According to a December 9 posting on the SPJST Lodge #88 Pokrok Facebook page, a buyer is interested in purchasing the Czech heritage fraternal society’s 9.25 acre property at 1435 Beall St. in Shady Acres, home to a hugely popular weekly Thursday night bingo session.
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Ballots and an explanation of the offer have been mailed to all members, and according to a post that went up Saturday, the proposal was discussed at yesterday’s monthly membership meeting.
SPJST leadership hopes to have the votes counted by next month’s membership meeting.
“I really hope it isn’t an apartment builder that has offered!” notes a reader. If it is not, that would break with the prevailing norm in the immediate vicinity. There are developments in the works now both next-door and cattycorner to the lodge.
In addition to bingo, the building hosts dances, wedding parties, and serves as a polling station.
Photos: Swamplot inbox
And here comes the comments from angry yuppies and hipsters who hate gentrification but are themselves gentrifying neighborhoods in 321…!!!
They can buy a lot of kolaches with what they’ll be getting for that property.
400k sqft in Shady Acres. $15-20mm offer?
We as members will fight this to the end!
Maybe a new doughnut complex? or maybe a baker’s dozen of them–how many can they squeeze on 9.25 acres?
What about those of us that have called this area home for a long time and don’t want to see it go? Lots of fun things happened there and still do! We mourned when The Sons of Herman Lodge fell on Heights Blvd., not many places left to kick up your heels to polka music, play bingo or hold a decent fundraiser………
Maureen, are you a member? It would appear that the sale is up for a vote. (thankfully, not a vote by Swamplot commenters)
The fourth picture is a perfect illustration to show the sprouting townhouses that have no relation to place — here it is on the end of a row, adjacent to a street, and even though no other home can be built there, it still has the windows as if it is sandwiched in the middle of a row of them. Take a floor plan and just plop it down, and it probably sold or has an option pending.
Oh, please don’t sell!!! We’re not members, but long-time residents who live in a 1920 bungalow & we love the Czech Hall!! What can we do to convince you to stay?
I love jerks who want to silence opinions that don’t match their own…kinda like they love living in boxes that all look alike. Sounds like a developer to me bc no is really that stupid, I hope.
With the mayors new spacing of 22houses per acre times 9 acres at 350,000 each you get 69,300,000 gross on housing sales for single family units. Nice profit and a big chunk of property tax. And the SPJST will fade into a strip center and disappear like the German Sanger bund Hall. More Houston history and culture disappear under the wrecking ball. Way to much money for Bingo.
its hard to scale back all these big developments when the COH wants everyone to live all squished together. The streets are so narrow back there too.
Lol, silly rabbits, you think your opinion or vote matters. It’s done, put a fork in it, the townhomes are going up on that lot, money talk bull*hit walks .
Hate to say it but Voldemort is right.
It was a great place that we all enjoyed though. Good memories.
this is obviously a “hot area” and developers approach us all the time. This is something that isn’t a big deal and you know…people are flattered…or people like to talk. We doubt we are going anywhere.
Here’s to hoping that this doesn’t go through. Narrow streets are already causing a problem with the increased density. Some days it is dangerous to try to get a car through on the street. People must be buying these townhouses and renting out rooms to make the mortgage, or have so much s**t in their garage they can’t park in there, because the amount of street parking for houses being built with garages is unbelievable.
There is also a great space across the street that could have been purchased for a city park……doubt that will happen, but if they vote to sell the hall, wouldn’t it be great to see a nonprofit donate that vacant land to the city for a new park? Why not? They can’t gain personally from the sale since they are nonprofit. Quality of life in Shady Acres is starting to suck……becoming the next Rice Military.
I hope it stays. Our PTA has held our auction there sometimes. The front was just remodeled a couple of years ago.
And it actually used to look neat, too! http://www.arch-ive.org/cellar/lodge88.jpg
Slightly off topic, but what’s going on with what at least used to be the German Club on Ella right before you get to Pinemont. Is that still open?
Hope they don’t close the lodge. Been going to dances there off and on for years.
When we were kids back in the 70’s (yikes!) we went to a lot of events there. My brother used to say that SPJST stood for “Stupid People Just Standing There”.
But then where would Burnout Houston (the best little car show in Texas) be hosted?
This whole thing is outrageous ! Being a member all of my 56 yrs, along with my parents and grandparents who were founding members i am dumbfounded by what money will do to peoples character ! Shame ! Shame !!
Vote NO people !!!