Officials welcome changes to Spring Branch David Weekley Homes to build houseson 12-acre site of former flea market

The former site of a Spring Branch flea market is being redeveloped into a 100-home community.

David Weekley Homes broke ground on one of its newest planned communities, the Village at Spring Branch, on Oct. 29. The 12-acre development is located on Long Point Road and Hillendahl Boulevard, and construction is to begin this spring.

The developer is planning to construct patio homes, garden homes, and three-story townhomes on the property, which also will feature a pool and cabana for residents. Homes are to range from 1,800 to 3,800 square feet. Home prices will range between $400,000 and $700,000. The community's first homebuyers could start moving in by December 2015.

Houston District A Council Member Brenda Stardig participated in the groundbreaking of Village at Spring Branch. She said the development is an example of how companies are beginning to become good neighbors to the Spring Branch area. A good neighbor is something she feels the site's former development, a flea market, failed to be.

"The flea market was unfortunately riddled with constant calls for service to the Houston Police Department," Stardig said. "It caused HPD to spend an excessive amount of time focusing on it rather than other concerns in the District A area."

Stardig grew up in Spring Branch, and said she has witnessed the cycle of life in the community, especially at the site of the planned residential development.

Prior to serving as a flea market, the site was home to a Kmart store.

"I used to chase my mom around the old Kmart for blue light specials," she said.

Bringing in new luxury housing to the area, Stardig said, should help boost the median income to support the area's growing economy.

The David Weekley Homes development is also welcome news to David Hawes, executive director of the Spring Branch Management District.

"We certainly welcome them coming in and buying the flea market site," he said. "That was a real blight on the community."

The district is a taxing authority that works to improve the community. Although Hawes said the district didn't work directly with David Weekley Homes on the purchase of the site, he said the district works to make the atmosphere of the Spring Branch community conducive to new development projects.

"People don't want to make an investment unless they feel like it is safe and clean and that it looks good," Hawes said.

The Village at Spring Branch, he said, is going to provide new residencies that will in turn attract more retail development.

"There is an old saying in the economic world that rooftops beget retail," Hawes said. "As we get higher valued residential property in the area, that is what retailers are looking for. Retailers are looking for deposable income and the type of income they want to cater to and sell their goods to. It is real important for us to see this type of development."

Two Weekley Homes developments are adjacent to the planned Village at Spring Branch. The 35-home Moritz Park is west of the site and the 33-home Lynnview Manor is east of the development.

David Weekley Homes hopes to build another 200 homes in Spring Branch, but has not disclosed where they would be constructed, however.

The Weekley Homes development, Hawes said, is one among several projects occurring in the area.

"We have others that are purchasing some very old, tired and dilapidated apartment complex and scraping them and building single family housing," he said. "We are changing the character of some of the residential, but at the same time, we are improving the character of area apartments, because that effects occupancy rates."

He also said Black Swan Investment Partners purchased the site of the closed Spring Branch Medical Center at the corner of Hollister Street and Long Point Road, just down the road from the planned Weekley Homes development. Hawes said the former hospital's new owners plan to tear it down and repurpose the land for redevelopment.

"We are hoping for a high-end mixed-use residential and commercial development," Hawes said. "We are going to work closely with them and see if we can help move that direction. David Weekley Homes is not a lone actor. We have some synergy here."