Swamplot Archives by Category: Industrial Properties

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Friday, October 30, 2009

Secrets of the New Saint Arnold Brewery

October 30, 2009 – 12:21 pm
   

Brittanie Shey reports on the grand opening of the local brewery’s new home at 2000 Lyons Ave. in the Fifth Ward: “We got to see the top secret investor’s bar, a swanky-looking room in the back with a lovely carved wooden bar-top. We also heard the story of how the building, which was once an HISD food distribution facility (a.k.a. a giant freezer and refrigerator) had to be literally thawed out — there were icicles hanging from the ceiling — before it could be inspected. . . . The newery has four floors, but most of the action is in the middle two. The first floor is where the brewing takes place. The second floor, with huge windows looking down to the first floor, is where the tastings are and where parties will take place for those who have rented out the brewery. The company is thinking of using the basement for aging beers, and the third floor, right now it’s just filled with storage.” [Houstonist; previously on Swamplot]

12:21 pm | 1 Comment | Read more about Adaptive Reuse, Attractions, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Fifth Ward, Quicklink
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Weingarten’s Selloff Continues

October 28, 2009 – 2:33 pm
   

The 283,841-sq.-ft. Central Park Northwest off Dacoma St. and the 100,600-sq.-ft. Jester Plaza near Oak Forest are the latest industrial properties to leave the Weingarten Realty fold. And there’s more to jettison: “The company’s vice president/director — industrial properties Kelly Landwermeyer told GlobeSt.com the disposition of the industrial service center on 3500-3582 W. T.C. Jester Blvd. is part of Weingarten’s overall disposition strategy of non-core industrial asset, which includes service centers and flex properties. He says another asset is under contract and scheduled to close within the next few weeks. ‘There are another half-dozen on various pre-contract stages in the pipeline,’ he explains, adding that there are no set deadlines for closings by the end of 2009.” [Globe St.; previously on Swamplot]

2:33 pm | 1 Comment | Read more about Buying and Selling, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Dacoma, Neighborhoods: Oak Forest, Quicklink
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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Houston Bayou Ballet: Dance of the Upper Ship Channel

October 6, 2009 – 9:48 am

And now, a rare look at the Second Ward’s indigenous Ship Channel dance ceremony, performed along the gentle banks of Buffalo Bayou and celebrating the bountiful fall harvest of crushed concrete.

Video: Freneticore

9:48 am | 4 Comments | Read more about Art, Bayous and Waterways, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Houston Ship Channel, Neighborhoods: Second Ward, Public Art
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Thursday, August 27, 2009

What’s Brewing at the New Fifth Ward Saint Arnold HQ

August 27, 2009 – 10:47 am

Fifth Ward correspondents Vaughn and Terri Mueller drive by the building at 2000 Lyons St., across the railroad tracks from Hennessey Park — the future location for the Saint Arnold Brewery. And they notice the gate and a wide strip of the building open to view:

There aren’t any signs around the old HISD food service building exclaiming that Saint Arnold’s is moving in, but take a quick drive around the block and and it sure looks like a brewery inside. The expansion is still under construction but there is a large door (or unfinished wall) that is open to one of the side streets. . . . You can see some of the fermentation tanks in the corner. One of the only signs at the construction site is for the construction company “Clifford Jackson Contractors.”

Continue Reading This Story >

10:47 am | 7 Comments | Read more about Adaptive Reuse, Attractions, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Fifth Ward
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Friday, July 31, 2009

Weingarten Warehouse Sale

July 31, 2009 – 1:05 pm
   

Weingarten Realty is continuing its multi-year property selling spree. The REIT is trying to unload a big chunk of its industrial properties, which make up a quarter of its holdings, but are typically easier to sell than retail centers: “Weingarten owns or has a stake in 18.6 million square feet of industrial properties in six states, with approximately 7 million square feet in the Houston area. Of the local holdings, nearly 890,000 square feet is up for grabs. In Houston, two properties with a total of 211,000 square feet are under contract for sale and another two facilities with 349,000 total square feet were expected to go under contract this week, according to Landwermeyer. Spec’s became the first local buyer when it acquired a 201,000-square-foot building last week. But as a core asset, that property would not have been sold had it not been for Spec’s existing retail ties to Weingarten.” [Houston Business Journal; more on the sale to Spec's]

1:05 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Buildings for Sale, Buying and Selling, Industrial Properties, Quicklink
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Comment of the Day: It’s What’s Inside That Counts

July 10, 2009 – 1:51 pm
   

“Houston ugly? Hell no. Houston is real. Houston has the testicular fortitude to manufacturer [goods] and chemicals that everybody wants but no one wants made near them. Same with Beaumont, Port Arthur, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge…..I’ll take Houston gladly over cities that are completely obsessed with looking good. . . .” [kjb434, commenting on Smaller Signs in Houston’s Future]

1:51 pm | 14 Comments | Read more about Comments, Industrial Properties, Quicklink
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Friday, April 24, 2009

Closing the Greater Greenspoint Sprawl Gap

April 24, 2009 – 10:22 am
   

That 1,000-acre undeveloped green space south of Beltway 8 and just west of I-45 North will soon become Houston’s largest office/warehouse distribution business park: “The marketing package announces sites for sale within the business park ranging from five to 300 acres in size. A site plan indicates that Ella Boulevard, Greens Crossing Boulevard and Fallbrook Drive will be extended through the property. . . . Pinto Realty’s business park is comprised of 500 acres that have been owned by the Cockrell family for some 50 years, [Greater Greenspoint Management District president Jack] Drake says. The other 500 acres were used as a tree farm for many years before the Cockrells acquired that portion of the land from ExxonMobil Corp.” A unit of Sysco is completing a 585,000-square-foot distribution center on 50 adjacent acres the company purchased from the Cockrells 2 years ago. [Houston Business Journal]

10:22 am | 4 Comments | Read more about Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Greenspoint, Quicklink, Sprawl
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Friday, April 10, 2009

Plenty of Room at the Port

April 10, 2009 – 10:49 am
   

Lots of space is available in Houston’s industrial soft spot — on the far east side of town: “A lot of developers built huge facilities on spec at the Port of Houston. However, with trade down due to the global slowdown, the Port is starting to feel some pain, too; as is the real estate that sprang up to serve it. Exports are falling off, while imports are going from ship, to intermodal, to the rest of the country rather than remaining in Houston warehouses. Added to the fact was that building was out of control in that area during the mid-2000s. ‘Three or four years ago, everyone wanted to be at the Port, so everyone put their buildings there,’ [Grubb & Ellis Senior Vice President John] Nicholson says. ‘It was crazy.’ The result is a lot of vacant product, especially warehouse space, in the far east submarket. Transwestern’s report puts the East-Southeast Far submarket at 13.5% vacancy, including sublet space. The total inventory in that area is 34 million square feet, with 1.8 million square feet under construction. The Grubb & Ellis numbers for East Southeast Far have 30 million square feet of inventory and a 20% vacancy. And all of Houston is hunkering into recession mode in the area of lease negotiation. Nicholson and [Transwestern managing director Brian K.] Gammill say short-term deals are more common, as are more free-rent concessions.” [Globe St.]

10:49 am | Add a Comment | Read more about Industrial Properties, Leasing, Neighborhoods: Port of Houston, Quicklink
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Friday, April 3, 2009

Out in Discount Land

April 3, 2009 – 12:16 pm
   

Former Halliburton unit PathFinder Energy Services, now a part of Smith International, is building a new $20-million, 225,000-sq.-ft. tilt-up campus on 25 acres in Katy. “The center will be located near the northwest corner of Colonial Parkway and the Grand Parkway, next to the highly visible, 800,000-square-foot 99 Cents Only warehouse along Interstate 10. PathFinder’s site is across I-10 from where Houston-based KBR Inc. planned to build 900,000 square feet of office space to house most of its 4,500 local employees. The KBR project, which would have extended the Energy Corridor farther west, has been put on hold for economic reasons. PathFinder intends to consolidate hundreds of employees from four buildings it leases in Northwest Houston into the Katy-area site, which was acquired in December 2007 from an Interfin Cos. partnership.” [Houston Business Journal]

12:16 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Industrial Properties, Katy, New Construction, Quicklink
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Comment of the Day: Sultry, Scented Houston Summer Scene

March 24, 2009 – 1:59 pm
   

“Love the big cushy sofa in the Armature Works backyard. Imagine reclining there on a sultry Houston summer evening, cold beer in hand, brownfield perfume transporting the senses, viewing the sunset while the humid dusk lights the multicolored drums in a scene worthy of a Thiebaud.” [Miz Brooke Smith, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Broken Armature; photos]

1:59 pm | 2 Comments | Read more about Comments, Hazards, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Houston Heights, Quicklink
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Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Seen on the Street: Armature Armchair

February 17, 2009 – 5:23 pm

Ready to see some fun pix from around town? Here’s the guardhouse for the loading dock at the Igloo plant in Katy, as captured a while back by blogger Donna B.

A few more:

Continue Reading This Story >

5:23 pm | 6 Comments | Read more about Hazards, Industrial Properties, Katy, Neighborhoods: Houston Heights, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Openings and Closings, Parking, Restaurants, Strip Centers
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Friday, January 30, 2009

Spur 5 Hop: The University of Houston Grows East

January 30, 2009 – 11:46 am

The University of Houston has been given the go-ahead by the system’s Board of Regents to negotiate the purchase of the University Business Park, the 69-acre former Schlumberger Technologies corporate headquarters complex that faces I-45 South, just east of UH’s central campus.

The university currently leases 150,000 square feet in the business park, for offices “and other uses.” The new campus extension would be used for academic and research programs, administrative offices, storage, “industry partnerships,” and other functions. And it comes with 30 acres of vacant land.

UH has already completed the purchase of an adjacent 5-acre site, for about $2.5 million:

Continue Reading This Story >

11:46 am | 14 Comments | Read more about Buying and Selling, Commercial Real Estate, Industrial Properties, Institutional Buildings, Neighborhoods: University of Houston, Office Space
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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Sad Consequences of Skipping Dessert

January 21, 2009 – 10:42 am
   

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream will be shutting down its plant at 4494 Campbell Rd., off Clay Rd. in Northwest Houston, by early April: “Dori Bailey, director of consumer communications for Dreyer’s, says the company chose to close the Houston facility, which produces 20 million gallons of ice cream a year, because production demand from the Houston area has been declining over the past several years. ‘Houston was also one of our smallest plants and it only had the capability to make packaged ice cream, while our other plants are able to make other brands of ice cream snacks as well,’ Bailey says. Bailey says the company hasn’t decided whether to sell or lease the 130,000-square-foot facility. About 50,000 square feet of the plant is factory space, while 80,000 square feet is warehouse space.” [Houston Business Journal]

10:42 am | 2 Comments | Read more about Commercial Real Estate, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Northwest Houston, Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Warehouse Space
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Monday, September 29, 2008

Hurricane Ike Turns a Warehouse into a Haunted House

September 29, 2008 – 1:03 pm

Last week Hair Balls blogger Dusti Rhodes reported that most Houston-area haunted-house attractions were faring pretty well after Hurricane Ike — and managed to elicit this gem from the owner of haunted-house chain Phobia:

Our customer base is still screwed over. We bet they’ll be happy to hear that the fake houses in the area have their power back.

Now from Crosby comes a different kind of Hurricane Ike haunted house horror story: A warehouse attached to auto accessories shop B&M Accessories received so much damage from the storm that the owners decided to scrap their plans to expand their store into it. Instead, they’re turning the entire building into . . . yes, a haunted house:

“When we first came and walked through, my son said it looked like a haunted house in here,” [co-owner Billy] Maness said.

Though the power was out around much of the community, two light bulbs flicked on at the mention of Halloween.

After some discussion it was decided: the eerie warehouse was to become Crosby’s House of Terror, a 9,000-square foot maze of Halloween fun and fear.

While others are mourning the loss of their homes and businesses, the duo turned their misfortune around, giving the entire community something to scream about. Since Sunday, they’ve been hard at work, not cleaning up, but ramping up the Halloween spirit unleashed by Hurricane Ike.

The Halloween attraction will open to the public on October 3. Less than a year ago, the building at 117 Ulrich Ln., off FM 2100 in Crosby, was Shooters Bar. Before that, it was called the Chicken Coop.

After the jump: design touches from Hurricane Ike!

Continue Reading This Story >

1:03 pm | 1 Comment | Read more about Attractions, Disaster Aftermath, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: Crosby, Openings and Closings, Renovations, Retail
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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Lookout for Townhouses: What Do You Make of the First Ward?

August 6, 2008 – 2:46 pm

Bridge over Railroad Tracks, First Ward North of Edwards St., Houston

It seems son-of-a-son-of-a-guv Paul Hobby wasn’t quite clear at first what to do with a huge industrial site he bought in the First Ward:

Over the years, Hobby says, there was interest in turning it into an indoor soccer facility. There was also talk of growing lettuce inside the large warehouse. But a year ago, Hobby came up with the idea to create a data center in the space.

But that’s just the start of it. The site is the former Budweiser distribution plant Silver Eagle Distributors left behind when it built its new bunker further west on Washington Ave. Hobby bought the First Ward facility quietly from Silver Eagle in 2004 and leased it back to the company for a while before it left. The site stretches along Edwards St. from Sawyer to Silver, a few blocks north of Washington.

Indoor farm . . . server farm . . . why not? The possibilities are endless! But then, there’s always . . . townhomes!

A row of eight to 10 townhomes are slated to be built along Edwards Street. And an undetermined number of units are being considered for the eastern-most part of the property.

Of course! But it gets better . . .

Continue Reading This Story >

2:46 pm | 6 Comments | Read more about Commercial Real Estate, Development Strategy, Industrial Properties, Neighborhoods: First Ward, Proposed Developments, Real Estate Investing, Real Estate Marketing, Redevelopment, Townhomes
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