Rice Military Land Purchase Mystery Solved, and Opus Dei Is Behind It

Proposed Woodlawn Foundation Westcott Study Center for Men, Westcott St. and Feagan St., Rice Military, Houston

Last year, the purchase and subsequent demolition of a series of small properties on the half-block surrounded by Westcott, Feagan, and Knox streets in Rice Military piqued the interest of a Swamplot reader, who wondered what would become of the 35,613-sq.-ft. combined parcel immediately south of the Commonwealth Title office building at 550 Westcott St. It turns out the properties’ purchaser, the Oakton Foundation, is connected to the Woodlawn Foundation, a nonprofit that fundraises and funnels funds to projects supported by the Catholic Prelature of Opus Dei. And they’ve decided to use the site for the 4-story Mediterranean style building depicted here. The Westcott Study Center for Men will run Opus Dei programs and house 14 staff residents — just a couple blocks south of the western end of Houston’s best known strip of debauchery, Washington Ave.

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Proposed Woodlawn Foundation Westcott Study Center for Men, Westcott St. and Feagan St., Rice Military, Houston

But the men at the Westcott Study Center will have other concerns: Programs at the center “will impact people throughout the greater Houston area, and serve activities throughout Texas and the Southwest,” the Woodlawn Foundation website explains. The building will have 2 classrooms to accommodate a total of 70 or so students, a library, a chapel, and several meeting rooms. Its main entrance and parking lot will face Westcott St. It’ll be open every day, and feature day and evening programs.

Proposed Woodlawn Foundation Westcott Study Center for Men, Westcott St. and Feagan St., Rice Military, Houston

The Woodlawn Foundation also has plans for a Sheridan Center for Women, near the Texas Medical Center (illustrated below). The combined budget for the buildings is $15 million, of which $9 million has already been raised, according to the website.

Proposed Woodlawn Foundation Sheridan Center for Women, Houston

Renderings: Woodlawn Foundation

Westcott Study Center for Men

10 Comment

  • Typical attitude of the Catholic Church …. men first

  • Someone needs to get Robert Langdon on this….

  • Washington Ave is a “strip of debauchery”? Does that mean the hos from the 80s have returned ???

  • Wait, is that the evil guys from Davinchi Code? Where’s the albino assassin?

  • There is a Women’s Center in the works as well…

  • Another perspective — it’s good to see “institutional” projects being built in a neighborhood where many of the previous ones have been sold-off and demolished including so many churches and schools. This project might help create a somewhat more interesting urban setting than the typical LIVE:WORK:EAT:WORK:LIVE (rinse and repeat) establishments. And about that albino assassin . . . . . .

  • The men get to live in the high rent district?

  • god only for one ..

  • I wish something like this were available in Dallas. Ongoing education in culture, professionalism, human development, spiritual areas. I’ve had experience with Opus Dei, and their programs have been great.

  • Oh my gosh! I came here looking for the answer and found it, even crazier than I imagined! With aspects of a home (3 car garage and chimneys) yet massive size, I couldn’t imagine its purpose. I knew I could count on you, Swampy.