ALEXAN PICKS UP MIDTOWN APARTMENTS IN FIRE SALE 
How, uh . . . successful was the 9-year-long, $9 million fundraising effort for the new Houston Fire Museum exhibit hall planned for the vacant lot on Hadley St. in Midtown, between Main and Travis? Reporters Nancy Sarnoff and Allan Turner explain it this way: “No money will be returned to donors, [Museum board member and treasurer Bill Edge] said, because none was collected.” Plans to turn the 1.44-acre grass-covered site next to the rail line into a fire-themed public park also flamed out. Instead, the museum is giving up and selling off the land — to Trammell Crow Residential, which plans to construct the 7-story, 215-unit Alexan Midtown apartments on the site, beginning in January. [Houston Chronicle ($)] Photo: Ethan Grossman
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Ugh! Not another bland Alexan complex. Trammel Crow and their ilk are creating future tenements, Houston style.
Alexan strikes again.
I called them over the years to try and buy this site for retail development. They always seemed like they had no idea what was going on with the money raising and even less of a timeframe for construction. I’m glad that a meaningful development is going here now someone call up the playhouse on Westheimer where that stupid signs has been for years. I want to buy that vacant tract for $$$!
It is a shame that more effort was not put behind the fire museum. The existing fire museum is great for little kids. They love fire trucks and love getting to climb on the equipment. An expanded museum and park would have been a great attraction for kids in an area (inside the loop) that could use more.
They should have given up long before the 9-year mark. What a waste of everyone’s time. Midtown could be further along if not for hoarders like this.
Bummer. Under my tyranny, that lot would have been given to the Cadillac dealership to the SW. The current Cadillac lot would an extension of the Superblock park, and the garage would be cheap parking for parkgoers on both sides.
I agree with Alec. I never liked that Cadillac dealership in the midst of midtown activity.
No. I love that old Cadillac dealership building.
No money was ever collected???? I hope the IRS looks into this fire museum mess, it’s absurd that in all that time not one penny was raised, honestly that’s the most pathetic fundraising ability I’ve ever heard of, it’s ridiculous! ah well at least something is finally getting built on the lot.
I walked around this block a month or so ago. The wrought iron fence is block face to blockface with no pedestrian access. It is a shame that such a large space in an urban public domain can not be used by the public. I doubt that will change with any new development.
Additionally, midtown is hurting for green space to walk your dog or to take advantage of this great fall weather. If you look at the Camden development anytime of the early to late evening from Kohn’s parking lot. You can clearly see they are not even at 50% occupancy…
Between this development, the post at Richmond and the Spur, Camden and the complex across from the Continental Club super block. I sure would be interested in the demographic studies that show “ALL” of the lessees who are going to inhabit these developments!
I agree as stated above, the future tenements of Houston these will be… The CBD and midtown are NEVER going to be dense urban environments with amenities that put them on the same level as other urban cities with zoning and a 100+ year jump start on SMART growth…
“From eiioi:
They should have given up long before the 9-year mark. What a waste of everyone’s time. Midtown could be further along if not for hoarders like this.”
Spoken like a true MidTown Hipster Douche…..
Yes another eyesore residential prison block!!
uhhhhh take that yuppies/hipsters!!!!