BIG NEWS ON WASHINGTON AVE 
Update, 12/19/2016: A representative from Midway tells Swamplot that Midway didn’t buy the complex — it’s just been managing it for the folks who did (the Gordy family). This article has been updated. Archstone Memorial Heights, that 556-unit apartment complex at 201 S. Heights on 23.4 acres of Washington Corridor land (seen here pre-renovation 2 years ago), has been sold. The buyers? Midway Cos. and the Lionstone Group. Midway is perhaps best-known locally for its mixed-used CityCentre development and the Hotel Sorella. [RE Business Online] Photo: Charles Kuffner
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Wow. Great news. They know wha they are doing!
But will there be first floor retail?!?!
I remember when that land held the old spca, and a funky abandoned neighborhood that made for some interesting exploring. I stayed in the apartments once while renovating a house. It’s a great complex. Plenty of green space and parking. Hope they don’t raze it….even though it has no ground floor retail.
This is great news. They do amazing work can’t wait to see how they redevelop the property.
$105 million
The house at 607 Peden was moved from the area, built in the 1890’s and new life restored to it.
I lived there for 7 1/2 years – They only demolished 3 of the 20-something buildings, and built a 4 story building wrapped around a parking garage. Originally they were going to demolish the remaining buildings and build 5 more like it – no retail in any of them mind you, and still set back from Washington.
I suspect the remaining buildings will give way to much higher rent new, higher density structures, meaning that one of the last “affordable” complexes in the Washington/Memorial Drive/Allen Parkway corridors will be gone (and in my last years there, they were getting less and less affordable each year)
When we relocated from Chicago 3 years ago, we spent 2 years here during our transition. Apartments are very “cookie cutter”, but the best thing about this location was the amount of green space in the property, the VERY fun pool scene, and its proximity to Spotts Park and the bayou trails. They sold 6 of the buildings in ’12, demolished them, and build a nicer, higher density apartment complex which is there today. That also allowed for the removal of an unsightly abandoned office building that was an eyesore on Waugh. I knew it was only a matter of time before they sold the rest to either the same developer that bought the first 6, or to another one because of this prime location. I agree with others: I hope it is a mixed use similar to city centre with ground floor retail and not just another Goliath residential block. I have some fond memories of this little ticky tacky place :) -Brian
Are they going to tear it down and build apartments?
Would be a great location for a HEB… Wishful thinking I am sure
This would be a fabulous location for another City Centre- especially since this one would be, you know, located in the center of the City.
I remember when these were built – the first real sign of revitalization along Washington Ave. It was still pretty much an abandoned wasteland area when they went up. Looks like they did their job pretty well to be torn down within two decades to make way for more.
I remember that too Sadz. The first folks that moved in there were considered pioneers. How times change!
I got a dog at that SPCA in October of 1994. By December of 1998, when I got that dog a companion, the SPCA had moved over to Portway. I remember that cool abandoned neighborhood too.
I thought this already was new construction, didn’t they just build those? And they’re tearing them down already? Good lord.
$105million; steal! Good job Midway and Lionstone!
@Sadz and Shady: These apartments were not just “pioneer” complexes, but were considered high end for the area back in 95-96 when they first opened. It is certainly a very rapid trajectory to go from the “oh no, here come the yuppies with their BMWs” complex to “oh no, here goes the last affordable apartment complex in the area” in less than 20 years.
But this is a much better problem to have than to be saying “that was the last high end apartment complex before everyone bailed for the suburbs”. I am very excited that Midway is taking on this project. There is huge potential to really connect Washington Ave from the well developed west side of Heights/Waugh to the up and coming side on the east side of the street. The fenced off perimeter along Wash Ave kills any flow from one end to the other.
This is great. I wish there could be more of a connection between The Heights and the Waugh area. I’m thinking better bike infrastructure between Washington south to the bayou and beyond along with streetscape improvements.
@Scott
That’s my hope too. But the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market may be what’s actually coming.
Here’s hoping for an urban HEB, with apartments above, along with a Washington Avenue facing retail street presence and structured parking. Absolutely killer location.
Are you guys joking about the HEB? How many grocery stores do you need in the area? We already have Whole Foods, Kroger, the upcoming Sprouts, Target with its frozen section, and walmart with whatever it has. It seems like we have most of our bases covered.
I visited a co-worker here in 2005 and remember wondering what it was like to live in a wasteland that was albeit close to our downtown job. This used to be the ONLY thing on Washington avenue.