Detention Pond Comprises Vast Majority of Kingwood Docks Property

Shortly after Imelda, I posted about Lovett Commercial’s Kingwood Docks development. At the time, Lovett said it would be ready for occupancy in fall of 2019. A year and a half later, two 14,000 square foot buildings still sit empty. Certainly, this has to be one of the more bizarre retail developments around. I’ve never seen a detention pond comprise a higher percentage of a property, although I’m sure one must exist somewhere. Regardless, don’t park here in a flood.

Massive Detention Pond Occupies Approximately Three Fourths of Property

According to Harris County Appraisal District, the property comprises more than 365,000 square feet. So the rentable space occupies just 7.67% of the property. The parking lots may bring the developed portion up to 25% of the property. But by far, the largest percentage, as you can see in the photos below, goes to a massive detention pond.

If all developments devoted this much area to detention, we probably wouldn’t have a flooding problem. That said, we do have a flooding problem and the commercial developments to the east, anchored by Memorial Hermann and H-E-B, are both higher than this.

Both flooded seriously during Harvey; the Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center flooded just days before its grand opening.

Higher Ground Wasn’t High Enough

During Harvey, many people who lived between Kingwood Drive and the West Fork parked their cars in the H-E-B and Memorial Hermann lots thinking they would be safe. They weren’t. Hundreds of vehicles flooded.

Lovett Commercial’s Kingwood Docks development is dwarfed by its detention pond. Note the manholes sticking up far above the level of the property.
Everything in the background flooded during Harvey. Memorial Hermann facility is in upper right.
Looking west from the Kingwood Docks detention pond. Memorial Hermann and its parking lot sit on much higher ground than the Docks project.

It’s unclear whether the Kingwood Docks buildings sit high enough to survive another Harvey. The water reached 7 feet in Torchy’s just a few hundred feet to the east. And Torchy’s sits on higher ground. But it is clear that your car won’t survive if you park it here during the next big flood. The entire property sits in the 100-year flood plain.

Aqua = 100-year floodplain. Tan = 500-year. Docks proper is the pie-shaped wedge under the City of Houston lettering.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 3/1/2021

1280 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.