It’s inevitable HOW $150 MILLION FAILED TO STOP GENTRIFICATION IN THIRD WARD - African American News and Issues
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Gentrification is bound to happen, I just warn all the CoogFans here that Third Ward won’t be party/frat central
It;s going to remain a residential neighborhood
I just hope that the culture of Third Ward doesn’t get erased from memory.
Depends on how downtown expands
This is a snippet of who’s coming to UH - how involved will they be? Who knows
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UH has boundaries, but it really has a lot of room to grow; just needs to be creative with the land it has. been to texas, smu, cinci; those campuses are locked in.
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I would have never guessed that St. Thomas was such a popular choice. Also I am guessing here but are you suggesting that these non UH main campus announcements may be feeder universities to UH main campus? There is nothing wrong with that if you are.
I was reading about Mexico City’s UNAM university and how they’re extremely landlocked due to the growing density of the city…
Their solution was to build up (multi-story buildings).
Not sure how feasible that is for us, but that’s one possible solution to use space creatively & still allow “breathing room” for further growth.
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Prompt and response from Google Gemini appears to be a pricey piece of real estate. Why 14 acres? I looked on the Lovett website and guesstimated that the last of the Fingers lots were a generous 14 acres.
Prompt:
How much does 14 acres of land near the university of Houston cost?
Response:
Finding a single 14-acre contiguous plot of land right next to the University of Houston (UH) main campus is incredibly rare. The university is located in the Greater Third Ward, an urbanized, highly developed area just southeast of Downtown Houston.
Because of this urban density, land here is rarely sold by the acre; it is sold by the square foot.
If you were to somehow assemble or find a massive 14-acre tract in this immediate area, the cost would likely range from $40 million to well over $100 million, depending on its exact proximity to the campus and its zoning/development potential.
Breaking Down the Cost
To understand why a 14-acre plot costs this much, we can look at the typical going rates for smaller lots in the Third Ward and MacGregor neighborhoods surrounding UH:
| Size Metrics | Low-End Estimate (Infill/Residential) | High-End Estimate (Commercial/Main Frontage) |
|---|---|---|
| Average Cost per Sq. Ft. | ~$30 to $50 / sq. ft. | ~$150 to $200+ / sq. ft. |
| Equivalent Cost per Acre | ~$1.3M to $2.1M / acre | ~$6.5M to $8.7M+ / acre |
| Total Cost for 14 Acres | ~$18 million to $30 million | ~$90 million to $120+ million |
The Reality Check: The lower end of this scale reflects scattered, raw residential lots (often 3,000 to 5,000 square feet) which frequently list between $100,000 and $250,000. However, assembling 14 acres of these contiguous lots would require buying out dozens of properties, driving acquisition costs through the roof.
What Influences the Price Near UH?
- Urban Infrastructure: Land near UH is already tied into the city grid with existing utilities, paved roads, and MetroRail access. You are paying a massive premium for location and readiness.
- Commercial vs. Residential: If the 14 acres front a major thoroughfare like Scott Street, Elgin Street, or Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, it commands premium commercial pricing suitable for mid-rise student housing, retail centers, or corporate development.
- The “UH Premium”: The university’s ongoing expansion and the constant demand for off-campus student housing keep land values in the immediate radius highly inflated compared to the broader Houston average.
Looking for Alternatives?
If you strictly need a 14-acre tract for a project and don’t want to spend tens of millions of dollars, you will generally have to look outside the inner loop (I-610). Moving 20 to 30 minutes south or east of campus toward areas like Pearland, Missouri City, or the Gulf Coast-Brazos Bottom region drops average land prices down to about $11,500 to $40,000 per acre—meaning 14 acres would cost closer to $160,000 to $560,000.
Lots of my fellow Gators in that crowd too
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Thank you for posting and it begs the question:
Why is it that Third Ward still looks the way it looked in the mid 90’s?
We all know the answers and who is causing this.
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Neighborhoods all over Houston are being gentrified which raises the property values and taxes of people in those neighborhoods. The neighborhoods are losing their heritage as well. The longtime residents are being forced out of those neighborhoods, why should the third ward be any different? Why should one group be special and prioritized over another?
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That is the entire point. Your post has five likes. It should have 100’s of likes. That to me is a huge issue and especially for our future. This is true for TSU too.
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I didn’t post the Google Gemini prompt and response to be combative or defensive however a question by @CougariDOC was posed to you without a rebuttal. It was a simply ask, did you think the Fingers property was at a premium? Which you never sent a reply thus my Gemini query.
Dr. Khator and the university have been loudly reluctant to expand or influence into the immediate Third ward boundary and community. With that in mind my post was to merely bring to light an opportunity of approximately 14 acres that lies across I-45 and well within walking distance to UH campus that would be a convenient and strategic get as a university asset. With that, I think UH should continue cultivating a campus beyond it’s Centennial efforts that engages students, faculty, and staff to remain on campus far beyond class hours or shifts. As I mentioned my dream with the ~14 acres was to move the track and field complex soccer field, tennis courts, and other sports to that parcel and build more student engagement and support facilities near the baseball and softball venues.
As for as why gentrification as not happened quicker in Third Ward. The “We all know the answers and who is causing this” statement is beyond my knowledge and if you would or care to share please enlighten me. You can DM my inbox if you don’t care to publicly disclose.
As for as a gentrification and a neighborhood losing it’s heritage I point north to 2nd Ward, East End, Harrisburg, and Eastwood being gentrified yet holding on to it’s heritage. Why must Third Ward be different? Sorry for becoming defensive there.
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Any form of university centered gentrification for the third ward should not just be centered around UH, but also needs to include Texas Southern. Those two schools are half a mile from each other.
It can have such strong returns for both schools. If we make Texas Southern THE HBCU powerhouse along with UH being it’s own, holy cannoli will University Park ride again
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It is a no brainer but some elected officials make their living opposing this.
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Since they are both in the same neighborhood, wouldn’t they both equally benefit anyway?
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You are 100% correct. Both will immensely benefit from it.
Because (rightfully so) the talk here is completely centered around UH. But there are other schools in the area that could receive such benefits too.
I do believe it will stay residential, we’ll just have businesses around the right areas (unclaimed/undeveloped land) that will be in proximity of the Unis.
We also have to keep in mind the high schools, both Yates and Energy Institute. Both a stone’s throw away from both schools.
Just random thoughts. Everyone will benefit, it just has to be done in a manner where current residents aren’t shafted, given that a lot of the residents either work in the professional world OR for the schools on any level. The businesses can create more jobs for residents, but if these businesses are fancy and drive up pricing/taxes, they have to be accounted for first.
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Not necessarily, but that would be an ideal goal.
Honestly - tsu and Uh should share Tdecu stadium - creates more buzz in the area consistently like the old days when Robertson was in constant use for track and football
The cuney homes redevelopment will be the defining moment - but I also can tell you some people are playing hardball with their land in the area and rather it sit than be sold