From the WTH. Apparently Baylor declined to exercise its Right of First Refusal. Will be interesting to see if they regret that decision in 10-15 years.

https://wacotrib.com/news/local/business/development/land-sale-near-baylor-for-retail-housing-to-benefit-helen-marie-taylor-museum/article_4d11c536-4039-11ee-a7ea-cbcd37f71954.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Waco_Tribune-Herald&fbclid=IwAR2MlnFR0Es4hewFHj08tAzUoS2Qgr5jirM4VrCn_94lKBCxv0zXl-p3ARk

Quote:

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Land sale near Baylor for retail, housing to benefit Helen Marie Taylor Museum

• Kourtney David
• 55 min ago

Some 72 acres of land owned by the late Waco native and champion Helen Marie Taylor's estate is up for development, as investors consider commercial options and student housing for the site near Baylor University.

Money from the land sale will go toward Taylor's endowment backing the Helen Marie Taylor Museum of Waco History she opened in 1993, according to executor Brandon Taylor.
The land extends from near the corner of University Parks Drive and La Salle Avenue to the Brazos River. Zoning for the plot approved at the Aug. 15 Waco City Council meeting allowed the buyer to move forward with closing on the land, said developer Barrett Kirk, chief investment officer at Houston-based McGrath Real Estate Partners, doing business as MREP Investments LLC.


Brandon Taylor said he will not disclose the sale price yet, but "people will eventually see it's a lot of money."


The land, owned within a Taylor family trust, is being offered at "market price" by local broker Bland Cromwell. According to the McLennan County Appraisal District, the 20 acres closest to University Parks Drive has a market value of $4.14 million, the middle 51 acres known as 1900 S. University Parks Drive has a value of $6.62 million and another 1.17 acres bordering the Brazos River has a value of $31,000, for a total of some $10.8 million.

Taylor said Baylor University got the first right of refusal on the land, which was a wish of Helen Marie Taylor's, who died early last year. Although the asking price was higher than what the school wanted to pay, Brandon Taylor said the relationship between the university and the Taylor family is still extremely important to maintain.

A large piece of the sale will go to forever fund the Helen Marie Taylor Museum of Waco History at 701 Jefferson Ave., which she endowed a trust for. The museum has a new nonprofit status, executive director and board of directors, with long range plans and full-time staff in place for its renewal, Brandon Taylor said.

"I think it will become the pride of Waco for their museum," he said.
The land being purchased was rezoned at the request of developer MREP Investments LLC, with the front 12 acres at the corner of University Parks Drive and La Salle Avenue designated for commercial use and the rest toward the river zoned for housing and mixed use. Kirk said his team is looking at restaurants and student housing for the plot.

"We really think some sort of restaurant venues should do well on this side of town," Kirk said. "This area just continues to improve with all the improvements the university is making."

Kirk said he noticed a lack of eating establishments in the surrounding area, and the front 12 acres could fit three or four restaurants. It could become an entertainment venue, and Kirk said he hopes to have plenty of parking and a central green space that would adjoin the commercial portion to the housing development.
He said getting the zoning was essential before talking with retail tenants, but he has had a couple of groups reach out already, and it could be an appropriate location for an Aldi, Trader Joe's or a sports bar.


The residential portion will be a walkable mixed-use development with upscale student housing similar to what his team has done in the past, Kirk said. McGrath Real Estate Partners also built the Domain at Waco, another apartment development along University Parks Drive, and several others around Texas.
Brandon Taylor said there are no restrictions in the sale for what can be done with the land, but Helen Marie Taylor would be thrilled to see students living there.

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I hope they do not put something ridiculous behind the tennis facility. They should utilize that spot for a student-athlete village, etc...

The focus for Waco needs to be to develop the La Salle corridor. That is the biggest prime real estate that Waco is missing out on. More restaurants, retail and high rise living (similar to Guadalupe in Austin). It would make a great connector from the circle to campus and clean up the trashy looking areas at the rear entrance to campus.

I also would love to see better use of the development between the loop and La Salle. The equestrian and golf facilities are just sitting out there with nothing else. Would be nice of them to wide University Parks and make that more of a livable area out there.

baylorguy09 said:

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I hope they do not put something ridiculous behind the tennis facility. They should utilize that spot for a student-athlete village, etc...

The focus for Waco needs to be to develop the La Salle corridor. That is the biggest prime real estate that Waco is missing out on. More restaurants, retail and high rise living (similar to Guadalupe in Austin). It would make a great connector from the circle to campus and clean up the trashy looking areas at the rear entrance to campus.

I also would love to see better use of the development between the loop and La Salle. The equestrian and golf facilities are just sitting out there with nothing else. Would be nice of them to wide University Parks and make that more of a livable area out there.

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I've been saying this since I was a student. The La Salle corridor is prime real estate of which some is occupied by a ****ing flea market, Waco Carbonic, Show Time and Poor Man's Tire. What a waste.

BellCountyBear said:

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baylorguy09 said:

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I hope they do not put something ridiculous behind the tennis facility. They should utilize that spot for a student-athlete village, etc...

The focus for Waco needs to be to develop the La Salle corridor. That is the biggest prime real estate that Waco is missing out on. More restaurants, retail and high rise living (similar to Guadalupe in Austin). It would make a great connector from the circle to campus and clean up the trashy looking areas at the rear entrance to campus.

I also would love to see better use of the development between the loop and La Salle. The equestrian and golf facilities are just sitting out there with nothing else. Would be nice of them to wide University Parks and make that more of a livable area out there.

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I've been saying this since I was a student. The La Salle corridor is prime real estate of which some is occupied by a ****ing flea market, Waco Carbonic, Show Time and Poor Man's Tire. What a waste.

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just like downtown Waco is currently growing, it takes getting rid of the old heads stuck in their ways to fix these things. Hopefully focus soon shifts to the Lasalle area. Mayor Meek doesn't seem like 1 who would ignore it like so many b4 him.

That strip should be torn down and rebuilt anew. So much damn potential there.

T-REX said:

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BellCountyBear said:

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baylorguy09 said:

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I hope they do not put something ridiculous behind the tennis facility. They should utilize that spot for a student-athlete village, etc...

The focus for Waco needs to be to develop the La Salle corridor. That is the biggest prime real estate that Waco is missing out on. More restaurants, retail and high rise living (similar to Guadalupe in Austin). It would make a great connector from the circle to campus and clean up the trashy looking areas at the rear entrance to campus.

I also would love to see better use of the development between the loop and La Salle. The equestrian and golf facilities are just sitting out there with nothing else. Would be nice of them to wide University Parks and make that more of a livable area out there.

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I've been saying this since I was a student. The La Salle corridor is prime real estate of which some is occupied by a ****ing flea market, Waco Carbonic, Show Time and Poor Man's Tire. What a waste.

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just like downtown Waco is currently growing, it takes getting rid of the old heads stuck in their ways to fix these things. Hopefully focus soon shifts to the Lasalle area. Mayor Meek doesn't seem like 1 who would ignore it like so many b4 him.

That strip should be torn down and rebuilt anew. So much damn potential there.

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It will probably happen naturally and organically over the next 20 years.

Look at all the changes on the other side of La Salle with respect to student housing. It used to be ghetto-land, now the cost of that property is at a premium.

Lasalle is not going to be redeveloped any time soon. The city is offering 9 acres to move the Salvation Army to Lasalle in exchange for their land downtown. That is going to bring alot of homeless to that area. And, there is a huge cemetery that fronts Lasalle. Too much dead space (literally).

There is already a fair amount of student housing down University Parks on the other side of Lasalle. Past that area, there is a new low/moderate housing area being developed.

The city is focused on its unique river area, downtown/Magnolia, the East side, and the Central Texas Marketplace area. That's where the commercial money wants to flow.

CTbruin said:

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We have so many great suggestions here….why don't y'all do
It yourself??

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well 1. I don't live in Waco, 2. I'm not on any city boards that would facilitate this, & 3. Am not a real estate developer

Edmond Bear said:

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Lasalle is not going to be redeveloped any time soon. The city is offering 9 acres to move the Salvation Army to Lasalle in exchange for their land downtown. That is going to bring alot of homeless to that area. And, there is a huge cemetery that fronts Lasalle. Too much dead space (literally).

There is already a fair amount of student housing down University Parks on the other side of Lasalle. Past that area, there is a new low/moderate housing area being developed.

The city is focused on its unique river area, downtown/Magnolia, the East side, and the Central Texas Marketplace area. That's where the commercial money wants to flow.

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desperately needs a true college bar strip by campus. If they won't do it on 7th and speight by scruffs and dancing bear pub, put it on Lasalle.

T-REX said:

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desperately needs a true college bar strip by campus. If they won't do it on 7th and speight by scruffs and dancing bear pub, put it on Lasalle.

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Would be better at 12th and Speight in the middle of Baylorville. You already have Scruff's, Dancing Bear, and Shorty's within a block. There is an empty lot for a bar at that intersection. And, the crappy car wash on 11th could sacrifice itself for a cool college bar.

You just add two bars to the three existing ones and now you have a scene.

Shipleys would be prolly open all night on weekends for that action.

Maybe the phone repair shop and Waco Truckmotive on Speight could be talked into giving up for a bar strip.

If this happens, there's lots of bad decisions coming in the future.

Edmond Bear said:

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T-REX said:

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desperately needs a true college bar strip by campus. If they won't do it on 7th and speight by scruffs and dancing bear pub, put it on Lasalle.

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Would be better at 12th and Speight in the middle of Baylorville. You already have Scruff's, Dancing Bear, and Shorty's within a block. There is an empty lot for a bar at that intersection. And, the crappy car wash on 11th could sacrifice itself for a cool college bar.

You just add two bars to the three existing ones and now you have a scene.

Shipleys would be prolly open all night on weekends for that action.

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I 1000% agree. But we know stupid baylor leadership Will fight it tooth and nail

T-REX said:

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Edmond Bear said:

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T-REX said:

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desperately needs a true college bar strip by campus. If they won't do it on 7th and speight by scruffs and dancing bear pub, put it on Lasalle.

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Would be better at 12th and Speight in the middle of Baylorville. You already have Scruff's, Dancing Bear, and Shorty's within a block. There is an empty lot for a bar at that intersection. And, the crappy car wash on 11th could sacrifice itself for a cool college bar.

You just add two bars to the three existing ones and now you have a scene.

Shipleys would be prolly open all night on weekends for that action.

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I 1000% agree. But we know stupid baylor leadership Will fight it tooth and nail

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Yeah, that's a lot of sugar.

Edmond Bear said:

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And, the crappy car wash on 11th could sacrifice itself for a cool college bar.

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I think you're onto something here. Imagine a a car wash- themed sports bar called 'Buds N Suds'. The bartenders and waitstaff would wear cutoffs and bikini tops under an always wet, ripped white tee.

Every hour on the hour, ala Coyote Ugly, the girls would be spray each other while on stage to a choreographed dance to the '70's hit Car Wash by Rose Royce.

OK - I'm back to reality now. That's my last misogynistic post for the day.

Is it though?

I certainly would not want to part with the cash cow of a coin car wash so near campus even though i love my Alma Mater. Of course, you would have thought that my old fourplex( just an old house divided into four, or was it five, crappy apartments) between Speight and 35 on 11th would remain forever, but the parking garage must have made " an offer they can't refuse."

But i digress. Baylor money can win the day with most developments if they really want to. Again, IF they really wanted wanted to.

Baylor should have bought that land from the Taylor estate Imo. Pocket change to them.