With the closure of Hurricane Harry’s, Aggies have voiced concern over the future of the Northgate entertainment district. Legacy Point, the property surrounding Harry’s along University Drive and College Avenue, faces complete redevelopment in favor of student housing, shopping and dining.
Beginning with the construction of The Stack in 2013, these changes are part of a long-standing revamp plan by LV Collective and Culpepper Realty with municipal support. The city of College Station’s director of planning and development services, Anthony Armstrong, said Harry’s will be replaced with mixed-use student living.
“It’s about seven stories of a mixed-use building,” Armstrong said. “We’ll have a little over 900 beds and then some commercial spaces on the bottom floor. There’ll probably be 12 to 18 months of construction, maybe a little longer.”
Armstrong said the city will continue development along Northgate with multiple projects. Three housing complexes are currently under construction, with four more in the permitting process.
However, with so many changes underway at once, students have expressed distress over rearrangements of their beloved entertainment district. A recent petition has gained momentum appealing to the city to intervene with redevelopment.
“I think that a big misconception, maybe, is that the city is out here trying to shut down things like Harry’s, and that’s just not accurate,” Armstrong said. “The Culpepper family — who’s owned this property for a very long time — they’re the ones who make the decisions.”
Armstrong emphasized the city’s support of Culpepper Realty’s redevelopment plans and the development’s benefit to student life. . Together they hope to assuage concern over potentially losing the bar strip along Northgate.
“As of now, we’ve not heard of any other businesses or property owners looking to close their doors to sell to a high-rise development,” Armstrong said.
Culpepper Realty assured that the plans had the students’ best interests at heart and would not exclude entertainment from student life.
“Any time LV is entering a new market, they start by talking to students to understand their unique needs,” LV Collective media representative Kristen Hendrix said. “They design the space to fit those needs, emphasizing student wellness and setting them up to have a successful college experience.”
Hendrix listed examples such as a future cafe called Daydreamer, a wellness lounge and even a resort-style pool complete with a jumbotron. She said together with Culpepper Realty, they’ve created something meaningful for the community.
“The Legacy Point development is significant to us because it’s here in College Station, a place our family has called home for five generations,” a recent news release from Culpepper Realty director of investments and development John Culpepper reads.“With deep roots in this community and its development, the project is named with intention — to honor that legacy and create something meaningful for our family and the community.”
