The River Oaks Examiner takes a look at what Metro is planning to do to prepare for the Uptown line.
[A] Metropolitan Transit Authority street reclassification plan, dated March 13, 2009, [shows] total land needed for the project beyond the current rights of way along Post Oaks will involve 48 parcels of land and total 138,647 square feet — about 3.2 acres.
Metro has said construction of the line is expected to begin in one or two years.
From Hidalgo to Alabama streets, Metro wants to acquire land primarily from the west side of Post Oak, near the Williams Tower, according to Michael Williams, project manager of Uptown Corridor. This is because existing buildings are located close to the east property line.
Based on the reclassification plan, the largest loss of land occurring beyond the right of way on Post Oak would take place in front of the property occupied by Dillard’s, which would lose 29,476 square feet of property along its west side. That would appear to include the ramp leading to the second-story of the garage.
Across the street, the southwest corner of the Galleria property would lose 1,019 square feet.
“From Alabama to Westheimer, we shift our acquisition line toward the east side to avoid the buildings in the Galleria,” Williams said.
While the dimensions cited in the reclassification plan are subject to change, the scope of the project combined with the density and development in the area would make substantial alterations extremely difficult.
More here. There’s a map and a listing of affected properties at the link. It’s pretty much all businesses, which may make the process easier. Recall that Metro is paying for this line itself, so there’s no wait for federal funds, though it will surely not get underway till the University line is set to go as well. Thanks to Swamplot for the link.