What Will Become of the 30-Acre Loop 610 Parcel in Bellaire?
Chevron sold this tract in the City of Bellaire. The new owner has a grand plan.
BELLAIRE, Texas – (By Michelle Leigh Smith for Realty News Report) – The developer of the former Chevron property in Bellaire has unveiled an ambitious proposal to the Bellaire Planning & Zoning Commission.
According to documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, the plan envisions a mixed-use development anchored by a 300-unit mid-rise residential tower set above a new parking garage. The project would also include a movie theater, a 145,000-square-foot mixed-use building with office space, and multiple restaurant-ready pad sites near South Rice Avenue.
The site spans roughly 30 acres with frontage on Loop 610, South Rice Avenue and Fournace, located just over a mile from the Galleria. While such a prominent location would offer tremendous opportunity in Houston, the property lies within the City of Bellaire, a fully zoned municipality that has historically emphasized residential character under the slogan “Bellaire – A City of Homes.” That context helps explain why the proposal has prompted debate among residents concerned about growth and density.
Developer Danny Sheena of SLS Properties, which purchased the parcel from Chevron last year, is marketing the project as Bellaire Place. The proposal drew scrutiny at a recent public hearing in Bellaire, where Sheena answered questions from officials and community members about the scope and impacts of the plan.
The property currently includes two office buildings—a 10-story and a 6-story structure built around 1977—together totaling more than 500,000 square feet, as well as a fitness center, cafeteria and auditorium. Sheena’s team has indicated an interest in leasing portions of the existing buildings as part of the overall development strategy.
The large tract represents a significant revenue source for the city. In both 2017 and 2018, Chevron paid $339,695 in city property taxes on the site, which was assessed at approximately $81 million.
Sheena’s Bellaire Place proposal must still move through a multi-step review at Bellaire City Hall, where planning, zoning and public input processes will continue over the coming months before any final approvals are granted.
