Getting to UH
Closest practical point: UH Stadium Garage · visitor access
Quickest observed drive: 0.6 mi · 3 min observed
Peak weekday: 0.7 mi · typically 4 min
Via Sampson Street and Holman Street, shortest and quickest among Google’s displayed alternatives in the observed Wednesday snapshot with usual traffic. Not an actual zero-traffic measurement.
Google Maps driving directions · checked 16 Sep 2026
Open live directions ↗Property & potential
A cleared corner assemblage described as lots 12, 13 and 14 of Block 5, George Kuhlman, near UH. The 15,000-square-foot listing area may allow a compact new facility, but it is far below the preferred 0.75–1 acre and has no existing building or proven chapter entitlement. Listing status conflicts across platforms.
Building: UNKNOWN sq ft · Year built: UNKNOWN — research pending · Beds/baths: UNKNOWN — research pending / UNKNOWN — research pending
Parking, housing, chapter/event capacity: UNKNOWN parking; UNKNOWN housing. Read the findings below; no legal capacity is inferred.
Potential plan: Because this is vacant land, test two scaled concepts only after legal-use screening: (1) a meeting facility with parking and a documented path to later housing, and (2) the complete lodge-plus-20-resident program. Both must account for drainage, fire access, legal occupancy and parking. The 15,000-square-foot area may rule out the full on-site program; a concept plan is needed before promising any layout.
Overall view: Hold. Excellent proximity to UH and a walk to Purple Line rail are real advantages. The $599,900 ask exceeds the working target, listing availability is disputed, and 0.344 acre appears too constrained for a lodge, 20 residents and 50–75 surface spaces on site. The modeled flood signal is material and the effective FEMA status, deeds, insurance and all-in construction economics are unknown. Investigate only if the parcel is actually available and a smaller or legally shared-parking program is acceptable.
Flood, legal use & transit
Flood: UNKNOWN; FEMA and Harris County status must be checked by parcel. Flood-insurance quote: UNKNOWN.
Deed/HOA restrictions: UNKNOWN; fraternity residential/assembly use: UNKNOWN.
Transit: UNKNOWN — review listing notes and METRO source. Safety: Site-specific assessment not established unless recorded below.
Location pin: 29.7280015, -95.3542845 (Google Maps address point; parcel boundaries and entrance require survey).
Findings, sources & due diligence
Availability and parcel identity · Conflicting listings
HAR calls MLS 30564646 Under Contract–P, Zillow says Pending, while Redfin displays For sale after an August 2026 relisting. HAR identifies lots 12, 13 and 14, Block 5, George Kuhlman; Redfin gives APN 0221330000035. It has not been proven that one HCAD account and one conveyance include all three lots.
Next: Call the listing broker for the current contract status and exactly what is included; obtain title commitment, survey and HCAD records for every lot.
Source: HAR property details and listing status View source ↗Chapter facility and housing permission · Unconfirmed
A vacant residential-area lot and the absence of conventional Houston zoning do not authorize a fraternity lodge, event space or 20-person residence. Recorded deed/subdivision restrictions, plat/easements and fire, building and occupancy rules are unreviewed. Seller asks buyers to verify building requirements and utilities.
Next: Get recorded restrictions and plat, have title counsel review chapter use, and submit specific meeting, event and resident programs to Houston permitting/fire staff.
Source: HAR legal description and seller remarks View source ↗Size, parking and drainage · Major mismatch
The listed 15,000 square feet (0.344 acre) are less than half the preferred 0.75 acre. Fifty conventional surface spaces alone can consume about 15,000 square feet including aisles as a rough planning allowance, before any lodge, residence, fire access or detention. The parcel cannot be presumed to fit the full program; no legal off-site parking agreement is known.
Next: Commission a scaled civil/architect concept showing building, 20 beds, event occupancy, accessible spaces, legal parking, fire access, setbacks and stormwater; test any off-site parking rights.
Source: HAR 15,000-square-foot area View source ↗Flood exposure and insurance · Concerning model · map unverified
Redfin displays a First Street Flood Factor of 5/10 and a modeled 50–61% chance of a flood reaching a building at this address over 30 years. The parcel is currently vacant, so this is a modeled exposure signal, not a recorded building loss or an effective FEMA zone. No parcel-specific FEMA panel, MAAPnext review, elevation, drainage history or insurance quote has been verified.
Next: Confirm the effective FEMA panel and draft local risk on all three lots, request elevation and prior water history, and obtain flood/property insurance indications for the proposed building.
Source: Redfin / First Street climate model View source ↗Rail access and neighborhood safety · Transit measured · safety open
Google Maps showed a 0.4-mile, roughly 9-minute walk via Elgin Street to the Elgin/Third Ward METRORail station; METRO’s Purple Line serves the UH area. Stop access and night service should be field-checked. No block-level incident or lighting review has been done, so no broad safety label is assigned.
Next: Walk the route at day and night, confirm current frequency and campus stop, and review nearby incidents and lighting at relevant times.
Source: METRO Purple Line information View source ↗Value and 50-year flexibility · Uncosted
The $599,900 ask is about $40 per listed land square foot, already nearly $100,000 above the working $500,000 acquisition target. Redfin reports 2025 property tax of $10,283, which is not a post-purchase or developed-site forecast. Construction, detention, utilities, insurance, property tax, upkeep and 50-year reserves remain unpriced; nearby sold land comps have not been analyzed.
Next: Obtain three-lot survey and sold-land comps, builder/civil concept, infrastructure and insurance quotes; model all-in and annual debt/operations before calling this good value.
Source: Redfin asking price and tax history View source ↗Owner diligence statuses and private notes are available in the interactive review; the public page presents the source-backed findings above.
