ASHBY HIGHRISE FUNDING HUNT ENDS WITH HUNT FUNDING 
The developers of the Ashby Highrise tell Nancy Sarnoff they’ve got funding for the 21-story apartment tower that’ll replace the Maryland Manor Apartments at 1717 Bissonnet. The money’s coming from an El Paso real estate firm named Hunt. Buckhead Investment Partners also names the contractor they’ll be working with: Linbeck, whose top executive “lives in the neighborhood adjacent to the building site.” (Leo Linbeck III also started his own Super PAC, aimed at kicking out incumbents of both political parties in Congress.) The construction schedule has been pushed back, though — it’ll now begin early next year. [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Candace Garcia
Sign up for the Newsletter
So much for harsssing everyone involved with the project. I wish them luck if they start harassing Linbeck. Although no doubt they will try. And probably regret it. Don’t like the lack of zoning? Put it back on the ballot instead of buying mayors to come up with ordinances they pull out of hats for you. And hopefully the mayor sent the bill for defending the lawsuit to them. These “pillars of the community” known as “Stop Ashby.”
As someone with another hirise found out you start harassing people, they are likely to sue you. I read something about it on Culture Map.
Build, baby, BUILD!
So, this means we can take down all those obnoxious Stop Ashby Highrise signs, right?
Hopefully both sides of this debate can claim some form of victory. The neighbors in the area were able to delay this for 5+ years…..long enough to get Houstonians to revisit how they think about zoning/regulation etc. And long enough to delay any “payday” for the Buckhead guys.
I’m biased because I live next door to Regent Square, but I still think the new high-rise going up there offers the same or more appeal than Ashby. Closer to downtown, restaurants, walking/biking trails, and a new Whole Foods. At a lower price point than Ashby? It’s a compelling alternative.
The Hunt name sounds familiar…..you don’t think……. nah, it can’t be.
Build Ashby Highrise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally! I am sure it will be a handsome addition to the neighborhood. I hope it is a good Restuarant that we can walk to.
Sadly I suspect this is more indicative of the dire straights that Linbeck has encountered than any other factor. Unfortunate to see the sad decline of once proud a firm. Even a few years back it would have been hard to imagine how far they would fall but I suspect years of living off the largess of their influence (friends donations, hiring the husband of Rice’s facilities director etc) combined with the recession has led to where they can’t be competitive enough elsewhere to turn down a project such as this that is clearly a lightning-rod in the community where they once were so influential
From Linbeck- Sad Decline:
Sadly I suspect this is more indicative of the dire straights that Linbeck has encountered than any other factor. Unfortunate to see the sad decline of once proud a firm. Even a few years back it would have been hard to imagine how far they would fall but I suspect years of living off the largess of their influence (friends donations, hiring the husband of Rice’s facilities director etc) combined with the recession has led to where they can’t be competitive enough elsewhere to turn down a project such as this that is clearly a lightning-rod in the community where they once were so influential.
_______________________________________
Sadly most of us suspect you are one of the pretentious spoiled little brats who think the city “owes” you. If anyone in this is “owed” it’s the Linbecks. Who are still quite influential. Obviously so or they wouldn’t have been willing to subject themselves to what no doubt will be a vendetta against anyone and everyone involved in the project. As promised in your “response” to the developers after the city finaly had to settle with them. Which no dbout sums up how influential you and the rest of the “Stop Ashby” gang is in the end. Really not influential at all. Just a little irritating.
As a neighbor I am glad this will be built and hope the whiners can move on, or move to Kingwood where such citified trappins like big bildins wont offend them
Back when I was in the construction business, a company that scored a $90 million dollar contract was not considered “in decline”. I suspect that the same is true today. Linbeck is a construction company. They build things. The Ashby highrise is exactly how Linbeck makes its money. In an economy where new construction is hard to come by, scoring a 21 story construction contract does not signify “decline”. It signifies strength.
The only “decline” here is the quality of posts from the neighbors. This is the saddest yet.
Its unfortunate that its going to happen. My childhood home, that is still in the family, is on Wroxton. The yard will literally be shaded by the immensity of the highrise. I understand wanting to build these structures in Houston, but why cant we keep them away from the quiet/less disfigured areas of Houston and instead, focus these horrendous builds where houston lacks in beauty.
@ Stacie: Wroxton is south of Bissonnet, and Houston is in the northern Hemisphere, meaning that the shadow of a highrise should not be an issue for Wroxton.
I live nearby this highrise site right now and walk by regularly. Maryland Manor is ugly. I look forward to another restaurant within walking distance and a much cleaner and better landscaped entrance to a grand building.
And to answer your question as to why expensive new housing can’t be built in ugly areas, it is because affluent renters and buyers don’t want to live in ugly areas.
Interesting that no one in Southampton seems to realize that the highrise is never going to cast a shadow on them. Either they don’t really live in Southampton or they’re not out much and don’t really know south from north. Or maybe it’s just one of the effects of Southampton Syndrome.
Linbeck is the builder/contractor for the project…not the developer or project-creator. Do you blame the contractor when Walmart “develops” a store in a new location? Absurd to focus on Linbeck…