- 1834 Round Lake Dr. [HAR]
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The nature of this ravine-lot home in Timbergrove Manor is looking a bit . . . reserved. Earlier this week, the woodsy property (with saltwater pool and path to a bayou-let) appeared on the market. Asking price: $450,000 $405,000. Updates over the years have boosted the property’s energy efficiency, natural lighting, and counter space. The latter starts right off the entry . . .
Bug Spray Not Included
An enterprising Woodland Heights resident set up a camera in a tree in front of her home in order to capture images of the man who had been repeatedly pooping on the sidewalk and driveway of her residence and other homes in and around the 500 block of Byrne St. And . . . success! The animated image above, culled from surveillance footage provided to HPD and Channel 2 reporter Jennifer Bauer, shows the perpetrator in the act and its immediate aftermath — though, fortunately, the foreground leaves tastefully shield our view from most of the nastiness.
Bauer, though, provides helpful commentary:
The Poop on the Street
COMMENT OF THE DAY: IT’S DRIVE-THRUS, NOT APARTMENTS, THAT ARE THE REAL TRAFFIC-CAUSING MENACE 
“Feared traffic density related to construction of highrise apt/condo buildings is severely overestimated. Traffic flow in and out of the garages is spread out throughout the course of the day, so the increased number of cars will be mostly unnoticed at any point in time on any given day. There are more traffic concerns associated with a drive thru at Starbucks when the line backs up onto the street, thereby interfering with cars which are trying to get around the line. People do crazy things with their cars when trying to get in line for their coffee.” [Escout, commenting on Construction Work Has Begun on the Ashby Highrise] Illustration: Lulu
Developers are planning to put in a 173-home subdivision on the 11.93-acre former site of the All Woods Schroeder (and later, Woodlands Mill Work) warehouse adjacent to the HB&T rail line near the intersection of Jefferson and Hackney in the Simms Woods subdivision, west of Idylwood. The official address of the not-just-yet-subdivided property is 5401 Lawndale St., but only a small leg of the land fronts Lawndale — between Telephone Rd. and Wayside Dr., across from the KIPP Explore Academy. Demolition permits for portions of the former warehouse buildings were approved back in 2011 and 2013, but a reader reports that the last structure was cleared just recently (see photos).
On May 15th, the city’s planning commission is set to consider the layout for the new subdivision, which includes 11 new streets, 173 new homesites, and 25 “reserves” — to be used for guest parking and bits of open space. Here’s the proposed layout:
Clearing Simms Woods
After hearing news that a homebuilder bought the 8-unit 1939 brick-and-glass-block Josephine Apartments 2 blocks north of Rice University in Boulevard Oaks, it may not come as much of a surprise to learn that the building’s new owner plans to tear them down. But today a source provides confirmation that demolition and new construction is in the cards: Tricon Homes has informed residents that they will need to vacate the property by mid July.
Tricon Conquers Boulevard Oaks
Today, we mark the end of a well-known Houston wedding venue — along with a few lesser known marriage venues.
- Tomball Business and Technology Park Breaks Ground Near Grand Pkwy. [Houston Business Journal]
- Uptown Luxury Project Belfiore Now More Than 70% Sold, Developer Claims [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
- 30% of New Houston Residents Will Choose To Live in a Multifamily Apartment, Architect Predicts [GlobeSt.com]
- 77007, 77002, 77055, 77018 and 77008 ZIP Codes Will See the Largest Rent Increases in the Next Year, According to Zillow [Houston Business Journal]
- Mayor Says Gus Wortham Golf Course Supporters Should Be Given ‘A Shot’ at Restoring It [Houston Public Media; previously on Swamplot]
- People Started Lining Up at 3:30 in the Morning for Yesterday’s Opening of the Texas City Buc-ee’s [Houston Chronicle]
- 20K People Came Out for Sunday Streets on Westheimer This Past Sunday; Mayor Sees ‘Start of a Tradition’ [OffCite Blog]
- Interview with Houston Photographer Mieko Mahi, Who Specializes in Images Of the Energy Industry [Houston Public Media]
- 5 Reasons Someone Needs to Film a Zombie Movie in the Houston Medical Center [Art Attack]
Photo of Westheimer during Sunday Streets on May 4: elnina via Swamplot Flickr Pool
Headlines
- 22 Turtle Cove Ct. [HAR]
Almost matching wings of a deep set 1960 “rancho deluxe” mod extend across the front of a wedge lot formed by the street curling off Forest Oaks Dr. in Meadowcreek Village. When listed last week, the asking price was $215,000 for the property — believed to have been custom built back in the day for the owner of Moore Paper Co. It’s still a swank spread offering many period details — and a few curiosities . . .
Roofing Hangover
A couple of weeks after a flyer was distributed to residents near a lower section of the Near Northside north of Hogan St. and west of Main suggesting they oppose an application for minimum-lot-size restrictions in the area, a bunch of properties there have begun sporting signs that announce their residents’ support for the initiative, a reader who goes by the name Triton informs Swamplot.
And Triton sends along this on-the-street report:
Vote Yes or No
Is it Houston’s own temporary Flatiron building? Or just a bunch of soon-to-be-flattened steel? Readers passing by the continuing takedown of the 61-year-old 10-story office building across from Kroger at the corner of Montrose Blvd. and Hawthorne St. that used to house Scott Gertner’s Skybar have been sending Swamplot their photo impressions of the scene, which has been changing — and disappearing — daily.
Here’s a bit of what a few Swamplot readers have seen and captured over the past week or 2:
Skybar Takeaway
Be sure to get your nutrition from all the basic food groups. Try this sample menu:
- Will Battle Over Hines’ San Felipe Place Tower Follow the Path of the Ashby Highrise Dispute? [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
- Heights-Area Tommie Vaughn Ford Dealership Has a High-End Gift Shop in Back [Houston Chronicle ($)]
- Hearsay Opening Second Downtown Location in the Embassy Suites Hotel That Will Look Like the Original [Prime Property]
- Uptown Park Restaurant Songkran Thai Kitchen Blessed by Buddhist Monks Before Opening Last Week [Houston Chronicle ($)]
- Apartment Developer Finds Evidence of ‘Rent Erosion’ Over Last 90 Days [Houston Chronicle ($)]
- Behold This 448 SF Rice Military Rental for $750 a Month [Houstonia]
- A Sneak Peek at $1.35M Southern Living Custom Builder Program Showcase Home in Cypress [Houston Business Journal]
- Brookfield Office Properties’ Art Car Will Be Topped with Replicas of Its Downtown Buildings in This Saturday’s Parade [Prime Property]
- Writing Fiction in the Age of Google Street View [Art Attack]
Photo of Saturday’s mat placement for Belfiore condo tower, S. Post Oak Ln. at Wynden Dr.: Interfin
Headlines
Neon lighting doubles its pop in the highly reflective interior of a 1982 Tanglewilde condo, east of Gessner Rd. near the Westchase District. The funky-finished home with the nightclub-inspired interior was listed a week ago with a $135,000 asking price. A note in the listing description assures agents that there’ll be some changes coming to the walls, carpets, and some of the bath tile before any buyer moves in. So take in all the indoor scenery here, before closing time comes and the beige paint moves in:
Pad Site
