What will happen to the Kirby Court Apartments just west of Whole Foods? The 1949 garden apartments on oak-lined Steel St. make up the major portion of a 5.744-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Kirby and Alabama being offered for sale or ground lease, the River Oaks Examiner reports. Also included in the parcel being sold by the Dickey Estate: retail properties facing Alabama, Kirby, and Kipling.
Cushman & Wakefield’s flyer for the property brags that there’s “potential to abandon Steel Street for an additional 33,750 sq. ft.” How much abandonment could those oaks survive?
***
No set asking price, but sources tell reporter Michael Reed that the property, which is directly south of the West Ave development, might draw offers of $13 to $15 million.
- Lots of land available in Upper Kirby [River Oaks Examiner]
- 5.744 Acres Kirby at West Alabama [CommGate]
Photos of Kirby Court Apartments: Swamplot inbox
What’s with the relentless drive to turn the inner loop into the outer loop by creating these enormous “super-blocks”?? Instead, how about creating MORE pedestrian-friendly streets to make the area seem MORE like a neighborhood than a shopping center??
One of the few remaining Garden Apartment Houston treasures still standing, but barely (1949 vintage Parkwood at OST and Cambridge went down at start of ’07). If you can look past the cracks in the walls big enough to stick your fist through, it’s a Houston apartment type that just makes good sense. Unfortunately, the existing structure has gone into disrepair for the last 15 years. The ultimate complement and best idea would be to rebuild with exact same footprint — just change the experimental (at the time) floating slab to something a little less floaty. It is easy to fall in love with Steel Street, despite the cracks. The trees filter any depression one may feel with regard to the fate of the modern structures (multi-paned corner windows and all) melting into the earth. These trees rival the North and South Boulevard esplanades in South Hampton. Keep the trees, rebuild the apartments.
I love the look of these apts, not to mention the lovely tree overhang. If I was a bazillionaire, it would be fun to recreate the essence of these buildings into a gaggle of SFDs. But, this is the Swamplot and they will fall into a memory.
I know someone who lived here and she loved it. She moved to get closer to work, but she loved the apartment and the trees.
I live here right now and it may not be the lap of luxury, like my overpriced neighbors, but I love the trees, the design and being able to walk out my door to green space. Not everything gets fixed like it should; but I know all my neighbors and we look out for each other. The people who live here are hard working people who don’t make ton of money, some are retired on fixed income, some are teaching your yoga class, some are working and going to school, others are in creative fields such as artists, designers and writers and checking out your groceries at Whole Foods. Maybe that doesn’t matter to some; but in some cities ensuring that mixed income communities survive, enables arts, culture, small businesses, restaurants to continue to thrive and grow. Just think of the example of the Menil, Dominique de Menil knew the value of supporting artists and gave a great gift to our city. It’s too bad that the intelligence and visionary mindset of people like her are being being lost for short term financial goals.