COMMENT OF THE DAY: POWER WASH THE DOME! “It has been about three years since I was V.P. of the company trying to convince Harris County to let us use the Astrodome as a movie production studio. at that time, my research into costs of sprucing up the building’s exterior revealed that plain old pressure washing could make a huge difference in the outside appearance. The company I consulted, specialists at cleaning large scale commercial buildings – like international airports – said it could be done for $500,000 or under. While that is a lot of money to most of us, it is not much compared to the negative P.R. ‘black eye’ that our dirty and forlorn-looking icon gives Houston. If only the Harris County Commissioners, the true stewards of the Dome, would clean up the exterior and do some landscape refreshing perhaps the grand old building would not appear so neglected to the rest of the world. While the interior still has grand promise, if only temporarily as a storage facility, the county should invest in putting the Astrodome’s best ‘face’ forward until its future use is determined. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t read about the Dome in the national media and blogs and it usually includes a negative nod to its appearance. This is something that CAN be done without a referendum!” [Cynthia Neely, commenting on The Astrodome’s New Gig: AstroTurf Storage Warehouse]
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“Move out concierges” are standing by to assist renters in the massive 4444 Westheimer apartment complex to deal with their impending evictions residence transitions. “Each resident has a specific member of our concierge team assigned to assist them to make their transition as smooth as possible,” a release sent to the Chronicle by property owner Oliver McMillan states. “In addition, we have developed a comprehensive move out package which includes a listing of neighboring communities, moving procedures and an incentive plan. The move-out plan includes incentive payments for up to a one-month rebate of rent plus return of full security deposits. Our concern for our residents is that we help them find a new home and that their move from 4444 Westheimer is done in a safe manner for everyone who lives there.”
No matter their function, the presence of actual concierges should help upgrade the overall feel of the property, which used to be known as the Westcreek Apartments. Oliver McMillan plans to move it, too: To River Oaks. After the apartments near the corner of Westcreek and Westheimer (just west of the Highland Village Shopping Center) are demolished (sparing units north of Bettis Ave.), the company plans to change the property’s name to the River Oaks District, and begin construction there of a $275 million mixed-use center.
And then we load it into a truck and haul it away. Time to go block by block now. Getting down to the wires.
- Main Street America New-Home ‘Theme Park’ in Spring Will Give Homeowners Building, Remodeling Ideas [abc13]
- Galveston Historical Foundation Purchases Former Sears Building, Plans to Restore It [Galveston County Daily News]
- A Taste of City Acre Brewing Co.’s Eastex Freeway Brewpub [Culturemap; previously on Swamplot]
- 1,200 Customers, Including Pleasure Pier, Lost Power Briefly Yesterday [Galveston County Daily News]
- Cypress Family Unknowingly Moves into Former Marijuana Grow House [Click2Houston]
- Conroe Begins Tree Replacement Along Retention Ponds at I-45, Texas 105 [Courier of Montgomery County]
- Annexation and Why Houston is So Prosperous [Keep Houston Houston]
Photo of Maximus Coffee: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool
ALL PATIO, NO PATIO HOME IN COTTAGE GROVE 
A reader writes: “Any news ever come down the pike about the huge empty lot on the Northeast corner of Larkin and Arabelle? It’s been empty for years, and all I’ve ever seen done is occasional mowing. . . . When I first moved into the neighborhood in 2006, there used to be an old blue shack house and the rumor was it was a brothel. But it was knocked down (I THINK in 2007 or 2008?) and goes from overgrown grass forest to freshly mown about once every 3 months. I could have sworn there was a real estate agency sign on that fence before, which was what I thought that No Trespassing sign was from afar, but it seems to be gone now. The other weird things is that they are CONSTANTLY building new patio homes in the area. . . . 3 more just went up a few doors down on Larkin street. But this land . . . just sits.” Photo: Swamplot inbox
COMMENT OF THE DAY: YEP, THIS IS AN $8.5 MILLION RIVER OAKS TEARDOWN 
“This house will (sadly) be demolished. It was designed by Harvin Moore in 1940 for Mr. and Mrs. Sydnor Oden. The Odens had returned to Houston from living in Italy, and they wanted a house that reflected Italian architecture. I am thinking that a tear-down trend is on the rise.” [no history remains, commenting on Daily Demolition Report: Prologis Is Past Us] Photo of 3640 Willowick Rd.: HAR
From the street, this lightly landscaped property in Antoine Forest Estates appears a bit stark. The 1983 home’s greenery is out back, however, where a screen of trees at the lot line throws shade on a yard-sized pool and patio. The outback scenery’s all within view of the main living area’s floor-to-cathedral ceiling windows fireside. There’s another unobstructed view over in the master bathroom (at left), where the soaker tub’s picture window also shows off nature. In both directions. For even more natural surroundings, head to the westside trail of nearby White Oak Bayou.
Clearing out Bissonnet for Hanover’s West University apartments, and other rumblings on the ground:
- 2 Mama Ninfa Legacies To Anchor Walkable District of Shops, Restaurants on Navigation Between Delano, St. Charles [Houston Chronicle]
- League City Breaks Ground on $31M Public Safety Building [Galveston County Daily News]
- Kemah To Consider $12M Park-and-Ride, Parking Facility [Galveston County Daily News]
- City Exploring Managed Paid Parking System Along Washington Ave. To Prevent Strip from Becoming Next Richmond Ave. [The Leader; proposal]
- School Bus, Trucks Seen Crossing Yale St. Bridge Illegally After Load Limit Lowered [KHOU]
- Most Voters Still Not Sure What Metro Referendum Actually Does; 1 in 4 Undecided, Finds Poll [KHOU]
- More Smelly Dead Fish Likely To Surface on Lake Madeline [Houston Chronicle]
- Bats Keep Visiting Woman’s Apartment at Lakeside Place Complex in Southwest Houston [Click2Houston]
- Texas City Suit Claims Man Swindled Woman Out of $200,000 in House-Flipping Scheme [Hair Balls]
- Investigating Houston’s Haunted Houses, Buildings [Click2Houston]
Photo: elnina999 via Swamplot Flickr Pool
COMMENT OF THE DAY: AUDIO VIDEO PLUS CAROL “I’ve had a membership there for almost 30 years. As some have mentioned, many products of the obscure variety have NEVER come out on DVD, and may not for a while for legal reasons. These fine folks never got rid of ANYTHING!! They carry more foreign language and silent movies than most places (when places like this existed everywhere) carry titles. Another blow to the artsy side of Houston, is losing this Mecca for Movies. My last purchase there was a Carol Burnett barbie doll, dressed like her role in “Went With the Wind.†I got it for mom for Christmas.” [Rich, commenting on Audio Video Plus on Waugh is Clearing It Out]
OAK FOREST’S 350-FT.-TALL HOAX TOWER 
Two signs posted last week on a half-block west of Ella at 1250 Du Barry Ln. that appear to serve notice of a 350-ft. tower coming to the site — and include reference to a permit number — are some kind of trick, Charlotte Aguilar assures us. Planning Dept. spokesperson Suzy Hartgrove tells her the permit number may be connected to a 5-year-old project; the listed city phone number is obsolete. She says she doesn’t “know why anyone would do that.” [The Leader] Photo: Charlotte Aguilar
- $71M Acute Care Hospital Planned for Hwy. 288 and County Rd. 2234 [Pearland Journal]
- Elaine Turner To Open Boutique in The Woodlands Late Next Month [Houston Business Journal]
- Ziggy’s Bar and Grill Changing Its Name, Closing Downtown Location [Culturemap]
- Master-Planned Community Planned for 993 Acres off West Lake Houston Pkwy. in Humble Area [Houston Chronicle]
- Midtown Getting More Apartments and a Park, But Still Lacks Big-Box Stores [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]
- Short-Lived Fire at BP Refinery Sent That Black Plume of Smoke Over Texas City Yesterday [Galveston County Daily News]
- Permanent Signs To Be Installed Along Texas’s Fastest Tollway To Warn Drivers Not To Hit Wildlife [Houston Chronicle]
- Heights Residents Want More Bike Racks in Front of 19th St., White Oak Businesses [Ultimate Heights News]
- The History Behind Bissonnet St. [Ultimate Bellaire News]
- More than 15,000 Floating Dead Fish Stewing on Lake Madeline [Galveston County Daily News]
- Lawsuit Claims Commercial Fishermen Weren’t Warned About Dioxin in San Jacinto River Until 2008 [abc13]
- MLB Blames Third Astros Logo Leak on Sandy [Ultimate Astros]
The Astrodome at last has a new purpose, the managers of Reliant Park have announced. The 47-year-old flexible sports stadium will serve as a storage facility for neighboring Reliant Stadium’s new $1.2 million new-generation AstroTurf when it’s not being used on the Houston Texans’ home field. Reliant Stadium’s actual-grass-on-trays field will now be reserved for professional football; the artificial surface will be rolled out there for high-school and college football games and other events.
COMMENT OF THE DAY: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOWER TOLL CALLS 
“The bell tower was already there. It was the result of the neighborhood going ballistic over a cell tower going in, and is the disguise for said tower, making it the Ma Bell Tower. And the only ringing for which it is responsible is in your purse or pocket.” [mollusk, commenting on Union Kitchen Expanding to 1111 Studewood Place]
