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Metro Chairman Gilbert Garcia (left) and board member Jim Robinson discuss sale of the Pinemont Park and Ride lot to Harris County
The Pinemont Park and Ride in northwest Houston closed last year as a result of the U.S. 290 widening project. The Houston Housing Authority had hoped to buy the property for low-income housing, but there was a huge outcry from nearby residents. They said the proposed development was too big for the neighborhood.
Metro has now decided to accept an offer from Harris County, who wants to use the site for a multi-services center where residents can take care of county business.
As for why they chose Harris County, Metro Chairman Gilbert Garcia says they wanted to sell the property to a member agency.
“I started getting a lot more detail just in the last couple of days of their interest and their desire to move quickly, and their willingness to take the highest appraisal, all of those things that make sense. But this isn’t the first time we’ve partnered with the county,” Garcia says.
One of those in favor of the deal is Kirk Waldron with the Forest West Community Improvement Association. He says a multi-services center would be more of a benefit.
“The HHA proposal was for 300 units of housing, which might serve 500-600 people. But to have a multi-family service center, would serve thousands and thousands and thousands of people,” Waldron says.
The Pinemont property has been appraised at $3.5 million. Metro has to get permission from the Federal Transit Administration before the sale can go forward, since federal dollars were used to originally buy the property.
