COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE DOWNTOWN APARTMENTS THAT RAN IN MY FAMILY 
“My uncle, J. Holly Brewer, bought the Plaza Court and Peacock apartments sometime about 1942. It was managed by his mother, Kate Lillian Brewer, and my mother, Edith Fox Bannerman, until J. Holly Brewer and my father, James Knox Bannerman, returned from service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. J. Holly Brewer then operated the apartments alone until his death in 1984. Edith Fox Bannerman and her sister, Frances Marion Marchiando, then inherited the property and jointly managed it. After Mrs. Marchiando passed away her son, Michael Marchiando, jointly managed the buildings with mom until 1995. At that point I, James Knox Bannerman II, and my mother, Edith Bannerman, shared the management of the buildings until we sold them in 2014. I felt it was time to sell them as [my] mother was 97-years young. Mother did not speak to me for a week after the sale. When she did speak her first sentence was, ‘You took my job away.’ Go figure. She is amazing. She drove the Houston freeways until she was 93 with never a citation or accident. Mom is 100 now and occasionally we drive her to visit some of the long-term tenants. These buildings have many stories to tell. I am delighted to see they are to be updated and preserved.” [James Knox Bannerman II, commenting on The Changes Coming to the Pre-War Peacock & Plaza Apartment Complex Downtown] Photo of apartment courtyard: LoopNet
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Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story for these buildings!
Ditto Turning_basin, thanks so much for the colorful history!
Very cool story. We need more landlords like you guys!
Comment of the day indeed!
This is one of the best things I’ve ever read on Swamplot (no offense to the other contributors).
I’ve coveted those apartments for decades. Back in the 70s and 80s when I was doing bicycle messaging downtown I would pass by them almost daily, hoping for a ‘for rent’ sign. I always missed it by scant hours. Looks like it’s gonna become one of those “bijou garden apartment, desirable neighborhood, historic landmark. Starting at $7500/mo. All new interiors, miniblinds, ceiling fans! Granite counters in quaint galley kitchen!”
What a horror story. You couldn’t have waited your poor mother out? You seem to derive your wealth from her. So nice of you to drive her by, like some sadist, to the property she obviously loved and didn’t want to sell and you sold, probably thru power of attorney. You’re like son dearest. No soup for you. Karma is coming your way, Jr.
If anybody finds any old beer cans inside the walls, ceilings, etc, I would be interested in buying them. And by old, I mean the kind that need an opener “church key” to open the top, or the kind that look like old brake fluid cans. Thanx in advance
@Jonathan
Your accusations are based on unsupported assumptions and do much more towards discrediting yourself than Mr. Bannerman.
I hope Mr. Bannerman knows that others do not share your views.
Isn’t this site moderated?
I see no reason for allowing Jonathan’s rude remark.
Ditto Big Tex
JC: Actually we’re planning to keep the rent in one of the buildings the same ($650/month). And they’ll still get some of the upgrades of the other building.
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The other building will be ~$950/month. Which I think is reasonable for a top to bottom heavily upgraded unit right downtown.
$650. for a safe, clean unit is very good.