Forced to move
The teardown plan: New River Oaks District development wants to cash in onlocation & walkability
OliverMcMillan expects to break ground on the $275 million, 15-acre project inearly 2013.
Expected amenities include high-end shops, fine dining restaurants, street cafesand a movie theater.
A five-story office building and 278 residential units are also planned.
Tenants at 4444 Westheimer have always known that the charming, if dated, 1960s-era apartment complex was about "Location! Location! Location!," with its spot near Highland Village touted for its proximity to uptown, downtown and the Galleria area.
But those residents are looking for new digs after receiving eviction notices.
No one cares about carpet stains, after all, if the building's just going to be demolished anyway.
Owner OliverMcMillan has a grander purpose in mind for the 15-acre tract: River Oaks District, a $275 million mixed-use development that includes 650,000 square feet of retail, office and residential space.
This project was in the works before the recession (it's re-emerged slightly diminished, without two initially-planned four star hotels), and is expected to include high-end shops, fine dining restaurants, street cafes and a movie theater, plus a five-story office building and 278 residential units.
Add this to the recent news of a 12-acre mixed-use project slated for the corner of Westheimer and Mid Lane, plus the near completion of the Millennium High Street luxury apartment complex at 4410 Westheimer, and you've got a recipe for walkabililty. Or traffic.
A statement released by OliverMcMillan details the way that the company is making transition "easier" for the current residents of 4444 Westheimer, who must be off of the property by Dec. 31: By providing a team of move-out concierges and a comprehensive move-out package that includes "a listing of neighboring communities, moving procedures and an incentive plan" — up to a one-month rent rebate plus return of full security deposits.
No one cares about carpet stains, after all, if the building's just going to be demolished anyway.
These splashy "incentives" have done unfortunately little to assuage the inconvenience of a 30- or 60-day warning, which has left residents feeling "mistreated."
The company is expected to break ground on the River Oaks District in early 2013, with an expected completion in the fall of 2014.
