Transformative Projects

Hackberry Street and Houston Street

At the intersection of Houston Street and Hackberry Street, there are opportunities to achieve several aspects of the Eastside Area Vision and Goals. This site is located within a few blocks of Dignowity and Lockwood Parks to the north. A bank, restaurant, brewery and other small businesses are serving local residents at the Hackberry Market, and a new two-story event center is scheduled to open one block north on Hackberry Street. The Velocity Texas project will bring more workers to the area over the next several years, and VIA’s Advanced Rapid Transit Service is planned to run on Houston Street, potentially with a stop nearby, drawing more area residents to Houston Street on a regular basis.

Community input in the Eastside Community Area planning process indicated significant concern in Dignowity Hill around housing affordability, along with enthusiasm for recent success in supporting small business growth, historic preservation, home rehabilitation, and transformative improvements to Dignowity and Lockwood Parks. Improving streets for safe and comfortable walking is an outstanding local priority. The sidewalks along Houston Street and Hackberry Street are adjacent to four vehicle travel lanes, and although protected by curbs, leave pedestrians exposed to summer heat uncomfortably close to travelling vehicles.

This site has the potential to serve more people living and working close to affordable transit service and Downtown employment opportunities. Local small retail and dining businesses could benefit from more people living or working very close by as well, and area residents could experience a more vibrant community destination. The intersection includes a vacant lot on the northwest corner, with an alley that could be used for rear accessed parking. An original two-story neighborhood home on the southwest corner gives the intersection a unique identity tied to the area’s history.

Vision

Based on the site conditions and values expressed by local community members, changes to this site should improve the environment for walking and create new opportunities for housing, working, and shopping. Changes should also complement historic built forms and development patterns and feel connected to Dignowity and Lockwood Parks. This place should be a unique and distinguished hub of community activity that draws visitors from surrounding neighborhoods and nearby employment areas throughout the day and evening. Figure 11, Figure 12, and the paragraphs below describe some physical changes that would reflect the vision above, to provoke thought and inspiration in community members, developers, property owners and public officials as they engage with each other in creating the future of this place.

The northern corner lots would host new buildings serving as dwellings, potentially with office or retail space on the 1st floor. The buildings would be set back from both streets to accommodate improved transit stops, seating, lighting, and landscaping while still leaving room for a wide sidewalk. Multi-story buildings would be divided and differentiated along the street to avoid a monotonous or overbearing street wall.

If the site and surrounding area came to serve enough people, the northwest corner development could include pedestrian paseos with commercial storefronts leading to the site’s interior, Alternately, they could serve as service alleys or gated pedestrian walkways connecting first floor dwellings with parking areas and the public sidewalks. Shaded rooftop decks would provide additional usable space with views of surrounding neighborhoods, Downtown, and the green eastside ridgeline receding to the southeast.

An adaptive reuse of the building on the northeast corner would be ideal, retaining the building’s unique character for the benefit of the whole area. However, if the site were to redevelop, additional building area and height would accommodate more users lending energy and opportunity to the area.

Hackberry Street north of Houston Street is envisioned as a pedestrian-oriented street with wider sidewalks, intersection bulb-outs, and additional street parking to support local businesses. Trees and functional landscaping that manages stormwater flowing down Hackberry Street would make walking more enjoyable and create an intuitive green connection between this neighborhood destination and Dignowity and Lockwood Parks.

In the surrounding blocks, new two-story residences following local architectural norms and the Historic District regulations are shown on vacant lots. The conceptual new buildings shown on these lots are duplexes with a primary entrance oriented to the street rather than to a private alley. More neighbors in the surrounding neighborhood would contribute to making this site a vibrant community place.

San Pedro Gateway

The San Pedro Gateway site is located on both sides of San Pedro Avenue, next to I-35.

San Pedro VIA

The San Pedro VIA site is located on the west side of San Pedro Avenue, between Cypress and Myrtle Streets.

Introduction