- New Owner of Greenspoint Hilton and Marriott Plans To Renovate Both of Them [Realty News Report]
- Coworking Offshoot of Life Time Fitness To Open 25,000-SF Space in CityCentre Five Next Year [HBJ ($)]
- Dish Society To Debut Finn Hall Location Downtown Next Week, Heights Central Station Location in January [HBJ ($)]
- Boomtown Coffee Signs Up for Spot in Understory Food Hall Beneath Skanska’s Capital Tower [Culturemap]
- Turner Says HPD Will Add Patrols to 10 HISD Campuses After Fatal Shooting Outside Lamar High School [Houston Chronicle ($)]
- What’s Killing Houston’s Music Festivals? [Houston Press]
- 2 Friendswood Street Redos Down, 6 To Go This Year Thanks to Sales Tax Hike [Houston Chronicle]
- First Houston Wienerschnitzel Opening in Strip Center Across from New Caney Walmart in February, Baytown Location Planned Next Summer [Houston Chronicle]
- Neighbor of Clark Gable’s Demolished Montrose House Wants Houston To Stop Tearing Down Its Historic Structures [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot]
- Astrodome Interior Demo, Renovations Expected To Begin in April [KHOU]
- How the Energy Corridor Was Developed and How It Might Survive Future Flooding [Realty News Report]
Photo of downtown skyline: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool
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I’d agree generally that it would be great for us to preserve more historic structures; I’m not sure that “an actor who was famous 75 years ago stayed here†is something I would consider qualifiying as “historic.â€
There are older buildings that contribute architecturally, those that are landmarks within neighborhoods, and those of historic interest.
Granted, it’s not in the same historic league as a house where Washington slept, or where Betsy Ross sewed the first flag, but it was fun to point it out and relate the Clark Gable story. It was a local landmark, and architecturally pleasing. While it may not have possessed any one of the above qualities to a great degree, it had some of each. The whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
I can’t imagine anyone proudly saying “Look at those townhomes! You might not believe it, but they’re brand new! And no famous person ever spent time there!”
Yeah, I get it. Someone’s hoping to make money. Still, it would have been nice if a little time and effort had been put into finding someone who would have appreciated these buildings. These people exist.