Sawyer Yards among the Urban Land Institute winners
The best of Houston’s public and private spaces earned top honors at the Urban Land Institute Development of Distinction Awards this week.
A jury of three outside real estate experts selected five projects that displayed best practices not only in design, but also in construction, economic viability, healthy places, marketing and management. The projects — all highlighted by the judges for demonstrating a sense of community, belonging and Houston — ranged from converted industrial spaces close to the city’s core to an under-utilized park that’s become a community gathering space in Upper Kirby.
The 11th annual awards, presented by Winstead, were handed out at a cocktail reception at The Astorian, which was attended by some 300 guests.
“We want projects that people will want to imitate frankly, and even want to one up,” said David Kim, executive director of Urban Land Institute in Houston.
Sawyer Yards, a creative campus of industrial warehouses near downtown, took top honors in the For-Profit category (large). A collaboration of developers, including the Deal Co., Western General, Lovett Commercial and j5 Equities, incorporated old rice silos into the 40-acre development, which created a destination with art studios, galleries, restaurants, fitness centers, a craft brewery and a public art plaza in the First Ward neighborhood.
“It feels to me like the artists are benefitting from the developers and the developers are learning from the artists here,” ZOM Living’s Greg West said about the project. “We’re seeing, in a way, art and real estate that’s really inspiring.”
In the East End, The Headquarters co-working development of TPC Real Estate and Goldking Realty at 3302 Canal won in the For-Profit (small) category. The former industrial building opened last year as a workspace for small to medium sized businesses seeking an environment to collaborate with other tenants, with the perks of a corporate campus. The project has onsite food and beverage, reception services and a community kitchen, lounges, conference rooms, and courtyard.
There were two winners in the Not-for-Profit category. Avenida Houston, owned by Houston First and developed by Griffin Partners Development, created a “front door of Houston” near the George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green park ahead of the 2017 Super Bowl. The space, which includes new restaurants, is described as a “zocalo” or Mexican town square with day and night time activities.
“They really took a huge boulevard and shrunk it and really made walkability come alive,” said jurist Debra Stark, a Phoenix city councilwoman.
SEARCH Foshee Family House of Tiny Treasures, which offers child-care for preschool age children mostly from homeless families so their parents can get back to work, earned an award in the Not-for-Profit category. SEARCH Employment Services & Care Hub was lauded for the “welcoming,” “inspiring” spaces within the project, which opened in Third Ward in 2016.
The Upper Kirby Redevelopment Authority earned an award in the Urban Open Space Category for Levy Park. The park, which has free year-round programming such as yoga classes, dog parks, a garden and performance areas, was cited as a model of public-private partnerships.
Levy Park was also voted as the People’s Choice winner.
The jury consisted of Greg West, chief development officer, ZOM Living in Florida; Pamela Kraft, head of property, planning and development, Toronto Transit Commission; and Debra Stark, city councilwoman, District 3, city of Phoenix. They visited the projects in November after a local panel of real estate leaders selected finalists.
Other finalists include: River Oaks District, by JPMorgan Chase and OliverMcMillan in the For-Profit-Large category; Dillon Kyle Architects’ Office by Dillon Kyle Architects in the For-ProfitSmall category; and Carnegie Vanguard High School by Houston Independent School District.
Honorable mentions included the Houston Police Officer Memorial Guard Post and Visitor’s Entrance, by the City of Houston (Not-for-Profit category) and the Broadway Corridor Redevelopment, by Scenic Houston and Hobby Area Management District (Urban Open Space category).
Buffalo Bayou Park, which won last year in the Urban Open Space category, went on to receive a 2017-2018 Global Award for Excellence from ULI.