THE PIERCE ELEVATED SKYPARK PLAN ISN’T DEAD YET 
“You can’t just wait until the day that TxDOT asks you what to do with it,†Tami Merrick tells Stephen Paulsen in the Houston Press this morning, in reference to her involvement with the small group working toward publishing an economic study some time next year of those speculative plans to turn the Pierce Elevated into the Pierce Skypark. The segment of I-45 may ultimately be torn down so the right-of-way can be sold, once the planned spaghetti-riffic Downtown freeway reroute wraps up in a decade or so. But Paulsen writes that the planning group is nonetheless optimistic about getting a foot in the door when the moment is right: “At some point, the Pierce Elevated will stop serving cars. And when it does, the group argues, why wouldn’t the city want an innovative, prearranged plan for the abandoned stretch of freeway?” [Houston Press; previously on Swamplot] Rendering of Pierce Elevated as a park: Page/Marcus Martinez via Pierce Skypark
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The structure now being finalized at the once-on-Cleburne-St. Cleburne Cafeteria’s space at 3606 Bissonnet St. is notably bigger than the single-story building it’s replacing — a 2-story steel frame went up around the beginning of February, and the restaurant is shooting to open in its newest home by the end of the summer. (The view included here of the old building shows it just shy of the restaurant’s 75th anniversary, last spring; the shot up top shows progress on the new building just shy of the fire’s 1-year anniversary in late April.) Other reasons why this round of recovery has taken longer than the 3-month closure that followed the restaurant’s 1990 fire at the same address: Owner George Mickelis tells Katherine Feser this week that (relatively) new regulations and inspection requirements have drawn out the process, too.
From the Ashes Near West U
- Developer Giorgio Borlenghi Shelves 26-Story Villa Borghese Project on Bammel Ln., but the Bungalows Are Still Being Scooted Offsite [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
- Mike Spears of Lee & Associates: Houston Trending Towards Becoming a Distribution Hub Like DFW [Realty News Report]
- Apartment Project Residences at Hardy Yards Near Downtown Moves Forward [HBJ ($); previously on Swamplot]
- How Hispanic Homebuyers Are ‘Becoming a Powerhouse’ in Houston [HBJ ($)]
- Memorial Hermann Health System, Medistar Corp. Opening Acute-Care Community in Katy Area Next Year [HBJ]
- Paul Qui Feels Out Potential Reception for a Second Houston Restaurant from Twitter [Eater Houston; previously on Swamplot]
- 2 Houston Running Routes Ranked Among Most Popular Routes in America by App MapMyRun [Houston Chronicle]
Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool
Headlines
Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report lists buildings that received City of Houston demolition permits the previous weekday.
Plunge boldly into the thick of demolition!
- 12000 Sportsman Rd. [HAR]
PEARLAND, CITY OF 3 WALMARTS 
Ahead of this weekend’s local runoff election, the Christian Science Monitor delves into the rapid growth and demographic shifts in the “dumbbell-shaped suburb” of Pearland — and how a few candidates for municipal office are approaching it: “Its diversification is largely a result of [Houston’s] inexorable sprawl . . . where residents keep moving farther out in search of lower-density living.” Pearland now ranks as the nation’s eighth-fastest-growing city, but Houston’s only second-most-diverse suburb, where, writes Simon Montlake, as many as 75 languages are spoken in local schools, but residents refer to the eastern-most Walmart in town as the “white Wal-mart†— “because of who shops there – and who doesn’t.” At a forum held in the Bella Vita Club at the center of the age-restricted Bellavita at Green Tee community off Scarsdale Blvd. just east of the Golfcrest Country Club, a middle-aged woman wants to know how candidates plan to draw together what she sees as the “two cities” of Pearland. “Pearland is solidly middle-class,” Montlake notes. “A starter house costs $140,000, and median household income is $97,000, much higher than in Houston. But newcomers rushing to downtown jobs barely brush shoulders with the mostly white retirees who tee off on the golf course weekday mornings or the older families that work and play near home.” [Christian Science Monitor] Photo of Bella Vita Club: 55places.com
COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW THE DECLINING MARKET FOR ANTIQUES IS FUELING THE SELF-STORAGE BOOM 
“My mom has an amazing collection of stuff like this. I think about it all the time. . . . worried what I’m going to to with my great great grandfather’s table, and my great grandmother’s silver. I don’t have the room for it at this point in my life . . . but I don’t want to give it away. I almost feel like I need to get a storage unit for it.” [Chef DB, commenting on The Underappreciated Riches of Houston’s Antique Set]
One of the hazards of having a street-facing 3,000-sq.-ft. garden adjacent to your restaurant’s back patio: plant theft. But Coltivare chef Ryan Pera tells Bloomberg reporter Kate Krader that the Heights restaurant has more to watch out for than your typical fruit-off-the-vine snatchings by grabby customers. Namely: 3 of the restaurant’s fruit trees have gone missing, including “a 6-ft.-tall kumquat tree, worth about $175.” Pera tells Krader he was “stunned and hurt, but more awed by the fact that it was obviously planned. I mean, someone had to come prepared with proper garden tools, a truck, and the know-how on how to steal a tree.”
- What Gets Stolen From Restaurants? Everything [Bloomberg]
- Previously on Swamplot: Coltivare’s Patio Wrap Draws Attention from the City
Photo of Coltivare, 3320 White Oak Dr.: Coltivare
Grand Theft Citrus Japonica
BAYOU-SIDE PSEUDO-ICE-HOUSE IDEA CATCHING ATTENTION OF HOUSTON PARKS BOARD 
A tidbit tucked away at the bottom of Jen Kinney’s piece for Next City this week on architect and ice-house aficionado David Richmond’s speculative plan to put vaguely-ice-house-esque pavilion structures along Brays Bayou: the Houston Parks Board folks want to hear more about the idea. Richmond confirms to Swamplot that a meeting with some HPB reps did take place on Monday, and that the Bayou Greenways planners are interested in ways to attract more activity along the bayous, eventually — but says that the meetup was mostly to make introductions, and reiterates that there’s “nothing specific or formalized to report” at the moment. [Next City; previously on Swamplot] Rendering showing pavilion structure along Brays Bayou: David Richmond
It’s been the better part of a year since Pepino’s on Richmond Ave. started showing signs of closure (namely, since its name signage came down, signaling the end of the joint’s nearly decade-and-a-half run in Castle Court). A nearby reader spotted what looks to be some work to prep the stripmall spot for its next occupant, which was issued a few permits last week under the name Miss Saigon. (That name shows up in Braun’s leasing flier for its newly acquired property, too, though it’s not clear yet whether the name is connected to one of the other Houston Miss Saigon-inspired Vietnamese restaurants, or is merely another independent nod to the musical.)
Speaking of musicals, part of the former Pepino’s space looks to have been absorbed by nextdoor piano cabaret Michael’s Outpost, whose red door is visible above and in a few of the leasing shots of the remodeled center (below):
Braun Goes Gray
- Mixed-Use Development District West, Off Grand Parkway, Will Be ‘Very Similar’ to CityCentre [HBJ ($)]
- Steadfast Development Building Industrial Park in Northwest Houston [Realty News Report]
- Kuraray America First Tenant in Avera’s New Bayport Logistics Park [Realty News Report]
- Inside Under-Construction Luxury Condo Tower Arabella [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
- Friendswood Development Launches New Urban Community in Garden Oaks [HBJ ($)]
- Where Houston Ranks Nationally for Its Property Tax Rate [The Urban Edge]
- Denver-Based Brunch Chain Snooze Opening Next Houston Restaurant June 21 in Town & Country [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
- Nacho Nachos Food Truck Planning Brick and Mortar in Pearland [Houston Chronicle]
- Roka Akor Sets Opening Date of June 26 on Ground Floor of 2929 Weslayan [PaperCity Magazine; previously on Swamplot]
- NOLA Poboys Opens Second Houston Location with Webster Shop [Houston Chronicle]
- Galveston County Commissioners Court To Pay $1.7M for Private Land Around Rollover Pass [Galveston County Daily News ($); previously on Swamplot]
- California Solar Company Sunrun Makes First Foray onto Houston Rooftops [HBJ ($)]
Photo: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool
Headlines
Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report lists buildings that received City of Houston demolition permits the previous weekday.
Your good demolitions will always win over your bad luck.
- 8761 Chatsworth Dr. [HAR]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHEN THEY RAISED GREAT GRANNY’S 
“This house has some wonderful history. It was originally a one story that was raised up by cranes and the ground level story was built underneath. During WW One, they would roll up the rugs and host dances for the soldiers. It was the home of my great grandparents who lived there with their children when they moved from PA. My two spinster Great Aunts lived there all their lives. It broke the hearts of the family when it had to be sold but no one had the means to buy and restore it. I wanted to share for those of you that had posted the kind comments.” [Renee Lauckner, commenting on Corner Lot Hidden Away for Decades Beneath 1904 Heights House Could Join the Commercial Crowd] Photo: Swamplot inbox
THE UNDERAPPRECIATED RICHES OF HOUSTON’S ANTIQUE SET 
“Someday,” antique dealer and appraiser David Lackey muses to intrepid radio reporter Allison Lee, “the Millennials . . . may be horrified when their children want mahogany furniture and doilies and figurines.” But for now, Lackey seems resigned to the great generational decline — and accompanying price drops — in the market for antique furniture: “There are half as many antique shows in Houston as there were 20 or 30 years ago,” he tells Lee. “Traditional English and American furniture, overall, has fallen maybe 50 to 75 percent.” Lackey operates his business out of the Antiques of River Oaks antiques megashop (pictured above) in the home-furnishings-themed shopping center at 3461 W. Alabama north of Greenway Plaza, but he’s also out and about, soaking up the zeitgeist: “I go into more estates — or I’m working with older people and they’re selling a lot of their stuff because they say their kids and grandkids do not want it. They’ve made it very clear. The younger generation, for the most part, is not very interested in formal candlelight suppers. They don’t want silver, china, crystal, because they don’t intend to entertain that way.†[Houston Public Media] Photo: David Lackey Antiques & Art
