A New Look for Avondale's St. Johns Village Project

[mtraininjax]

The Commander is a dump, it has been attracting all sorts of low end renters because who else in their right mind would sign a long term lease, in an old as hell building for one, when you know there is a tendency to have to move again soon? So to keep the lights on and paid, they are taking anyone for a short term lease.

Meanwhile, people are pissing and moaning over the design which will not end up as the real design because it always gets changed, but to call it what it is being called in the paper, is a travesty compared to what the actual and real conditions are for the Commander now, and it just gets worse daily.

Someone posted about traffic as an issue in the area? The only real reason there is traffic in the area is because the idiot lego-land rinky-dink bridge builders who were assigned the Riverside Avenue Bridge cannot seem to figure out how to build the bridge. Moving more traffic to St. Johns Avenue and more cars up and down the S-curve. Fix the bridge, alleviate traffic, make it better there. Otherwise normal 5 pm and early morning traffic are normal, otherwise, its not an issue.

[thelakelander]

How did last night's meeting go?

[grimss]

Lake, last night's crowd was a little smaller than i would have expected, given the dialogue on the MJ site and the article in the T-U. Around 100 people attending, I would estimate.

The presentation by Balanky et al. was, by far, the slickest/most persuasive of the three town meetings that have been held. Two presentations followed (Arden and Fishweir groups), which garnered support. Based on audience comments/questions, I would estimate 25+ spoke against the development in full or in part, 2 were full-throated in support (and articulate/effective), one dude was in support but totally off the reservation (actual quote from him: "Did you know that if the state of Texas were zoned at 24 units an acre, we could fit the entire world's population within the state's boundaries??", and one gal didn't mind the development, but thought the proposed rental cost ($16 per sq ft) wasn't going to fly.

Take-home message, to my ears, was--we'd love to see redevelopment here, but there are still too many units.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Take-home message, to my ears, was--we'd love to see redevelopment here, but there are still too many units.

Why is everyone so fearful of adding density? 

[thelakelander]

Take-home message, to my ears, was--we'd love to see redevelopment here, but there are still too many units.

Any idea of what is considered the right amount of units and how that number is rationally generated?

[Josh]

The amount of additional units they're talking about seems like it would be a drop in the bucket as far as the amount of additional traffic on St. Johns is concerned.

[Dog Walker]

How would Dr.Woods react if people from the community came to a meeting and spoke out in favor of the project ? Sometimes people in his position get pretty upset if they are crossed or disagreed with.

Dr. Woods has been dealing with people disagreeing with him for many decades and doesn't get upset.  He is a gentleman and very persistent.

[Duvaltopia]

I'm a RAP member and live just a few streets from this project and I support it and look forward to seeing that depressing, ugly, barely-used complex torn down and replaced with something fresh and new, filled with people who go to restaurants, stroll the streets, bring life to the area. The 'traffic' that they will bring to the area is a wash as they are also tearing down a a huge apartment building.

Speaking of traffic: what about the fact that Riverside Avenue has been rendered completely useless to nearly everyone due to the profound incompetence of the bridge builders over Willowbranch Creek? Where are Mayor Brown, Councilman Love and RAP? Why isn't this fixed yet? Get this goddamn bridge built. This is what is really affecting our neighborhood.

[fieldafm]

Duvaltopia sounds like a smart individual!

[Stephen]

Indeed...Duvaltopia sounds very intelligent..

[Cheshire Cat]

How would Dr.Woods react if people from the community came to a meeting and spoke out in favor of the project ? Sometimes people in his position get pretty upset if they are crossed or disagreed with.

Dr. Woods has been dealing with people disagreeing with him for many decades and doesn't get upset.  He is a gentleman and very persistent.

He has his more cavalier moments, however.

Yes and I have witnessed some of them. 

[Cheshire Cat]

I'm a RAP member and live just a few streets from this project and I support it and look forward to seeing that depressing, ugly, barely-used complex torn down and replaced with something fresh and new, filled with people who go to restaurants, stroll the streets, bring life to the area. The 'traffic' that they will bring to the area is a wash as they are also tearing down a a huge apartment building.

Speaking of traffic: what about the fact that Riverside Avenue has been rendered completely useless to nearly everyone due to the profound incompetence of the bridge builders over Willowbranch Creek? Where are Mayor Brown, Councilman Love and RAP? Why isn't this fixed yet? Get this goddamn bridge built. This is what is really affecting our neighborhood.

Hello and welcome to the forum. +1 on the St. Johns Village project as well. 

[sonoandrea]

Lake, last night's crowd was a little smaller than i would have expected, given the dialogue on the MJ site and the article in the T-U. Around 100 people attending, I would estimate.

The presentation by Balanky et al. was, by far, the slickest/most persuasive of the three town meetings that have been held. Two presentations followed (Arden and Fishweir groups), which garnered support. Based on audience comments/questions, I would estimate 25+ spoke against the development in full or in part, 2 were full-throated in support (and articulate/effective), one dude was in support but totally off the reservation (actual quote from him: "Did you know that if the state of Texas were zoned at 24 units an acre, we could fit the entire world's population within the state's boundaries??", and one gal didn't mind the development, but thought the proposed rental cost ($16 per sq ft) wasn't going to fly.

Take-home message, to my ears, was--we'd love to see redevelopment here, but there are still too many units.

@grimss, thank you so much for your synopsis of the meeting.  I do have one question.  You said the proposed rental cost was $16 per square foot...is that per year?

[thelakelander]

If it's a year, that shakes down to $1,200/month for a 900 square foot apartment.

[John P]

Take-home message, to my ears, was--we'd love to see redevelopment here, but there are still too many units.

Why is everyone so fearful of adding density?

Because they fear it will be a negative net change to their quality of life I guess.