Here are a few pics from the battle that began last Friday between demo crews and at least one of the former Alamo Elementary School’s 2 buildings at 201 E. 27th St. in Sunset Heights. The school shut down back in 1980; since then it’s been used as the site of an HISD storage facility and a series of only imagined — and now, it appears, officially defunct — preservation and repurposing schemes. The original 2-story structure was built in 1913; the single-story structure was added in 1926.
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- Alamo School could be eligible for preservation [Houston Chronicle]
- Daily Demolition Report: Dismembering Alamo [Swamplot]
Photos: Swamplot inbox
anyone know what the plan is for this site moving forward? Is HISD just demolishing the building to eliminate the liability of a building, or was this sold to the private sector for (hopefully) new housing development?
According to the demo permit, HISD is still listed as the owner occupant. However, it looks like the property was sold back in September and approved by HISD in a closed session in September (google the addres and HISD). No update from HCAD on the new owner (it is still not listed on the tax rolls) and no public record available online identifying the new owner (at least to the extent of the feable databases that I have at my disposal).
Sad to see the building go. An imaginative and brilliant developer could have used it for some sort of loft space. But with 18 ft roads all around the site, it is really ripe for more Shady Acres-esque townhomeification. But who knows. Given the silent treatment from the buyer/developer, I doubt the new developer is looking to build rows of bungalow replicas with 6600 sq ft lots and plenty of shade trees.
The For Sale signs were up for years; I tried getting info more than once and would have loved to re-purpose the buildings and property without bulldozing them. But I could never get a straight answer from anyone at the numbers on the signs as to what was really going on with the property.
Mostly I just got recorded message; I think once someone actually called me back and told me that they were going to be auctioned off at some future, undisclosed date.
My guess is that it was an inside deal of some kind… a developer with money and connections knew somebody who knew somebody. That’s how the prime cuts usually get distributed in most big cities.
I doubt HSID would have just bulldozed the buildings for no reason. They don’t pay property taxes and they have an unlimited budget. And the buildings have been paid for for years. So their cost to carry them would be fairly low… a little insurance… a little maintenance.
An CLOSED Door INSIDER job: Paula Harris & the other HISD board members have gotten their share of “campaign contributions” . They’re corrupt,crooked sleazy ,sketchy con artists.
To me, this is what a school looks like! Ironic how brand new schools are following this red brick / divided windows style.
Most likely a “friend” of one of the HISD
board members has secured the property at a
discount; and he/she has HISD take care of
the demolition of/liability of at HISD’s cost. There’s a reason the FBI is lurking around the cash cow known as HISD.
Seeing your HISD tax dollars at work makes
one feel quite dirty. How many luxury baths
must a board member take nowadays?
Who or what is “Sanchez Dream Homes”?
If you look on the map associated with HCAD records for those homes across the street from 291 E. 27, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
It looks to me like that entire block, from E. 27th to E. 28th has been divided into 34 lots for townhomes…..or something like that.
It’s Block #17 of Sunset Heights.
#6 should be *across the street from 202 thru 228 E. 27th* NOT 291 E. 27th.
Also, according to the Harris County Clerk’s website for “Real Property Records”, on 1-18-2012,
Grantor—HISD
Grantee—Jester Houston GP LLC etal
Grantee—Kempspring Investments LTD etal
this only involves Lots 1-17 of Block 17 in Sunset Heights.
I was unable to find Lots 18-34 of Block 17.
I am not involved with county records and of course I could be way off base. Just using what is online here.
The North half of the property was transferred to JESTER HOUSTON GP LLC ETAL
and KEMPSPRING INVESTMENTS LTD ETAL with a file date of January 18, 2012. That’s lots 1 – 17 of Block 17 Sunset Heights. I assume the South half is still owned by HISD, but I don’t feel like downloading the raw data to look for exempt property in the HCAD records.
Per the Sunset Heights Civic Club newsletter, the property was sold to Lovett Homes.
According to the Chron’s real estate transactions list:
“Fenway Development has purchased a 25,000-square-foot school on 2.3 acres at 201 E. 27th from the Houston Independent School District. The property will be used for a residential development. David Cook, Jeff Peden and Will Condrey of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller.”
Fenway must have bought the other half of the tract.
Back in the day, there must have been a bunch of kids in the Heights area, given the number of elementary schools. This is the fifth one I know of that has been closed or demolished:
8th Street – Demolished
Alamo – Demolished
Cooley – Demolished
Stevenson – closed
The one on Durham and 27th – converted to office
I would just like to say. I wish it would be made Historical, as when it closed in 1980 I graduated from 6th grade, Mrs Boyd’s class. The reason I am wanting this is my Grand Father went to school there, my uncle & aunt along with my Mother. We were in the newspaper regarding this in 1980. Tell me if I could help in some way. It means a lot! Thank you