Openings and Closings

Buying and Selling
03/26/10 1:22pm

Memorial Drive Scrape: The End of Otto’s and Bibas Greek Pizza

by
Cancellations and Delays, Commercial Real Estate, Memorial, New Construction, Openings and Closings, Restaurants, Retail, Rice Military, Shopping Centers
3 Comments

How cheaply did the Ponderosa Land Development Co. pick up the 1.3 acres of land under Otto’s Bar B Que on Memorial Dr.?

“I won’t be able to ride off into the sunset with what I’m getting,” Otto’s co-owner June Sofka tells Jennifer Dawson of the Houston Business Journal. And that’s our only clue. Well, that and the fact that the shopping-center developers still had enough money left over to buy the property next door.

A new 2-story building on the 1.8-acre site between Asbury and Reinicke, on the southern border of Rice Military, is being designed by Kirksey.

The portion with Memorial frontage that will also be torn down to make way for the new project is owned by two sisters, one of whom is Wanda Greb. Their property contains Bibas Greek Pizza, M-T Nails, Memorial Barber Shop, Rich Cleaners and the hamburger restaurant segment of Otto’s, which is leased by the Sofkas.

Ponderosa intends to scrape the entire site and develop a 22,000-square-foot center with retail, restaurant and possibly some boutique office space. The project is expected to cost $6 million to $8 million, not including the land cost.

But wait, maybe not all of those businesses are disappearing from that location!

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , , , , , , , ,
Openings and Closings
03/25/10 11:22am

What’s Been Cooking for So Long at Phil’s Texas Barbecue

by
Renovations, Restaurants, Washington Corridor
12 Comments

Yes, that’s the former Southwest Muffler and Brake building at the corner of Heights Blvd. and Washington Ave., under new design management. At last, reports a reader, there’s a sign out front indicating the impending opening of Phil’s Texas Barbecue. And in such a tiny little 7,000-sq.-ft. building!

Our reader comments:

While I welcome the addition to the Washington corridor, this place violates Rule No. 1 of successful eatery: a restaurant that spends too much money on looks spends not enough on food. Consider me a hopeful skeptic.

And you haven’t even seen the landscaping yet! Construction has been ongoing since last September. When will those ribs be ready?

An earlier view of that front patio:

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , ,
Commercial Real Estate
03/24/10 3:56pm

Chasing Down Weingarten’s Mysterious “Alternatives” to Demolishing the Alabama Theater

by
Historic Preservation, Houston Architects, Leasing, Openings and Closings, Renovations, Retail, Shopping Centers, Strip Centers, Upper Kirby
13 Comments

Last night, a spokesperson under contract to Weingarten Realty writing on behalf of the company reported to Swamplot and its readers that the shopping-center owner “can’t verify the authenticity of the drawings” we reported on yesterday.

The drawings referred to are bid documents that Heights Venture Architects prepared for Weingarten detailing an extensive interior demolition of the 70-year-old Art Deco Alabama Theater at South Shepherd and West Alabama — more commonly known until its closing last September as the Alabama Bookstop bookstore.

Well, gee. Today, “an official” of Weingarten’s architecture firm isn’t having such a hard time with the verification process:

An official at Heights Venture Architects told CultureMap this morning that the company did submit plans detailing a near total interior demolition of the Alabama at the specific request of Weingarten (the company that owns the vacant building).

The official at Heights asked not to be named and said he had no speaking authority, but confirmed that the company had been asked to submit the plans, which Swamplot first published.

What a fun game! Now that this round is over, let’s jump to the next one: Okay, so maybe Weingarten did ask its architects to prepare demolition drawings. Maybe Weingarten is exploring all its options! Just pricing a complete demo for . . . say, comparison.

Here’s the same Weingarten spokesperson feeding this ruse:

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Commercial Real Estate
03/23/10 3:16pm

Weingarten’s Alabama Theater Plan: Speculative Demolition for Fun and Profit

by
Historic Preservation, Houston Architects, Leasing, Openings and Closings, Renovations, Retail, Shopping Centers, Strip Centers, Upper Kirby
18 Comments

Weingarten Realty’s director of investor relations Kristin Gandy tells the Chronicle‘s Nancy Sarnoff that the owners of the vacant Alabama Theater building in the Alabama Shepherd Shopping Center at the corner of South Shepherd and West Alabama do not have a deal for the space with any new tenant, including Staples. Swamplot reported earlier this morning that a local construction firm is soliciting bids from subcontractors for an extensive interior demolition of the 1939 Art Deco theater, which from the early eighties until late last year was the home of the Alabama Bookstop bookstore. Drawings detailing the demolition were prepared for Weingarten by Heights Venture Architects, and the bid documents included floor plans for a prototype Staples office-supply store.

Gandy tells Sarnoff

Weingarten has not signed a lease nor has any lease under (letter of intent) with any particular tenant at this time. We have several tenants that are reviewing, but we don’t have a definitive agreement in place.

Weingarten may not have an agreement in place, but the publicly traded company certainly has demolition plans in place, already labeled as issued for permitting. Which means either

  • Weingarten is conducting extensive pricing research for a number of options for the space in a rather peculiar manner (the ready-for-permit bid documents do not ask bidders to price any alternative to demolition); or
  • (far more likely) Weingarten is gambling that demolishing the interior of Alabama Theater will help it to attract a very particular type of tenant to the unique Inner Loop property.

How much does Weingarten want to demo?

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Commercial Real Estate
03/23/10 8:15am

Weingarten Plans an Alabama Theater Demolition. Is Staples Moving In?

by
Historic Preservation, Leasing, Openings and Closings, Retail, Shopping Centers, Strip Centers, Upper Kirby
78 Comments

It looks like the former Alabama Theater — known since the early eighties as the Alabama Bookstop, and since last fall as that big vacant space for lease in Weingarten Realty’s Alabama Shepherd Shopping Center — is about to be gutted. A local construction company is currently taking bids from subcontractors for a rather complete interior demolition. The plans, prepared by Heights Venture Architects, show major alterations to the floor, walls, and ceilings.

The theater’s original sloped floor will be buried under a new concrete slab; wood floors inserted during the 1983 bookstore conversion will be removed. For now, the balcony will remain.

Here’s a little before and after to demonstrate:

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , , , , , , , ,
Briargrove
03/17/10 6:35pm

Coming Soon to San Felipe: Winetopia

by
Nightlife, Openings and Closings, Retail, Strip Centers
6 Comments

Never mind that wine bars the Wine Bucket, the Corkscrew, and the Tasting Room in Midtown have all been poured down the drain since January. Krutar Patel says he’s planning to open his brand new wine bar, Winetopia, this May. He’s already added his placard to the giant brick sign in front of the Fairmont on San Felipe at 6363 San Felipe.

The midrise apartment complex with a retail center on its ground level is already home to a martial-arts studio and a Subway. Winetopia will sandwich itself between the two businesses. Patrons will be able to stumble upstairs to their apartments or, if necessary, to the 24-hour St. Luke’s Community Emergency Center in the same center, conveniently located just yards away.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , , ,
Bellaire
03/05/10 2:15pm

Bellaire Dumps Its Recycling Center

by
Openings and Closings
6 Comments

Bellaire’s city council voted this week to shut down its 2-decade-old recycling center on Edith St. near Lafayette Park. The city’s recycling committee attributes the site’s declining popularity to the city’s new curbside recycling program:

When the [curbside] program was expanded in 2008, pickup increased in tonnage from 1,231 to 1,578 tons collected in 2009, a 28 percent increase. During that same time, tons dropped off at the Bellaire Recycling Center has dropped to 347 tons in 2009. As recently as 2005, area residents dropped off 989 tons of recycling.

Photo of Debbie Marshall Bellaire Recycling Center, 4402 Edith St: Wikimedia Commons

, , ,
Eastwood
02/26/10 11:49pm

A Whole New Ball Game: Fingers Back and Open for Business

by
Houston History, Museums, Openings and Closings, Retail
3 Comments

Almost a year after shutting down all its operations, Finger Furniture — or at least another company using the same name and run by the same family — is open again. Owner Rodney Finger is claiming the newly renovated 600,000-sq.-ft. facility at 4001 Gulf Fwy. at Cullen near Eastwood is now the biggest furniture store in Texas. And that’ll likely be true for a bit longer — until the warehouse portion of that million-sq.-ft. Rooms To Go on I-10 past Katy opens in another month or so.

But at 200,000 sq. ft., Finger’s showroom is 5 times the size of the one at Rooms To Go. And then there’s that museum inside:

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , , ,
Malls
02/19/10 3:53pm

The Best Buy in Meyerland

by
Meyerland Plaza, Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Retail, Shopping Centers
7 Comments

THE BEST BUY IN MEYERLAND No, that isn’t another gun store with shooting range moving into the empty Circuit City space at the Meyerland Plaza shopping center. Reports a reader: “There has been some activity in the empty space lately, and today I asked a worker who was out in the parking lot what store was going in, and he said Best Buy.” [Swamplot inbox]

, , , , ,
Houston Architects
02/17/10 3:53pm

Midtown Restaurant Reopens After Fire

by
Midtown, Openings and Closings
3 Comments

Wasn’t it just Monday that Mai’s Restaurant on Milam St. in Midtown burned to a soggy crisp? And the owners said they’d rebuild . . . somewhere.

What timing: The very next day, the other fire-singed Midtown restaurant reopened for the business. Brennan’s of Houston had its battle with flames almost a year and a half ago, right in the middle of Hurricane Ike.

The brick Brennan’s building at the corner of Smith St. and Stuart — as reconfigured by Studio Red Architects — now features a slightly smaller courtyard (and a new but smaller tree to replace the vintage 1970 oak the fire killed), but restores a few original elements — including several large arched windows — from architect John Staub’s original design. There’s a new “courtyard bar,” too. The 1930 building originally housed Houston’s Junior League.

Photo of Brennan’s of Houston Restaurant, 3300 Smith St.: Jay Lee

, , , ,
Lanier Place
02/17/10 1:19pm

What Could Possibly Take the Place of Chicken N Egg Roll?

by
New Construction, Openings and Closings, Restaurants, Retail
9 Comments

A hungry reader writes in wanting to know about the new concrete-block building going up at 2802 S. Shepherd, just across Harold St. from the Houston Wine Merchant. Half of the lot is the site of the former Chicken N Egg Roll. Because the neighboring house on Harold was carted away, the new lot is twice as deep.

I have confirmed that it is a commercial establishment, but can’t find any additional info. Do you know? It looks too small to be a restaurant, but one can hope . . .

Here’s one clue our reader will be happy to hear: The original demolition report from last April listed the owner or occupant of the property as Toyama Japanese Restaurant.

Photo: Swamplot inbox

, , , , ,
Beach City
02/05/10 12:42pm

Calling McCollum Park’s Bluff

by
Chambers County, Disaster Aftermath, Openings and Closings, Parks, Quicklink
1 Comment

CALLING MCCOLLUM PARK’S BLUFF McCollum Park in Beach City, closed since Hurricane Ike, should reopen this summer, after Chambers County officials get a little work done: “The park sits on a bluff overlooking the bay and the edge of that bluff now sits about 20 feet farther back than it did before Ike. Wallace demonstrated that the damaged bluff is actually in worse shape than it looks at a casual glance. ‘Look up under there,’ he said, pointing out the problem. ‘It didn’t break off clean … the waves undercut the bluff. Somebody could stand there close to the edge and think it is safe and then the ground could just drop right out from under them. That’s the main reason we had to close the park,’ [County Commissioner Bill] Wallace said.” [Baytown Sun]

, , , , , ,
Churches
02/04/10 11:13am

The Empty Dome of St. Agnes: Bank Shuts Down a Houston Megachurch

by
Foreclosures, Leasing, Openings and Closings, Southeast Houston
14 Comments

Private security guards were stationed outside the premises of the St. Agnes Missionary Baptist Church south of the Loop yesterday, and an attorney for the bank that owns the property confirms to Fox 26 reporter Isiah Carey that the church has closed. The guards were originally under orders from Herring Bank not to allow anyone to enter or remove any furniture or equipment from the church building off Scott St. near Sims Bayou. However, bank attorney Dwight Jefferson told Carey late last night that

church workers have been given approval by the bank to remove certain personal items and belongings from the building. Just to make sure that’s all they take security guards outside the building are also video taping all activities.

What’s all the fuss?

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

, , , , , ,
Baytown
02/01/10 5:19pm

Desolate Feeder Road Car Lot Landscapes

by
Crime, Hidden Valley, Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Retail
5 Comments

DESOLATE FEEDER ROAD CAR LOT LANDSCAPES What’s become of the 20-some Houston-area car lots dealers have shut down over the last year or two? Here’s a sampling: “‘My mother lived here 27 years, and we never had any trouble with Landmark Chevrolet,’ said Rhys Everett, who was cleaning out his mother’s former residence in the Hidden Valley neighborhood behind the defunct dealership. ‘But now it is filled with vagrants who have taken everything that wasn’t nailed down, and it’s a jumping-off point for crime in our neighborhood.’ The dealership, one of 13 outlets nationwide that Bill Heard Enterprises closed in September 2008, sprawls for blocks near the intersection of Gulf Bank and the North Freeway. It looks as if it had been hit by a cyclone. The main showroom’s exterior and interior windows are shattered. Ceiling tiles are torn away, exposing duct work that dangles like limp straws. Awnings hang in tatters. . . . The ravaged Chevrolet dealership’s antithesis can be found on Interstate 10 in Baytown, where the defunct Baytown Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealership is preserved in near-pristine condition.” [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]

, , , , , , , , ,
Nightlife
01/22/10 12:27pm

Here Come Bee Love and Special Sauce: The Corkscrew Twists Itself Into Something Hard and Fruity

by
Old Sixth Ward, Openings and Closings, Washington Corridor
17 Comments

The Corkscrew wine bar at 1919 Washington Ave. will be closing for good on February 9th. Appearing in its place by March will be a new “organic bar” from the same owners. Bee Love will serve infused cocktails and other drinks with fresh, local, organic ingredients and no syrups or mixes, reports the HBJ‘s Allison Wollam. And the bar will grow its own limes, oranges, and lemons.

[Corkscrew co-owner] Andrew Adams, who also owns The Washington Avenue Drinkery at 4115 Washington Ave., says it may take a little longer to get a drink at Bee Love than at other rowdy bars along the Washington Avenue corridor because the drinks will be made for “experiencing,” not just drinking.

Adams also says that by the end of March he plans to open a new over-30 nightclub right next door to Bee Love. It’ll be called Trixie’s and feature eighties music.

Photo: Heights Blog

, , , , ,
« Previous Page Next Page »