COMMENT OF THE DAY: USED HOUSE PARTS SCOUTING REPORT “Hopefully, some of those features will end up at Habitat ReStore. The marble counters, doors, clawfoot tub, cabinet doors, and all that flagstone. The casement windows are great for a greenhouse or playhouse. And that angle-top door in the attic room would be a great door for a garden shed or chicken house. I saw parts of some of the other teardowns there about 2 months ago. I remember seeing the stainless steel countertop, marble, and custom bathroom cabinets from one teardown. I may have to check back to see if that angle-top door makes it to the ReStore. I’ll design a shed just around that door.” [Lynn, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Half Timber]
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After a good life with its original owners, this well-draped and well-preserved 1961 Mod in Meyerland hit the market earlier this week, asking $625,000. The exterior’s contrast of light brick and dark trim repeats inside, where warm-toned paneling pairs with glass, and mirrors expand the effect. The home’s curved driveway sweeps across the front yard, but the garage is farther down the side street, served by a driveway stub at the back lot line.
- 4325 Kingfisher Dr. [HAR]
- Developer Wins $138M in Incentives To Build 1,000-Room Downtown Marriott Marquis Hotel [Houston Chronicle]
- Council Approves Pilot Washington Ave ‘Parking Benefit District’ with Meters for 350 Spaces, Expanded Residential Permits [Houston Chronicle]
- Houston Light Rail Efforts, Grand Parkway Make Sierra Club’s List of Best, Worst Transportation Projects Nationwide [The Highwayman]
- Noise Mitigation a Concern in US-290 Expansion, Say Jersey Village Residents [Cypress Creek Mirror]
- Slideshow: A Tour of the Light Rail Expansion’s Progress [Hair Balls]
- Privately Owned RV Park Approved for Seawolf Park [Galveston County Daily News ($)]
- Shocking: Security Camera Catches Copper Thief’s Big Jolt During Robbery Attempt at Village of Harvest Bend Church [abc13]
- Tony Vallone Consulting on Vallone’s, a Steakhouse Opening in Gateway Memorial City Next Fall [Houston Business Journal]
- Texas Expecting Continued Big Growth in Restaurant Sales Next Year [Houston Business Journal]
Photo of Midtown Spec’s: Candace Garcia via Swamplot Flickr Pool
What was this year’s Best Demolition? That’s what we aim to find out in this, the second category in the 2012 Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate. The official nominees are now in the (soon-to-be-demolished) house!
The voting rules for this year’s Swampies are posted here, but they’re not that complicated: You can vote in this category through each of 4 methods: in a comment below, in an email to Swamplot, on Twitter, or on Swamplot’s Facebook page. If you’ve got a favorite candidate, start a campaign! The polls close for all categories at 5 pm on December 26th.
The nominees for Best Demolition of 2012 are . . .
WHAT’S THAT YOU SAID? Swamplot’s email appears to be up and running now, but it was down most of the morning, and some messages likely got lost. At least that tip about the stripper pole came through. If earlier today you sent us a different hot tip, a question about advertising, a vote in the first category of the Swamplot Awards, a last-minute nomination for the Greatest Moment in Houston Real Estate (the Swampies’ final award category) — or anything else — please accept our apologies for dropping the ball, and please try again.
- 5509 Petty St. [HAR]
- Visitors View Houston as Culinary, Arts Capital of Texas, Finds GHCVB Survey [Houston Chronicle]
- City Council To Vote on $138M in Incentives for Downtown Marriott Marquis Project [Houston Chronicle ($)]
- Catastrophic Theatre To Take Over Diverseworks’ Old Space North of Downtown [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
- Pilot Program Growing Beach Grass To Stop Erosion, Create Green Space [Galveston County Daily News]
- Not Just ‘HOUSTON’: State Auctioning Off Right To ‘DYNAMO’ Vanity License Plate Next Month [Hair Balls]
- Deadline for Comments on Inner Loop Mobility Plan Extended a Week [Houston Tomorrow]
- Landowner in Douglass, 160 mi. North of Houston, Wins Restraining Order Temporarily Halting Keystone XL Pipeline [AP; previously on Swamplot]
- Montrose Home on Avondale Near Westheimer an ‘Architectural Mess’ [Curbed National; previously on Swamplot]
Photo of Momentum Audi, 59 at Greenbriar (previously on Swamplot): Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER “I know it is not at all related to the willowick project above, but I’ve got a ‘good’ story about this type townhome. A friend of mine’s folks own one out in the Kirkwood and I-10 area. They are ex-pats and live outside the US 10+ mo a year, so it stays empty or is used by family in town. So cousins show up to use it for a few days and find all the kitchen cabinets all open, the doors won’t close, and cracks in all the walls. The old lady two doors down decided to have her foundation done. The problem is she shares that foundation with a few homes. She didn’t mention it to anyone and well, the rest is history. Still waiting to see how they clean that one up. Also surprised that a foundation company would do the work in the first place.” [MH005, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Bus Stop Stop]
- 331 W. 18th St. [HAR]
If you triple the $54,000 purchase price of this 1978 pop-top property when it sold in April (and add some spare change), you get the initial asking price of its back-after-renovations listing: $164,840. Located on a cul-de-sac in Candlelight Oaks Village, the corner-lot home is also up for lease at $1,500 per month. It features a plethora of windows in a range of styles, proportions, and function. Several skylights, transoms, and tilt-top dormers, meanwhile, offset the bunkered-down brick facade and expansive roof.
- 8-Week Robertson Stadium Demolition To Be Captured on Time-Lapse Webcam [EarthCam via KHOU]
- Houston Area’s Nonresidential Contract Values Up 44 Percent from October 2011 [Houston Business Journal]
- Apffel Park Pavilion Destroyed By Ike To Reopen in January After $1.6M Project [Galveston County Daily News]
- Schlitterbahn in Talks to Purchase Galveston Health and Racquet Club Land for ‘Waterpark Activities’ [Galveston County Daily News]
- League City Considering Moratorium on Amendments to Historic District [Galveston County Daily News]
- TxDOT Holding Public Meetings on 290 Toll Lanes in Houston, Cypress This Week [Cypress Creek Mirror]
- Hip Hop Artist Reveals Modular’s Joshua Martinez Opening 2 Downtown Restaurants [Eater Houston]
- Houston Restaurant Forecast for 2013 [Eating Our Words]
- Giant Vuvuzela Sculpture Planned for Art League Houston Sometime Next Year [The Great God Pan Is Dead]
- Bellaire Town Square Great Lawn Design To Feature New Performance Pavilion [Bellaire Examiner]
- Slideshow: Architecture Center of Houston’s Annual Gingerbread Build-Off [Houston Press]
Photo of Robertson Stadium demo: KHOU
