Daily Demolition Report: Shrine On

A little restaurant reconfigurating in the Village, plus some Walmart pre-clearance in Idylwood. And so much more:

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Commercial Structures

Residences

Photo of former Arabia Shrine Center, 2900 N. Braeswood Blvd.: HAIF user flipper

17 Comment

  • Are there plans to develop the soon to be former home of the Arabia Shrine Center? I once helped the poor there–most disturbing. Perhaps it will be replaced with beige four-story stucco townhomes. Houston needs more of those.

  • I drove past the Arabia Shrine center Monday and saw backhoes there tearing up the parking lots. I figured this was just a matter of time. I may drive by again today just to see if they’ve started.

  • Those Sylvan rd. demo’s are not related to Wal-Mart, they are the final act in a long struggle to relieve Idylwood of an abandoned apartment complex.

  • Anybody have any idea what will be put in the place of the Shrine Center?

  • Just a clarification on the Idylwood demolitions. Those properties have been abandoned and problematic for that community for several years. Their demolition just happens to coincide with the Walmart development. That property won’t be part of Walmart’s facility or open into it. But, we’d love some new single-family homes in one of the East End’s great neighborhoods where few lots are available!

  • But where will all of the Houston soon to be attorneys go to take their Bar-Bri class????

  • I know people like to complain about new townhomes, but from GSV it appears that that would be an improvement upon the Prospect St. property.

  • Does this mean that Texadelphia will be expanding into the (now-closed) Patu Thai space next door?

  • Archstone bought this land just before the crash to develop apartments. I can only imagine they are joining the ranks of the many apartment developers that have announced plans to jump back into the Houston apartment fray.

    Seeing as how Brompton is lined on both sides by 30+ year old apartments already, I think any new apartments built on the street will only improve the area.

  • #5 Steve…..

    What is to stop the apartment owner from selling his property to Walmart?

  • Agree that the Idylwood demos aren’t related to the Walmart. They are FINALLY being torn down after much work by some dedicated people. The owner was fined, too. I suppose I’d rather the lots be sold to Walmart than remain in the condition they were/are in; however, some new single family homes that fit the neighborhood would be most welcome.

  • @PYEWACKET Why would wal-mart want a couple of deed-restricted plots in a neighborhood on the other side of its retention pond?

  • Well, for one, they could create a driveway into the back parking lot, right along side the ATT property. Their detention area does not encompass that entire part of parcels 20 and 20A.

    Lets face it. The owner of the apartments did not have the financing or funds to rehab them when he initially bought. Now, he’s poor boying the demolition. He will surely want to make a little dough in the deal.

    And, Walmart will not care one bit about the traffic it creates on Wayside or in the surrounding neighborhoods.

    Is that stretch of Sylvan subject to your deed restrictions? Looks like it would be commercial, what with the apartments and all.

  • @PYEWACKET2

    It’s subject to deed restrictions, a driveway into Wal-Mart would violate section 4.2 of the deed restrictions. If you’ll note as well, 1.6, you’ll find that the apartments on Sylvan were not granted a Duplex Lot provision, and therefore the structure was grandfathered in; this would seem to imply that they cannot re-build an apartment complex on that lot.

  • #15 Drone,
    Um, don’t think so. A quick look at the HCAD map seems to indicate that your neighborhood starts with 6642 Sylvan. Note the blue line. Even HCAD says the apts are in “L Moore” (league) instead of Idylwood.

    Just playing devil’s advocate here and I hope you get what is best for the community but from here, looks like anything goes.

  • The property is to be developed as new apartments by a division of Archstone. It is supposed to be three stories and has a garage.