Here’s a purty watercolor-filtered drawing that shows how a portion of the concrete-lined Conrad Sauer Detention Basin extending north from the I-10 feeder road between Gessner and Conrad Sauer Dr. is supposed to look after MetroNational and TIRZ 17 upgrade it into a grassy, bike-lane-crossed area with park space that improves on its current ditch functions. It sits directly across the little ol’ Katy Fwy. from MetroNational’s ‘Death Star‘ HQ; the normally secretive company reveals a tiny bit about its plans for the area around the detention basin, lining the northwest corner of Gessner and the outbound I-10 feeder, in a variance application that’s scheduled to be discussed and possibly voted on in a planning commission meeting this Thursday.

MetroNational is calling the cleared 24-acre site (shown below) the Energy Gateway District.

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This plan from the Office of James Burnett outlines the widening of and park-like improvements to the basin, which is owned by the city:

The east-west boulevard is Mathewson Ln., which will be extended through MetroNational’s property.

The variance MetroNational is requesting — in advance of revealing any of its plans for the site — is for a reduced building setback along that new (and wider) stretch of Mathewson Ln. The new setback would be 5 ft. — instead of the typical 10 ft. — for whatever the development company plans to put next to it.

Renderings: Office of James Burnett. Photo: Marc Longoria. Survey: BGE/Kerry R. Gilbert & Associates

From the Death Star to You