Bay Area Edition | May 2022

developers. BUSINESS BOOMING

As the widening of Hwy. 146 nears completion, Seabrook has plenty of real estate up for grabs. Additionally, Seabrook has three major projects in various stages from dierent

Parcels for sale/lease Major parcels for sale/ lease along Hwy. 146 Incoming developments

THE EDGE

Details: 320 multifamily units, 38,000 square feet of retail and restaurant

space throughout Cost: $80 million Timeline: 2022-end of 2025 or mid-2025

RENDERING COURTESY HS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

Hwy. 146 widening

their patience as we continue to work diligently to deliver this important project back to them safely and e- ciently,” she said. One part of the project that took longer than expected was relocating underground utilities at Repsdorph Road and East Meyer Avenue. Com- plexities resulted in the work nishing in March 2022 when it was projected to wrap up in mid-2021, Cook said. Additionally, there have been other changes residents have to get used to. Residents driving south on Hwy. 146 used to turn east to get to Kroger on El Mar Lane, but the widening project has severed that option, Cook said. “For a smaller community, it’s just been a challenge,” she said, noting city leaders feel residents’ frustrations. There are ongoing backups along the highway as well. The contractor has closed the overpass at Red Blu Road, making motorists use the frontage road. During rush hour, trac backs up quickly, Cook said. The construction is also aecting the boating community. Boaters who want to get between Clear Lake and Galveston Bay must pass beneath Hwy. 146. Normally there are two channels open, but due to the construction, the channels have been intermittently closed for the past three years, which slows water trac, said Philip Kropf, a local recreational boater who has been monitoring the Hwy. 146 project since before it began. Kropf said contractors have a few more items to nish around the water. “Then there’s probably really no more impacts on the water trac,” he Despite the project’s challenges, city leaders said there are about 60 parcels of real estate—13 of which are right along Hwy. 146—available for develop- ment that will see increased interest as Hwy. 146’s completion nears. Widening Hwy. 146 shaved many said. “It’s getting close.” Development interest

LAKESIDE DR.

RED BLUFF RD.

146

parcels along the corridor into fractions of what they once were. This caused the Seabrook EDC to market the idea of developers combining adjacent parcels together to make them large enough for development, Cook said. For instance, the owner of the Mira- mar Shopping Center along the east side of Hwy. 146 between Hialeah Drive and El Mar Lane also owns par- cels nearby along the highway. He has expressed a desire to combine those parcels to allow for the development of a Taco Bell and Popeye’s, Cook said. However, it is not so easy with other adjacent parcels—some of which are owned by dierent people. Some of the parcels have nearly doubled in price due to the widening project, she said. “It’s going take probably years to redevelop,” Cook said, noting there will be competition among developers. “It is a good problem to have.” The highway’s expansion will also bring new trac to Seabrook with TxDOT projecting an average of 61,167 vehicles daily along Hwy. 146 just south of NASA Parkway by 2040—a 40% increase compared to 2020. So instead of the city accepting whatever development comes its way, there will be competition, and Seabrook ocials will be able to pick and choose what comes to the city, Chavez said. “We really are in a prime spot right now,” Chavez said. In the works There are other Seabrook develop- ments not directly tied to Hwy. 146 in progress as well. The Edge is a nearly fully approved project in design. Developed by HS Development Co., The Edge’s con- struction could begin as early as the rst quarter of 2023. Set near the roundabout of Reps- dorph Road west of Hwy. 146, the $80

GALVESTON BAY

CLEAR LAKE

146

2094

518

517

SEABROOK

CLEAR LAKE

GALVESTON BAY

SOURCES: CITY OF SEABROOK, HS DEVELOPMENT GROUP COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

KEMAH

to be displaced to make room for the project. While some relocated, many closed down and never reopened, Community Impact Newspaper previ- ously reported. When construction began, Hous- ton-based contractor Webber had until early 2024 to complete the project. In early 2021, Webber Senior Project Man- ager Will Bradley announced construc- tion was ahead of schedule and would nish in May 2023. However, the contractor hit snags, delaying the expected completion date to late 2023, TxDOT Public Information Ocer Deidrea George said in an email. “We thank the traveling public for

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Development is partly due to the attention Hwy. 146’s widening is bring- ing to Seabrook, city leaders said. “While it’s a major disruptor, it’s also a major game changer for how our economy and our community is viewed,” Seabrook Economic Develop- ment Director Paul Chavez said of the

Hwy. 146 project. Hwy. 146 progress

Before the widening of Hwy. 146 began in February 2019, Seabrook went through hardships as dozens of busi- nesses adjacent to the highway had

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