Here’s the current scene along the north side of Drew St., where the acre-plus of emptied land previously planned for development as the Pearl on Helena now hosts a Morgan Group for sale sign. The block bounded by Helena, Drew, Albany, and Dennis streets was marked a few years back as another addition to Morgan’s string of Pearl midrises; the Helena site’s application went dark during the variance request process in mid-20014, but the land was cleared of its former hospital and mansion occupants near the end of that year.
Morgan Group currently has a Pearl in Greenway Plaza, with another getting polished up on Washington Ave near T.C. Jester; a planned Pearl on Smith (at the site of the former Social Security office right across Smith St. from the Pearl on Midtown) appeared to have been removed from the company’s immediate focus in 2014, only to resurface in renderings the following year as part of an apartment-midrise-grocery-store complex containing a Whole Foods.
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The spot now for sale is flanked along Albany and Helena by multifamily residential buildings, and along Drew and Dennis by townhomes. The land sits in the transitional zone at the mutual fringes of Midtown, East Montrose, and Fourth Ward; a block to the east on Genessee St., nightclub Meteor is still waiting for the details on its eventual parking garage conversion.
- Previously on Swamplot: New Midtown Whole Foods Market Will Stand Apartments on Its Head, Shut Down a Street, Become Center of Universe; New Whole Foods Market Midtown Store Will Go on Site of Shuttered Social Security Office; An Apartment Developer’s New Midtown Pearls Are Missing
Photo: girltr8der
Wow, what a waste of that Helena mansion. Torn down for new development that wasn’t to be. Looking at those floors again makes me sad.
http://www.har.com/2704-Helena-Houston-77006/sold_38722860
Argh … I made an offer on that mansion when it was for sale in 2013. It was a saga. I’m still shattered that I didn’t get it … and even more annoyed that they tore it town. The inside was amazing, to be honest the photos don’t give it justice. Nor do the photos, square footage or description even indicate the amazing 3rd floor space & balconies that the house had.
What is the price? They are going to take a hit. They bought at high and now developers are selling off their land contracts to get the banks off their backs.
Utilities were marked this week and there are construction workers on site. What is happening with this site? I don’t see the property in HCAD?