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Retail Shops at Cypress Park & Ride to Open Soon
Friday, September 05, 2008 4:48 PM

 

Aerial photo of Cpyress Village StationThose of you who commute from our Cypress Park & Ride have asked several questions about the development being built there - Cypress Village Station at U.S. Highway 290 and Skinner Road.

"When the apartments at the 217 garage open, where are the tenants going to park? There is no parking in sight for the apartments. Are they going to be parking in the METRO garage?" wrote one blog reader.

Steve Flippo, METRO's manager of joint development, explained what will happen to the 1,500 spaces in the garage.

"There are 95 spaces behind (to the east) of the garage for residents. These spaces are directly adjacent to the building so would seem likely to be the preferred choice.

"The apartment residents are allowed up to 300 spaces for parking in the garage on the upper floors. If residents leave their car in the garage and take METRO, we have customers," said Flippo. "If residents drive off in the morning to go to work, we have spaces open for METRO patrons.

"If all 300 spaces were used (unlikely), this would be one-fifth of the overall garage space. The shared-use nature of this project is a more efficient use of a facility, ensuring that it is used at night and on weekends," continued Flippo.

Greystar is building 273 luxury apartments that are already being pre-leased, said Heather Nguyen, the broker for the apartments. The apartments will be availble for occupancy at the beginning of November. Click here for leasing information.

There are two buildings for retail in the development - 80,000 square feet total. Construction on the first building of 33,000 square feet has been completed. Retail tenants will start moving in to open their stores by November. Tenants include Quiltworks, Divina Chocolates, Schlotzsky's Deli, Heritage Texas Properties, Cypress Dental and Cypress Dance Studio (ballroom dancing).

The second building will house a wine bar, D'Vine Wine. Construction on that building is expected to start in December with tenants in by next March.

Flippo said transit-oriented development like Cypress Village Station is becoming more popular nationwide.

"It's a huge trend, not only in established, older cities, but in newer cities as well - Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Dallas. This creates a place, not just a parking lot," said Flippo. "It's more efficient use of land, you have fewer stops to make in the course of a busy day. It's an economy of time."

Posted by Mary Sit
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    • Comments

    DominicMazoch said:

    OK, there is unused space at the North Sheperd P&R.  The rest is a no-brianer.....

    # September 5, 2008 5:47 PM

    C said:

    lol

    You can add a few more to that list Dmac... Im sure that hunk of land next to Greenspoint Transit Center can be used for something. And that empty mall can be used for a nice transit facility.

    But i drove by this Park & Ride last month and I must say its really nice.

    And maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. But Saturday I think I saw a new MCI Hybrid on the 102... It departed Greenspoint TC @ 1:21pm. To bad I dont ride on the weekends. Maybe I will get lucky and see a new bus on the weekday 6a SB 102 Greenspoint TC.

    # September 6, 2008 3:15 PM

    coug6666 said:

    "Maybe I will get lucky and see a new bus on the weekday 6a SB 102 Greenspoint TC."

    Aint gonna happen. If I recall "Willie" a metro driver from fallbrook stated that they have no MCI hybrids only newflyers. He also stated that Polk (they have both hybrids but only run regular MCI on 102) garage runs weekends while his garage runs weekdays.

    # September 6, 2008 6:18 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    5009 was on the 102, then the 212 on Thursday PM!  

    Cedric:

    Which new MCI's are where?  Polk has some, and Fallbrook, at least for the MAD.  Both send buses to 202.  And FB is the nearest BOF to IAH ands Seton Lake.  So beleive what you see....and 5010 is out there somehere.

    Now if MCI would make a a local transit coach.

    C:

    Maybe you need a can of Lysol for the mildew express!

    # September 6, 2008 11:10 PM

    Cedric Collins said:

    Dominic,

           5003-5007 (ALL are Airport Direct coaches) belong to Polk while 5008-5010 belong to Fallbrook.  5001 & 5002 are still at MCI getting the final mods done so they can be like what we have now---inside and out.  Hope that helps!

    # September 7, 2008 1:00 AM

    DominicMazoch said:

    Will 5001-2 and 5008+ have the same seats as the MAD?

    # September 7, 2008 7:30 AM

    wi11ie said:

    5010 was on the 204 Friday...;)

    Little sluggish but very smooth takeoff.

    Quite impressive,liked driving that rascal

    wi11ie

    # September 7, 2008 8:59 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    Wi11ie:

    YOU got to drive one!  Too bad you don't run on the 202!

    # September 8, 2008 7:32 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    At least the 217 partrons have a chance to ride a MCI.  Wish MCI would make a local coach so those of us who have to ride or drive those routes would get a solid bus.

    # September 8, 2008 7:41 PM

    Cedric Collins said:

    Dominic,

           ALL of the MCI hybrids wll have the exact same type of seats on them.  I don't think MCI will make any local BUSES, IMHO.  Nice way of rubbing it in, wi11ie.  Just kidding!  Glad you got to DRIVE one.

    # September 9, 2008 8:08 AM

    moniques said:

    Steve Flippo mentioned the following:  "The apartment residents are allowed up to 300 spaces for parking in the garage on the upper floors".  Are these spaces going to be marked? How can you prevent the residents from parking in the lower floors?

    When the retail shops are built, where will the shoppers park?

    We still need to have designated spots for vanpools.

    # September 9, 2008 9:18 AM

    Mary Sit said:

    Moniques,

    There will be parking spaces directly in front of the shops where shoppers can park.

    # September 9, 2008 1:23 PM

    Concerned Rider said:

    so...

    "How can you prevent the residents from parking in the lower floors?"

    ...remains to be answered.  I doubt there will be masses driving to work at 5:30a to free those spaces for Park&Ride users.  Who would use the outside spaces when you can have free covered parking?

    # September 9, 2008 2:42 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    I thought you had to use Q to get in, and it took the fare out to park, but also gave you a 2 hr. transfer so you ride the 217 to get to town.

    # September 9, 2008 6:23 PM

    Bosco70 said:

    The total fare is not deducted when you enter the garage.  Only $1.50 is deducted to enter garage so carpoolers pay to park but if you ride the bus the remaining $2.00 is deducted for $3.50 full fare price.  I don't think this fair since I already pay the 1% sales tax to Metro.  Why do I have to pay $1.50 when I carpool to use what I'm already paying for my with sales tax dollars?  As a partner with New Quest Properties, METRO will get 25 percent of the net revenue of the commercial project.  So why do they need $1.50 from carpoolers?

    # September 10, 2008 12:59 AM

    DominicMazoch said:

    From what I understand, there are no placed in the garage to place a bike.

    And I can't see why their can't be a "pooler's" parking area.  Either at 217 or at a safe place near there.

    # September 10, 2008 3:43 AM

    moniques said:

    I have noticed that the parking garage is filling up pretty fast at 6 AM.  I am in a vanpool and we are lucky enough to park the van on the ground floor (empty spaces in the afternoon).  But, when I come in in the morning, I try and park on the ground floor as well.  I am finding that I need to actually go up the ramp and park somewhere in the middle.  That ramp is very narrow and makes it quite difficult to get out of the parking spots in the afternoon. That is one reason I prefer parking anywhere on the ground floor towards the Skinner side.

    # September 10, 2008 7:52 AM

    Mary Sit said:

    DominicMazoch,

    There will be bike racks just outside the garage, covered by canopies.  

    NewQuest Properties will also place bike racks close to the apartments and the retail center.

    # September 10, 2008 12:32 PM

    Juri said:

    I echo Concerned Rider's posting.

    Concerned Rider said:

    "How can you prevent the residents from parking in the lower floors?"

    There are several vehicles that park on the ground floor because they're too tall to go further up onto the second and third levels.  I've asked Metro many times about dedicating space to tall/oversized vehicles, and I'm consistently ignored. By arriving early in the morning, there are plenty of spaces for oversized vehicles, but if apartment tenants are permitted to park anywhere in the garage, you'll lose existing Metro customers who can no longer park in the garage.

    So Metro, what are you going to do about apartment tenants parking on the ground floor?

    # September 13, 2008 5:02 PM

    Juri said:

    (echo)

    # October 1, 2008 9:22 PM
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