The East Aldine Management District (EAMD) is soliciting Statements of Qualifications for professional Town Center design services for development of improvements to the existing site.
The District is requesting proposals from Design firms, for qualifications to be hired to design a new project on the 10 acre site facing Aldine Mail Route Road. This site is part of the 60 acre site known as Town Center, and was originally designated for a regional grocery store and supporting retail and parking.
However, the local grocery chain that had purchased the site, and planned on building a Joe V’s, as reported earlier in the Northeast News, has not moved forward in the three years they owned the property, and last month the East Aldine board terminated the contract and decided to proceed with a new plan and a new firm capable of designing a different facility.
The District has issued an RFQ, or Request For Qualifications, and will review proposals and make a decision on a Design firm by the end of July, according to EAMD Executive Director Richard Cantu.
Project Background: The EAD Town Center is a 60-acre site located in unincorporated Harris County at 2800 Aldine Mail Route. The Town Center complex additions are the third phase of a multi-million-dollar project aimed at future economic development of the long-overlooked area between Bush Intercontinental Airport and downtown Houston.
The first phase of the complex included the Lone Star College East Aldine Campus with Avalos Early College High School, BakerRipley East Aldine Center with a nonprofit clinic, and state of the art Harris County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch Center.
At the center of the complex is the 30,000 square foot EAMD office building (Phase II) surrounded by other community amenities, including the amphitheater and green space, a playground with a splash pad, a riverlike water feature and beautiful fountain in a flood detention lake. There are also wide sidewalks and lush landscaping, with trees and native plantings that meander through the complex.
The third phase of the complex will be the development of 10 acre (100,000-300,000 square feet of multi-use space) to primarily include a mix of retail/commercial, as well as possible residential and community partner expansion space.
In 2024, the EAMD Board of Directors decided to enhance the Town Center amenities to improve the quality of the park appearance and increase utilization. The current East Aldine Town Center can be viewed here https://aldinedistrict.org/towncenter/.
Potential Scope of Work:
The East Aldine Management District seeks to engage a firm to perform conceptual design through detailed design and construction services for the area designated as the Phase III improvements of the EAD Town Center.
The scope of work will include:
— Creation of a master plan for design and construction of Phase III, including options for retail/commercial development, optional residential and community partner/agency expansion space; additional greenspace/amenities, seasonal lighting, outdoor sound system/speakers, and other enhancements
— Electrical work (underground) for around the designated areas to include lighting of landscaped paths.
— Signage (digital and wayfinding signs)
— PA System for bandstand and greenspace
— Splashpad and water feature (lazy river) enhancements
The East Aldine District staff and board of directors will review the submittals, and decide whether to engage a design firm to complete a Master Plan for Phase III.