree that high crime rates in areas with lots of public housing are not due to the housing itself, but more likely to the lack of opportunity in the area in which the housing is built. Public housing in neighborhoods with access to employment, commerce, good schools, and other community institutions have crime rates similar to the rest of the neighborhood. https://nlihc.org/resource/myths-and-realities-about-public-housing

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Respectfully speaking here and not trying to rustle anyone's Jimmie's, I've spent quite a bit of time in the MF lending side. These properties always start out well meaning and usually on good feet. But as time wears on - the inability to raise rents as required to offset increased operating expenses leads these properties into disrepair. Ownership usually starts cutting corners whether it be maintenance, lawn, parking lot, trash, other services. So these properties end up decaying faster vs a market rate deal.

This usually requires a very efficient/streamlined ownership entity that can adequately handle the ongoing maintenance and work to prevent the deferred maintenance from growing. But the current operating environment for multifamily right now is tough. Increased labor, increased insurance rates, increased property taxes, increased supplies costs are taking a huge toll. So operators with 30-40 years of XP under their belt are struggling. And as properties age, the operating expense ratios get bigger and eat into the margins.

Usually these type of affordable housing end up eventually getting bought as the LURA expires, old tenants pushed out and extensively renovated and rents pushed up higher. Or they go onto total disarray and eventually plagued with so much issues that even low income folks leave - and then some syndicator comes along and does the hapstick conversion/renovation in attempts for profit.

So while this property may get off to great start, probability/chances are higher that it may end up being dragged down. This also assumes nothing about the development (will they do it right? Will they cut corners?)

Again not trying to ruffle feathers - just giving my input on what I've seen happen across apartments across the country.

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You might be right, but my experiences in making multiple inspections of about a dozen affordable complexes in Bryan and College Station over the past 25 years is that most every one was well maintained relative to its age. More than half are elderly low income housing who mostly take care of their unit better than I do.my house. Half of the one proposed is going to be for elderly persons.

It would be interesting to get the data on crime in and around the dozens of low income rental complexes in our area.

I bet that 90% of the persons on this board drive by at least one of the twenty or so low income rental assistance complexes weekly if not daily and don't have a clue that they are.