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johndaugherty.com Downtown Houston beckons with numerous office buildings, a world-class theater district, a growing residential population, a popular nightlife, light rail, a convention center and hotels, and two state-of- the-art sports facilities. But it doesn't stop there. Central Houston, the Downtown District, and the Downtown Redevelopment Authority have many projects underway that are helping to transform the area into a vital city center. John A. Daugherty, Jr., chairman and CEO of John Daugherty, Realtors, recently sat down with Robert M. (Bob) Eury, the chief executive of these entities, to talk about these projects, what we can look forward to in the future, and much more. Robert M. (Bob) Eury Continued on Page 14 JD: You are a Louisville, Kentucky, native with a master's degree in urban design from Rice University. How did these two associations affect your shaping of Downtown Houston? BE: Louisville and Cincinnati, where I attended undergraduate design school, are delightful, walkable places that hit their peak growth in the early 20th century. Rice and Houston posed the opportunity to shape an urban place in a relative young city facing enormous growth. Ironically, we are working extremely hard to provide the quality of livable places that I recall from my years in Louisville and Cincinnati. JD: In 2000, you wrote a prophetic essay titled "Houston: A Vision for a Livable City." It envisioned Houston becoming an evolving network of livable city centers connected by exceptionally attractive transportation corridors. Please tell us your thoughts on the progress and how your vision has changed. BE: Wow! You really read that?! Today we envision Downtown, the Texas Medical Center, and Uptown to be the true center of Houston, and if you think about it, this area includes some of Houston's beautiful corridors. From a progress standpoint, light rail, Buffalo Bayou Park, the master-planned transformation of Hermann and Memorial Parks, and the Bayou Greenways Initiative are pieces of a network for travel by bicycle and transit. Of equal importance is the reconstruction of sidewalks, streets, and small public spaces by the Management Districts and Redevelopment Authorities, providing more and more walkable places. JD: John Breeding, president of the Uptown District, has been quoted as saying you forge alliances, negotiate skillfully, and put the right processes in place. "A long tenure gives you time to plant seeds and reap the harvest, and a project you helped conceive 25 years ago may be happening only now," Breeding says. Tell us about the project that you have worked on the longest and/or that has been most meaningful. BE: For three decades, we have worked on improving the way our community addresses homelessness. Thanks to Mayor Parker's leadership, I am very excited that Houston is now making progress on ending veterans' and chronic homelessness in our city through a campaign called The Way Home. This means that in the future, no one should have to be homeless. With unprecedented collaboration between the housing and services disciplines, more and more homeless individuals can now obtain housing and permanent care to help them address a broad range of conditions that have led to being homeless. JD: What major Downtown projects are in the works as we approach 2015 and beyond? BE: Well, our new tag line for Downtown is "Something Big is Up," which says it all. Houston is experiencing an incredible burst of development, particularly within its Downtown core. Today, more than $1.7 billion in new Downtown construction projects are underway, and another $2.5 billion are in development. This is unprecedented in Downtown, and what's most exciting is the diversity of projects — 16 residential communities, nine hotels, five to eight office buildings (depending on who's counting), a new High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage, a revitalized Buffalo Bayou Park and Convention Center, and more. In addition, we are focusing on what is happening in between all these buildings — streetscape improvements, public art, space programming, and creating a comfortable and walkable pedestrian experience. New retail in Downtown is a priority, as are planning and building smaller unique neighborhoods within Downtown. If you are interested in finding out more, check out our web portal, downtownhouston.org. JD: As a longtime champion of Downtown, you have witnessed many changes in the area. Which has been the most significant? BE: When I started working Downtown, it was primarily a place to work. There was no baseball stadium, basketball arena, soccer stadium, or great parks and only a small number of living options. We've come a long way! I'd have to say the most significant for me personally is Minute Maid Park. In a miraculously short span of months in 1996 and 1997, our city, county, state, and business leadership came together to enable the funding, planning, design, and beginning of ballpark construction at Union Station for the opening of the 2000 Astros season. This facility re-engaged so many Houstonians in Downtown, many whom had not been there in years. It also elevated the importance of restoring historic Downtown buildings. JD: What would you say to those eyeing Downtown as a prospective place to call home? BE: Downtown is a great place to live, with the urban goodies that are attractive to millennials and empty nesters and everyone in between. I would definitely recommend spending time here and getting a feel for the different neighborhoods. For example, the area around Market Square Park abounds with historic charm. Condos and lofts located in converted historic buildings sit next to hip dining and after-hours options like The Pastry War and The Honeymoon Café & Bar. The Discovery Green area offers more sophisticated high-rise living in an urban environment at One Park Place and the Four Seasons, with dining and shopping steps away at The Shops at Houston Center and Green Street. And, we are seeing new residential growth around Minute Maid Park and in Southern Downtown, so folks will be part of creating their own vibe for the new neighborhoods. JD: Vertical living is the way of life in the Downtown District. Tell us a little about the variety of high-rises offered. BE: Back in the '90s, we saw many vacant historic buildings converted into residential — from large buildings such as Urban Rice Lofts (in the old Rice Hotel) to smaller buildings such as Franklin Lofts (the old First National Building). We went through a bit of a drought with little development until 2009, when Marvy Finger opened One Park Place. Now with the Downtown Living Initiative, a City/Downtown District residential incentive program, we have 4,200 units (as of November 2014) that are in the program. What's great is that we are not just seeing the high-rise projects but also mid-rise developments with first-floor units and retail at street level. JD: Is Downtown dog-friendly? BE: Yes! I'm amazed at how many dogs of all shapes and sizes call Downtown home. Ric Campo, Central Houston's chair, loves to quote the statistic that there will be 3,000 dogs Downtown in the next five years! With that being said, a dog-friendly Downtown is critical. We offer dog parks at Discovery Green and Market Square Park, and dogs are welcome at most outdoor cafes. Many of the new residential projects are also creating small dog runs such as SkyHouston (they even have a fire hydrant!). There are beautiful places to walk in and around Downtown including Sam Houston Park and Buffalo Bayou. JD: Do Downtown residents tend to have cars, or do they primarily walk to work and dinner? BE: In Downtown, you can definitely begin to live a different lifestyle where you don't have to rely on your car. Many Downtown residents, of course, work Downtown. They walk to work, but it's also an easy commute via METRORail's Red Line to Q. John A. Daugherty, Jr., Chairman and CEO, John Daugherty, Realtors A. Robert M. (Bob) Eury, Executive Director, Central Houston/Downtown District M a s t e r f u l l y p l a n n e d M a i n s t r e e t s q u a r e M e t r o r a i l & f o u n t a i n s l DOWNTOWN something BIG is up