Swamplot Archives by Category: Neighborhoods: Briargrove

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Take the Money and Iran

   

“Federal prosecutors are seeking to seize the Islamic Education Center at 2313 S. Voss, just north of Westheimer, as part of a move against the Alavi Foundation, nonprofit organization with suspected ties to the Iranian government: “Faheem Kazimi, chairman of the board of directors of IEC, said tonight that the center leases its building from Alavi Foundation. No other connection exists, he said. . . . The Center’s premises on South Voss is occupied by one of Houston’s largest Shiia mosques and Al-Hadi School of Accelerative Learning, a private Islamic school. . . . The mosque . . . will remain open while the forfeiture case works its way through court in what could be a long process. What will happen to them if the government ultimately prevails is unclear. But the government typically sells properties it has seized through forfeiture, and the proceeds are sometimes distributed to crime victims. There were no raids Thursday as part of the forfeiture action. The government is simply required to post notices of the civil complaint on the property. Prosecutors said the Alavi Foundation, through a front company known as Assa Corp., illegally funneled millions in rental income back to Iran’s state-owned Bank Melli. Bank Melli has been accused by a U.S. Treasury official of providing support for Iran’s nuclear program, and it is illegal in the United States to do business with the bank.” [Houston Chronicle]

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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Former Mob Boss to Penthouse Club: Keep Your Pants On

   

The Penthouse Club just off Westheimer at 2618 Winrock — shut down by the city a year ago for violating the city’s sexually oriented business ordinance — is reopening this Thursday! But . . . there’ll be no nudity this time, promises the club’s global licensing director. Who owns the club? According to KPRC Local 2 Investigates reporter Robert Arnold, that would be admitted murderer turned government witness Vincent Palermo, the former acting boss of New Jersey’s DeCavalcante crime family: “In addition to the mansion on Memorial Drive, Local 2 found Palermo, now using the last name Cabella, also owns the property that is the Penthouse Club on Winrock Boulevard near Westheimer Road. Harris County records show he also owns the Mexican food restaurant [Ruchi's Grill] in front of the Penthouse and the [Super Clean] car wash behind the club. State records show a company called “Hereweareagain, inc.” owns and operates the Penthouse Club, and another company called “6430 Westheimer, inc” owns and operates All Stars Cabaret across the street from Penthouse. Palermo’s wife and son are listed on corporate filings for these companies.” [Click2Houston; previously on Swamplot]

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Great Houston Strip Club Crackdown

   

The arrests last week of 6 dancers, the DJ, the manager, and the “house mother” at the All-Star Men’s Club on the corner of Winrock and Westheimer — along with legal action against the club for operating a sexually oriented business without a license — are the latest rounds: “‘This is part of a bigger effort by the White administration to use the powers that are available to the city to protect and improve the quality of life in the city’s neighborhoods,’ said private attorney Patrick Zummo, who was hired by the city to help enforce its sexually oriented business ordinance. ‘We are working on another lawsuit that would include many of those businesses that are operating illegally, and which will probably be filed in the next couple of weeks.’ . . . Frank Michel, a spokesman for Mayor Bill White, confirmed Friday’s legal action is the beginning of an offensive against sex clubs that operate in areas where they would not qualify for a city license.” [Houston Chronicle, via Boyd's Blog]; previously in Swamplot]

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Penthouse Stripped

   

The Penthouse Club at 2618 Winrock has been closed by court order — the first such action stemming from Houston’s 11-year-old sexually oriented business ordinance: “State District Judge Mark Davidson issued a temporary injunction Tuesday afternoon and ordered the club to shut down immediately. A trial in which the city will argue for permanent closure is set for Oct. 27. Davidson’s order is a major victory for the city, which has spent more than $1.2 million defending the ordinance against challenges by adult-oriented businesses, said attorney Patrick Zummo, hired by the city to help it enforce the law. ‘It means that this ordinance that we fought so hard to pass and prove constitutional, that it will actually work,’ Zummo said. ‘We’re not through. We’re looking at other locations around The Penthouse.’” [Houston Chronicle]

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Neighborhood Guessing Game Over: Garage Zero

Neighborhood Guessing Game 17: Bedroom

Good work this week! Four of you guessed Briargrove. Meyerland, Tanglewood, and Old Braeswood attracted two guesses each. Fall Creek, Memorial outside the Beltway, the Elkins Lake Country Club area in Huntsville, Fonn Villas, Tealwood, West Grove Court, Buffalo Speedway & Braeswood, Shepherd Park Plaza, and Afton Oaks attracted guesses as well.

And Briargrove it was! The winner was tcpIV, the first to stake that claim in our comments section — with this pithy entry:

Briargrove?

Yes!

An honorable mention goes to a later Briargrove guesser, BJ, who came up with plenty of story:

The front room with the big window screams ranch. That cavernous master bedroom looks big enough to pull in mom’s Chevy Suburban LT-1 and dad’s 5-series, so it is likely a converted garage. It also looks like the owner dropped a small fortune on antiques in Round Top, white-slip covered furniture and big fancy flat-screens. I also see an orange blanket on one of the kid’s beds–probably Longhorn fans. Lastly, several kids clearly inhabit those rooms–they’re likely playing out front while mom and her friends sip martinis, or at soccer practice at Kinkaid. I say Briargrove all the way!

Special recognition this week for the bamboozling skills of David W, who emailed us the actual listing but whose attempt to throw other players off the scent ended up sounding rather plausible:

Looks like a 60’s subdivision house to me - maybe Fonn Villas? Tealwood? Those aluminum framed bay windows and shiny brass chandelier scream Kickerillo circa mid 60’s. I’m guessing the master bedroom is an add on as well as the breakfast room with skylights. Those rooms almost look like they are from a different house.

Want the scoop on this place?

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Friday, May 23, 2008

Weekend Open House Tour: Briargrove and Briargrove Park

Briargrove and Briargrove Park are 5 miles and (to judge from this weekend’s open houses), about $700,000 apart. But both feature homes so eager to be sold that they’re giving up a good portion of their Memorial Day weekend just so you can visit.

10335 Lynbrook Hollow St., Briargrove Park, Houston

Location: 10335 Lynbrook Hollow St.
Details: 4 bedrooms, 3 baths; 2,958 sq. ft.
Price: $410,000
The Scoop: 1976 brick home on cul-de-sac in Briargrove Park, built around brick courtyard. Two bedrooms, including Master, downstairs. Partial second story. Partially covered deck in back. On the market since mid-January. Price cut $25K last week.
Open House: Sunday, 3-5 pm

More Briargrovian homes below:

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Woodway Glen Fourplex Condos: Converted, but Still Not Sold on the Idea

6323 Deerwood Rd., Woodway Glen, Houston

Here’s the plan: Buy a fourplex on a cul-de-sac near the intersection of Woodway and Voss. Do some painting, replace the roof and repair the exterior, put in granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances in one of the units and new appliances and carpet in the rest. Then . . . convert the place to condos, and flip them one at a time!

Except . . . there are a heck of a lot of condos out there in the $150K-$230K range, and selling is tough.

Bummer. But there’s still a moneymaking way out: If you can’t make the condo flip yourself, that doesn’t mean you can’t sell someone else on the idea of doing it. And you’ve already done the conversion work!

Just listed on MLS: 6323 Deerwood. Four units built in 1975, totaling 7,564 square feet, on a 10,171-sq.-ft. lot. Apartments lease for $1200 and $1400. Asking $645,000:

Units have already been condo converted! Investor can sell units separately or keep as a fourplex.

Will consider seller financing!

After the jump: the renovated innards.

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

Fairmont on San Felipe: Stacked!

Rendering of The Fairmont on San Felipe, Houston

It looks like our earlier report about the Fairmont at San Felipe — the strip-center-apartment combo planned for the southeast corner of San Felipe and Winrock — was wrong. Judging from this new rendering of the complex, it sure looks like those apartments will actually be stacked directly on top of the retail spaces, forming a lovely parking-lot-courtyard tableau!

Permits for construction of the apartments were just approved by the city. After the jump: closeups, plus the plan that led us astray.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The Fairmont on San Felipe: Close Enough for Comfort

Site Plan of The Fairmont on San Felipe, Houston

Sure, there’s Post Properties, the Sonoma in the Rice Village and all those tired old buildings downtown, but most Houston developers won’t put apartments on top of retail unless they’re dragged kicking and screaming. And really, the idea of living next to a strip center evokes a much warmer, more folksy feeling. Isn’t that what Houston is all about?

The latest: The Fairmont on San Felipe, on the southeast corner of San Felipe and Winrock. A couple of apartment courtyards, connected by a central garage, behind two strips ready for 41,500 square feet of retail. It’s now under construction, on the site of the old Regency Arms apartments, which burned last year after it had already been vacated for demolition.

Update, 2/14/08: Looks like they have been dragged!

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