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A ski-slope of a roof tops a 1974 townhome complex designed by Burdette Keeland — on land his mother owned in College Heights, now part of Â theÂ Upper Kirby District. The late architect taught at University of Houston’s College of Architecture for 40 years and served on the City of Houston’s planning commission for 30 years. Located at the center of the 5-plex property, the contemporary home is described as being in near-original condition. Since mid-December, the listing has been priced at $379,900. You can hit the slopes with a look-see scheduled by Houston Mod for this Sunday afternoon.

Lift Lines

77098, Burdette Keeland, College Heights, Contemporary, Home Design, Homes for Sale, Houston Architects, Interiors, Open Houses, Townhomes, Upper Kirby

Homes for Sale

01/23/15 4:15pm

Houston Home Listing Photo of the Day: Yard Tile

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Yard, 3123 Lazy Spring Dr., Holley Terrace, Houston

3123 Lazy Spring Dr. [HAR]

77080, Gardening, Holly Terrace, Homes for Sale, Lawns, Spring-Branch

Metro Ponders How To Spend a Light Rail Surplus

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METRO PONDERS HOW TO SPEND A LIGHT RAIL SURPLUS Burnett Station, North Line Extension, Houston What should Metro do with the extra $39.9 million it’ll end up with after the Southeast and East End rail lines open in April (on the 11th, it now looks like)? If the money isn’t spent, it’ll have to go back to the Federal Transit Administration, reports Dug Begley. $24.9 million of that would have to be spent on projects related to the year-plus-oldÂ North Line extension (the Red line), and $14.5 million would be restricted to use on the Southeast Line (aka the Purple Line). Among the proposals: building an elevated walkway between the bus transit center and the rail line at Northline; putting in extra parking at Palm Center, at the end of the Purple Line; shelters for bus stops near stations; an additional station on the Purple LineÂ between Elgin and Leeland; safety or operational improvements, such as a restroom for train operators at a station; a crossing arm on Texas Ave. near Chartres St. [Houston Chronicle] Photo of Burnett Station: Skyline Art Services

Light-Rail, Metro, North Line, Southeast Line

Attractions

01/23/15 1:00pm

End Zone Seats at Rice Stadium To Be Replaced with New Student Weightlifting Observation Attraction

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Proposed Brian Patterson Sports Performance Clinic, Rice Stadium, Rice University

It’s been notoriously difficult to fill Rice Stadium — ever since those darn Houston Oilers came to town. Even President Kennedy couldn’t do it when he came by in 1962 to introduce a little mission to the moon he had cooked up. About 8 years ago, giant logo-bearing tarps were planted over the seating areas in both end zones, reducing the capacity (though not permanently) from 70,000 to 47,000.

But the latest planned changes appear to be following a 2-fold strategy to help fill the place: First, Rice University’s new $31.5 million Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center will knock out the stadium’s entire northern end zone — including more than 11,000 seats. Even better, the mostly brick building will have a giant glass wall on the side facing the playing field, which will offer spectators tired of watching the game shaded views into 2 levels of weight rooms. If they can get the scheduling right, with gridiron and pumping-iron action running simultaneously, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy 2 attractions at once. Likewise, flexing athletes will have a pretty good view of the field — and fans, if they’re out there — while they’re working their muscles.

Watch Them Pump and Watch

77005, Attractions, Institutional Buildings, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Renovations, Rice-University, Stadiums

Daily Demolition Report

01/23/15 9:45am

Daily Demolition Report: Gold Diggers

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4902 La Branch St., Southmore, Houston

Because they were built that way, they must be unbuilt this way.

Daily Demolition Report, Demolitions

Headlines

01/23/15 8:30am

Smashing the MFAH’s Glassell School Building; A Numbers Documentary Heads to Kickstarter

by Meredith Deliso

9 Comments

Adickes Sculpturworx Studio

Houston Issued a Record-Breaking $6.1B in Permits Last Year, Up 41% Over the Year Before [Prime Property]
Falling Oil Prices Might Not Be Felt in Houston Real Estate Market Until Late 2015 or in 2016, Says Trulia Economist [Houston Chronicle]
$56M Senior Living Community Tower at Buckingham To Begin Construction on Woodway Dr. Later This Year [Houston Business Journal]
Woodlands Development Co. Coming Up with New Name for Gated Neighborhood on Mitchell Island [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
MFAH Will Demolish Glass-Block Glassell School Building Designed by Astrodome Architect S. I. Morris Soon, To Make Way for $450 Million ExpansionÂ [Hyperallergic]
Walmart Neighborhood Markets Held Grand Openings for Stores in Atascocita, Cypress and Pearland Wednesday [Prime Property]
Independence Heights Area a Ghost Town After HISD Bought Land To Expand Booker T. Washington HS [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
Team Behind Documentary on Westheimer Music Venue Numbers To Launch Kickstarter Campaign [Houston Chronicle]
City Council OKs Permit for Army Corps of Engineers To Dismantle Nuclear Reactor Barge Sturgis [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
I-10 To Close Between Meadow and U.S.-59 For Real This Weekend for Work on New Meadow Street Bridge [The Highwayman]

Photo of Adickes Sculpturworx Studio: Brandi Lynn via Swamplot Flickr Pool

Headlines

This $1.8 Million Queen Anne Mansion on the Edge of Westmoreland and the Downtown Spur Comes with Its Own Pool and Billboard

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Rising stately on its corner in theÂ Westmoreland Historic District, a well-appointed and well-maintained hundred-year-plus-old mansion fitted with terraces, balconies, and porches features all the craftsmanship of its day — and one very large indicator of the present: this freeway-side billboard in the back yard, by the pool:

In the Shade

77006, Billboards, Homes for Sale, Interiors, Swimming Pools, Westmoreland, Westmoreland Historic District

Galveston

01/22/15 4:30pm

Galveston Home Listing Photo of the Day: The Bar Downstairs

5 Comments

Bar, 22032 Frio Dr., Sea Isle, Galveston, Texas

22032 Frio Dr. [HAR]

77554, Bars, Galveston, Homes for Sale, Sea Isle

Downtown

01/22/15 3:15pm

Hotel Alessandra Tower Redesign Loses the Swoops and Curves

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Second Proposed Design for Hotel Alessandra, GreenStreet, Downtown Houston

The company that’s adding a new hotel to GreenStreet, the renamed and reconfigured Houston Pavilions mall downtown appears to have made some dramatic changes to the design of the tower. Midway Companies first showed off the sleek design by Gensler for the Hotel Alessandra (shown at left) last March, describing a design that featured a top-floor lobby, with a bar on the same floor and a pool under a retractable roof. Renderings of the design are still featured in marketing materials for GreenStreet’s retail redo.

But HAIF user Urbannizer, who’s had a pretty solid track record of discovering renderings of proposed projects if they’re available anywhere, posted a revised rendering to the online architecture forum late last night. The image, shown at right, shows what appears to be the latest design for the Alessandra, which will be operated by the Valencia Group. The Valencia Group already operates Midway’s Hotel Sorella at CityCentre.

Here’s a slightly larger view of the newer, far more rectilinearÂ design:

Straightening Up GreenStreet

77002, Highrises, Hotels, Midway Companies, New Construction, Proposed Developments

A North Main St. Shopping Center’s Change of Clothes

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Visiting the former Mark’s Plaza shopping center at 4721 N. Main St. near the end of Airline Dr., reader Christopher Andrews notes that the new facade going up (top) appears to be headed in a slightly different direction than what was portrayed in the rendering (below) floated by Braun Enterprises after the serial shopping-center fixer-upper company bought the Norhill property and renamed it TheÂ Heights Place.

The Heights Place

77009, Norhill, Renovations, Shopping Centers

Buying and Selling

01/22/15 12:45pm

What’s Eating Los Dos Amigos and Premo’s Grocery on Washington Ave

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Los Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant, 5720 Washington Ave, Woodcrest, Houston

Los Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant, 5720 Washington Ave, Woodcrest, Houston The last date to order cheese enchiladas at Los Dos Amigos, the Mexican restaurant that’s stood at 5720 Washington Ave at the corner of Birdsall for the past 39 years, is February 28th. In early December, the longtime owners of an L-shaped group of parcels spanning the entire north side of the Washington Ave block between Birdsall and Malone — along with an adjoining “L” around the corner facing Birdsall (see map above) — sold the whole thing to a developer out of Dallas operating under the name of a partnership calling itself OSF Washington. Among the other entities linked to the buyers: Vintala Partners, which has developed apartments in the past.

Also on the block and going away: the Premo’s Grocery building at 5702 Washington. The entire site, including both buildings and parking lots, measures 26,675 sq. ft.

Developers from Dallas

77007, Buying and Selling, Openings and Closings, Redevelopment, Restaurants, Retail, Washington Ave., Washington Corridor, Woodcrest

Daily Demolition Report

01/22/15 9:45am

Daily Demolition Report: Restaurant Equipment Repair

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We’ve bussed these leftovers. Where do we dump them?

Daily Demolition Report, Demolitions

Headlines

01/22/15 8:30am

The Cost of ‘Complete Streets’; Playing the Woodlands Card; Hugo’s vs. Hugo Caliente

by Meredith Deliso

11 Comments

hermann park centennial gardens

Skanska To Move Forward on $110M Highrise West Memorial Place II, on Site of Former Arco Bldg., Lake ThicketÂ [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
Caroline’s ‘Complete Street’ Reimagining May Need To Be Reimagined After Bids Are $3M More Than PlannedÂ [Houston Chronicle]
Howard Hughes Developing Loyalty Card Program for Woodlands Apartment Residents with Discounts to Local Amenities [HBJ]
Zagat-Like Apartment Review Startup RentLingo Adds Houston To Its Service Area [Houston Chronicle]
Barringer Bar & Lounge Rumored To Be Reopening in Former Club Next at 108 Main [Eater Houston]
Berryhill Oak Forest Opening at 1201 W. 43rd St. Pushed Back to January 28 [Eater Houston]
Osteria Mazzantini in the BBVA Compass Bank Building at 2200 Post Oak Closes for GoodÂ [HBJ]
Owner of Hugo’s in Montrose Files Lawsuit Against Hugo Caliente in Town & Country Village, Citing Name Confusion [abc13]

Photo of Hermann Park Centennial Gardens: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

Headlines

East Downtown

01/21/15 5:00pm

The Most Explicit Photos You’ll See of Townhomes Taking Over East Downtown Industry

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Demolition of International Mailing Systems, 815 Live Oak St., East Downtown

Sure, we all know the future of East Downtown is townhomes, and that the industrial structures that once dominated that landscape are on their way out. But have you seen a set of photos that better illustrates the transformation than this gallery of views taken by reader Jeff Peoples this morning? It shows the demolition of the former International Mailing Systems warehouse building at 815 Live Oak St. Not much more need for them to be close to downtown.

You can see the townhomes marching from the background of the above photo, smashing everything in their way.