by Dorothy Puch Lillig

Many in the Spring Branch District may know the property as Hammerly Walk Apartments, but 8787 Hammerly recently got a name change. It’s now known as “Zócalo.” And the changes don’t stop there.

The Spring Branch District recently asked the property’s co-owner, Chula Reynolds of Point Reyes Management, a few questions about the project, which is scheduled for completion in March 2019.

Tell us a little bit about the owners, Point Reyes Management.

We began investing in multi-family real estate in Houston in 2014 with the purchase of Woodcreek Village and Crystal Falls Apartments. In 2016, we became very interested in finding a good project in Spring Branch. We thought it was an ideal neighborhood for us because of its location and the active redevelopment.

Why Spring Branch?

We feel it’s on a long-term positive growth trend for many years. Spring Branch is the same distance to downtown and other employment centers as some of the highest end parts of Houston and yet it is much more affordable. It’s become a new central spot in Houston.

The marketing of Spring Branch by the (management) district is great. They have done a beautiful job of defining an inspiring vision for the district. We are thrilled to be part of it.

Why this location?

We looked at a number of properties in Spring Branch. 8787 Hammerly was perfect for us. When we first saw it, we felt that the site had enormous potential. Even though the property was quite run-down at that point, we thought it had great bones. The layout was ideal with a large open area in the center, a number of mature trees and wonderful Mid-century modern brick-clad buildings. All it needed was a massive makeover!

Tell us about Zócalo. What’s the concept?

We brought in Curtis Roberts and FD2S, the well-known,

Austin-based environmental graphics firm, and developed the Zócalo concept inspired by Mexican Modernism. Zócalo means “town square,” which is a perfect description for the property. Our design is a highly colorful exterior with resort-like amenities, lush landscaping and a large water feature at the center of our property. Zócalo has all new interiors for the apartments, and we are building a beautiful new clubhouse with a gym, coffeehouse and yoga studio. We will have a dog ranch in the back of the property for dog exercise.

What’s the timetable for this project?

The project began right after Hurricane Harvey and got off to a little bit of a slow start because Houston’s permitting office was jammed with hurricane-related construction. When we finally got the permits, we contracted with Guardian Construction and the project has moved very well. We anticipate completion by March 31, 2019. Our total budget for the project is $10 million.

What’s your vision for the future?

We think Zócalo will become a very special place in Houston. We want it to be real destination in of itself. Our property manager, Chazz Coleman, is the “mayor” of Zócalo, a unique feature in an apartment community. Another first is our artist-in-residence program wherein we will sponsor two artists at the property. We plan to make culture and fun core elements of everything we do. Our first artistic statement is two full-building-scale murals by Houston artist, Anat Ronen. We are one of the first to work with Ronen in multi-family. Our model unit also features artwork from prominent modernists and photographs by Gordon Parks, a well-known African American photographer.

Another focus of the property is support for app-based services. We have set up the design and operations of the property to facilitate our residents having all the conveniences of delivery and on-site services from app-based providers.

Our motto is: “Zócalo: Everything you need is here.”

For more information on Zócalo, visit www.zocaloliving.com.