A former railroad yard has been given new life with the development of a 350-unit mixed-income development close to downtown Houston.
Developed by the Zieben Group, Hardy Yards is the city’s first large-scale Class A mixed-income project with 179 apartments for residents earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income and 171 market-rate units. The transit-oriented development is within walking distance to a multimodal station to hop on the light-rail or a bus.
Before construction could begin, the vacant site required substantial environmental remediation to remove two different levels of contaminated soil, according to project participants.
The development team, which included architect Steinberg Dickey Collaborative, then set out to create a property that was rich in modern amenities yet still paid tribute to the site’s past.
Hardy Yards has a brick and stone exterior aesthetic that emulates the community’s train station history, starting with the four-sided, 100-foot working clock tower, as well as the blade sign, awnings, and heavy round arch windows. A street-level leasing office captures the feel of a train station ticket depot with exposed brick and stone interior, which is brought inside. The exposed brick barrel-vaulted ceiling, arches, and wood/tile inlay only add to the ticket depot feel. The theme is carried over to the clubhouse with a brick barrel-vaulted ceiling and tile floor with a wood inlay designed to mimic a train track and a train mural at the end adding to the charm of the train station design. The four-story wrap development was designed to achieve density as well as maximize green space.
The community has an expansive clubhouse on top of a seven-level parking garage that features an epicurean indoor/outdoor kitchen with a folding wall of windows that opens up to a sky lounge with an infinity-edge water feature and a glass guard rail that allows for an unobstructed view of the downtown Houston skyline.
Hardy Yards also features a resort-style pool with a hidden and negative-edge waterfall as well as a courtyard containing bocce ball and volleyball courts, a horseshoe pit, and a fire pit. Residents can also enjoy a game room with a billiards table, shuffleboard, and dartboards; a state-of-the-art fitness center with a yoga room; a media lounge; bicycle storage with a bike wash and repair station; and a dog park with a pet washing station.
The unit amenities include a balcony or a patio; quartz countertops; an island kitchen with a breakfast bar; stainless steel appliances; under cabinet lighting; hardwood flooring in the kitchen and dining areas; and Nest thermostats.
