Note: Story updated below.
The owners of the original Carrabba’s Italian Grill on Kirby between West Main and Branard plan to demolish the restaurant, rebuild it, and construct 2 more restaurants on adjacent blocks. First step: building a new 275-car parking garage one block to the north, at the northwest corner of Branard and Argonne. Next, a new and larger Carrabba’s (marked [A] in the site plan above) would go up directly south of the existing building, which would remain open during construction. Once the new digs are complete, they’ll tear down the existing restaurant and put in a parking lot and porte-cochere in its place. Two more restaurants — one possibly named Grace’s, and one with office space upstairs — are planned for blocks north of Branard, one facing Kirby and the other at Argonne.
The Kirby Carrabba’s is one of 2 still owned by the family of co-founder Johnny Carrabba. All other Carrabba’s Italian Grills — more than 200 in 27 states — are owned by OSI Restaurant Partners, the same company that runs Outback Steakhouse and Fleming’s.
The new Kirby restaurant complex may be the first in the city to take advantage of the “transit corridor” incentives passed by city council last year. In return for building a 15-ft.-wide pedestrian area and street-front entrance along Kirby, designers get to push 2 of the buildings close to the street, well into the normal 25-ft. setback. The planning commission approved the site plan earlier this month — along with several related parking variances — even though the transit corridor itself (the University Line on Richmond) hasn’t even started construction yet.
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Even if the 2 Kirby restaurants do show pedestrian-friendly faces to the recently rebuilt street, they still may not draw many actual diners arriving on foot. The new transit corridor incentives require wide sidewalks, storefront windows, and a street-front entrance. But they don’t say how long the restaurants will have to keep that entrance open. If you’re arriving by car, the closest entrances will be on the sides, under the porte-cocheres.
Not included in the redevelopment plan: the property at 2506 West Main previously featured on Swamplot Price Adjuster, and recently reduced by Carrabba Property to $874,900.
Late Update: A commenter attempts to clear up the Carrabba restaurant family tree: “Carrabba’s on Kirby is owned by Johnny Carrabba, Damian Mandola is no longer his partner in the 2 original locations. Also, he does not own the property at 2506 W. Main, the realtor is a cousin not Johnny Carrabba that is why it is not included in the redevelopment plans!”
- Previously on Swamplot: Swamplot Price Adjuster: Carrabba Rating Commercial Property and Taking the “A” Streets: New Rules for Houston’s Rail Transit Corridors
Site plan: Houston Planning Commission (PDF)
23 Comments
Good for them, It is nice to see some doing instead of waiting for things to change. This will certainly bring the restaurant to a whole new level. Kirby has come out very nice and will be a great place when the rest of the area steps up.
I have to agree. Kirby is getting better day by day. Although this development may not be the panacea urban enthusiasts want, it’s a step in the right direction.
could be a good spot for Molina’s since the Goode Co property seems to not be going forward….
“…15-ft.-wide pedestrian area and street-front entrance.”
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It’s about damned time! See, it really isn’t so hard. If only the COH would “require” these types of guidelines in parts of the city like the Washington Corridor instead of making it optional, we might have streetscapes that look like we meant it, instead of the haphazard clusterfk that is Washington and Midtown.
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I don’t care for Carrabba’s food, but got to give them props for this plan.
Just thinking, it’s funny, I remember when this location was a gay bookstore and video arcade with people doing sketchy things in the booths.
John,
Me, too. My hubby refuses to eat there because of the historic sketchiness.
Yes, props to Carrabba’s for pedestrian-friendly sidewalks. I hope other developers follow suit. How great would it be to be able to walk with my husband and my dog on the sidewalk down most Houston streets? Hell, with all the signs, poles and other (albeit necessary) crap that the city sticks in our narrow sidewalks it’s often difficult to walk two abreast.
By all means, more surface parking, less patio dining.
I wish they could have fit another restaurant underneath the parking garage.
great to know that Carraba’s is celebrating the new Kirby Dr. thank you.
Wow, a parking garage? Who’d-a-thunk-it?
I have to give them cheers for this decision above all others. Rather than the standard “flatten a couple of houses for fifty spots and call it go,” mentality we typically see in developments around here – they showed some foresight.
I mean, if we’re _not_ going to facilitate real public transport, and we’re going to enforce the image of a car-centered community, you’d think we’d be a little more efficient with our parking designs….
From glory holes to upscale Italian dining. And you can learn the language while taking a whiz. Do they still play that tape in the head? (no pun intended)
If you will look carefully you will see that they have taken the flatten several houses and add 100 surface spots route … and then added the parking garage on top of that.
Yes the tape still plays, at both Voss and Kirby locations. Self admittedly addicted to pasta carraba..
Sure am glad I don’t live on Branard…
Branard for 2 to 3 blocks east of Kirby was crazy back in 2004 and 2005 when I lived in the area. I don’t it’ll be much different other than patrons won’t be trying to park down the residential street. They’ll have the parking garage to use.
John
“In return for building a 15-ft.-wide pedestrian area and street-front entrance along Kirby, designers get to push 2 of the buildings close to the street, well into the normal 25-ft. setback.”
“It’s about damned time! See, it really isn’t so hard. If only the COH would “require” these types of guidelines”
Someone gets to build a nice development by being exempted from existing planning regulations. So the obvious response is more regulations?
awp,
John hasn’t caught the drift that those kind of regulations need to be enabled through a charter amendment. Which means a councilmember or the mayor needs to put it up for a vote in an election or private citizens will have to petition for the it to be put up to a vote.
What Carraba’s is doing has nothing to do with being exempt from regulations. The regulations have been amended under the Urban Corridors initiative where incentives to developers are given (such as no build setback) in exchange for the wide side walks.
This new set up allows developers within future rail corridors (or near them such as Carraba’s) to submit plats and plans without having to undergo a variance process that was previously needed to get more urban style new development going. The West Ave project for example had to go through a variance process to get built. Also another example of why regulations aren’t needed and that there in no barrier for urban style development in Houston.
“Also another example of why regulations aren’t needed and that there in no barrier for urban style development in Houston.”
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No barrier. Now, I know you’re kidding. Obviously it can be done, the problem remains that there is no structure to this. So, while Carrabba’s choses to go this route, the developer on the next block may not, the developers of the block after that may or may not. You wind up with the chaos existing in Midtown where two blocks are walkable and “urban”, while the next three blocks are nothing but the fences of a “suburban” apartment complex.
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The end result is a complete lack of continuity that defeats the purpose of urban development guidelines. Having a corridor where only every third block is “urban” is pointless.
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Leaving it optional in a particular corridor is complete failure.
“From kjb434:
John hasn’t caught the drift that those kind of regulations need to be enabled through a charter amendment. Which means a councilmember or the mayor needs to put it up for a vote in an election or private citizens will have to petition for the it to be put up to a vote.”
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The mechanism for getting it done is beside the point. The fact is, as you so willingly describe, that it can be done.
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The ongoing problem in Houston is that everything is done half-ass. For once, I’d like to see the city take the recommendations from one of the never-ending task forces and actually implement and enforce the results. Always making initiatives optional will always result in mediocrity. Houston deserves better.
The “new Kirby” sucks a big one. What a shame.
When I learned of the Haussmann boulevardation of Paris under Napoleon III, I felt indignant: Property owners got plowed-under by the new city design!
100 years later, Paris was famously adored for that layout.
The source of the action was political hubris, but, the effect of the re-design served the city very well as time went on and car & streetcar travel increased.
It’s right that Houston looks to the future.
And, maybe the Mayor should act like an Emporer.
Carrabba’s on Kirby is owned by Johnny Carrabba, Damian Mandola is no longer his partner in the 2 original locations. Also, he does not own the property at 2506 W. Main, the realtor is a cousin not Johnny Carrabba that is why it is not included in the redevelopment plans!