Developer Buys Old City Codes Building

DEVELOPER BUYS OLD CITY CODES BUILDING 3300-main-main.300dpiPM Realty Group is under contract to purchase the city’s old code enforcement building at 3300 Main St. in Midtown. In 2011, facing a $21 million budget shortfall, the city sold the 50-year-old building to the Midtown Redevelopment Authority for $5 million. PM Realty’s purchase price has not been made public, but yesterday city council voted unanimously to waive a restriction written in to the earlier sale that any net profits would be turned over to the city’s general fund. Now the money is free to flow toward council-approved improvement projects in Midtown. Chronicle reporter Katherine Driessen speculates  that some of the money could go toward the nearby “superblock”: that empty savanna undisturbed by cross streets for 6 full blocks, on which there are plans to build a park and apartments. 3300 Main is sandwiched between the future site of the MATCH arts complex to the south and an HCC parking garage to the north. [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot] Photo: Allyn West

12 Comment

  • While this is probably slated for yet another mid-rise residential property it would make an awesome location for an additional entertainment/restaurant/club venue to compliment the MATCH art complex.

  • @ WR. Maybe it could be made large enough to accommodate all of those things.

  • Ground Level Retail will have to include a CRACK STORE for the CRACKHEADS who have called
    this building home for the last several years.
    The only GOVERNMENT-owned CRACKHOUSE in Midtown.

  • I walked by this building just last week. Bums have already broken into it in several places, and have left their detritus all over the place. It looks like it’s in really bad shape from it’s short period of vacancy.

  • This has been a place of tremendous human suffering. Whomever buys this structure should demolish it on principle, remove all of the first six feet of soil, and then have a Catholic priest brought in exorcise the site of its demons.

  • @TheNiche – I totally agree. Myself and many others suffered through slow red tag torture at this place. I was thinking after the building was torn down the ground should be sewn with salt.

  • I’d pay to take a few swings at that place with a sledgehammer. It’s criminal what the city does sometimes to small business owners

  • It’s literally been a place of human suffering. At least one person, maybe two, DIED after being electrocuted while trying to steal copper wire from that place after the city moved out but before the power was shut off.

  • Hah…Superblock? The Midtown Redevelopment whatever as well as Ric Campo and Camden have been yapping about the Superblock for yrs but yet they just sit back and lollygag and nothing is happening. Last time I checked its a parking lot…Mid Main made there announcement and and months later construction has already started..The Superblock is a great idea but I wonder if its ever going to be completed…Ahhhh I can see it now Midtown Superblock along with the Camden Apts opening day ceremony Oct 16 2176…If I survive the quickening I may be able to see the festivites of opening night Oct 16 2176….it reminds of the time when I saw the Eiffel Tower grand opening I had just defeated the Hungarian in battle in turn increasing my power I felt so good that night because of my victory that I decided to meet a certain lady friend of mine who happened to be married to…..ooops I’ve told too much

  • NotCommonSense: it one of your better spoofs :(

  • This building has been such an eyesore for so long. I am mad to find out it was a city building. Building codes of all things. What a disgrace for it to be left like this. I also think it is shady that it was given to midtown under the terms that the money would go back to the city, but now they axed that part of the deal? Cheers to midtown for the deal, but sucks for the rest of the city. Just show you how these city deals always turn out how they want them in the end, no matter what they tell the public.