Hamsa, an Israeli cuisine restaurant; Sweet Paris, a creperie chain that began in Houston; and Rice Box, Chi- nese/American takeout with three other locations through- out Houston, are all restau- rants planned to open in Rice Village in 2022, Jennings said. Cost of doing business With the shift to selling high-end goods and services as well as multiple building renovations, property values in Rice Village have increased since 2014, according to data from the Harris County Appraisal District. Average property value in the Village has risen 15.26% since 2018, an average growth of 3.8% per year. By compari- son, between 2014 and 2017, property value in Rice Village grew 52.25%, an average of 13% per year, according to data provided by HCAD. Several longstanding busi- nesses of the district closed or moved to new locations in the last eight years. Half Price Books closed in 2020; Almaza
Jewelers relocated several blocks north; and Miss Sai- gon Cafe is now two miles outside of Rice Village. In 2014, there were nearly as many chain businesses as locally owned ones in the section of the Village between Times and Univer- sity boulevards, according to Rice Village Alliance’s 2014 business directory. Today, less than a quarter of the shops in the Village are local to Houston. For some business owners who have remained in the Village, they said the chang- ing atmosphere has been a positive. Main Street Theater, on the north side of Times Bou- levard, has been operating in Rice Village since 1982. “I just have always liked Rice Village,” said Rebecca Greene Udden, Main Street Theater’s artistic director. “It’s such an eclectic assort- ment of things.” Despite the area not hav- ing the same variety of toy stores, super markets and
cinemas, it is not lacking in customers, Udden said. “The fact that there are so many nice restaurants has been a boon for us because it makes going to the theater more of an event,” she said. For others in the Village, staying put has more to do with tradition. “We’re a relative anomaly in the restaurant world and in the business world because we’ve been here for so long,” said Dave Cook, owner of the Italian restaurant Prego. Prego has been serving modern Italian cuisine in Rice Village since 1983. “We feel so grateful to be where we’re at after the two years we’ve been through,” Cook said. “So it’s just wonderful that we can continue providing for this community.” Hunter Marrow contributed to this report.
BEFORE
AFTER
The shopping district has been undergoing a major transformation since late September, according to Rice Management Co., which owns and operates multiple city blocks in the area as an endowment arm of Rice University. RiceVillage undergoing revamp
• Improved walkability • Updated landscaping • Seasonal plantings and owering art installations • more patio space
• Tenant-inspired architecture • Paint refreshes • Architectural upgrades
SOURCE: RICE MANAGEMENT COMPANY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
THEWHOLE IDEABEHINDHAVINGA SHOPPING ENVIRONMENT ANDVILLAGE IS FOR PEOPLE TO STROLL AND TOGO INTO SHOPS. AJ JENNINGS, GENERAL MANAGER OF RICE VILLAGE WITH REIS ASSOCIATES
For more information, visit communityimpact.com.
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BELLAIRE MEYERLAND WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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