A sign of possible second chances for anyone looking to make a play for the former Wabash Feed & Garden Store building at 5701 Washington Ave: the leasing notice now up out front, shown here as spotted by a reader yesterday. Onion Creek owner Gary Mosley bought the land early this year and announced plans to turn the building into a restaurant and bar called Driftwood once the garden store headed out to its new spot. At that time, the moveout was planned for June; Wabash owner Betty Heacker tells Landan Kuhlman this month that the new location in the former Mechanical Plumbing, Inc. warehouse at 4537 N. Shepherd should finally be ready to go by late October.
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Heacker (who notes to Kuhlman that the original Wash Ave shop also opened in a former plumbing supply store) cites unexpected construction and retrofitting issues for the delay, including having to lower the surrounding property a few inches because of the existing warehouse building’s at-grade slab. The leasing sign’s online companion piece looks to have shown up in August.
- Old, New Habits Collide as Wabash Finalizes North Shepherd Move [The Leader]
- 5701 Washington Ave. [LoopNet]
- Previously on Swamplot:Â Like Wabash Feed &Â Garden on Washington Ave? Now You Can Buy the Land It’s Sitting On
Photos: LoopNet (top), Swamplot inbox (bottom)
Whats up with Mosely? Looks like he canceled plans for this location and he recently closed Dry Creek.
Gary Mosely has never had a clear vision. He got lucky with Onion Creek at a time when White Oak Drive was just changing over. Even though he has at least three, I mean two, restaurants and bars in the area, he has been reluctant to show support for other neighborhood organizations such as public and private school fundraisers and other non-profits. These are the people who patronize his businesses. I know individuals who have been offended and no longer go to these businesses. Now he has up-ended Wabash Feed, a beloved neighborhood establishment, so he could turn a quick profit. Rumor has it that he is considering a move back to Austin or selling it all and relocating to Sweden, his wife’s homeland, where the air is clear and the schools are less rigorous.
Ed, he didn’t up end Wabash. Wabash decided to move further north first, then he decided to buy the property from them when Wabash finally put it up for sale. Unless there was something going on in the background the whole time (which I seriously doubt), Wabash relocating had 0 to do with Mosely and the Creek group.
Ed, sounds like he didn’t buy Girl Scout cookies from your daughter.
We’ll miss Dry Creek, odd he would close it down w/ 700+ new units across the street, or are those rents too high for dining out?