Swamplot Archives by Tag: 77006

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Arrivederci, La Strada

March 25, 2008 – 8:27 am

La Strada Restaurant, 322 Westheimer, Houston

And yet another Lower Westheimer institution bites the dust. The Houston Business Journal reports that La Strada has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection:

According to documents, the restaurant filed as an emergency action after negotiating with the Texas Comptroller’s Office over a failure to pay past due taxes. A seizure notice was served and the restaurant faced immediate closure.

La Strada’s second location — on San Felipe — closed early last year.

Photo: Flickr user Pixeltopia

8:27 am | Add a Comment | Read more about Neighborhoods: Montrose, Openings and Closings, Restaurants
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Monday, March 24, 2008

Goodbye, Felix

March 24, 2008 – 7:53 am

Felix Mexican Restaurant on Westheimer, Houston

The Houston Press’s Food Blog reports that the Felix Mexican Restaurant on Westheimer near Montrose has served its last enchilada. Finding the 60-year-old restaurant closed, patrons have been posting notes on the front door asking for an explanation.

More than three years ago, owner Felix Tijerina Jr., son of the Felix chain’s founder, reported to Marvin Zindler that the restaurant was about to go belly up. From a Houston Business Journal report in February 2005:

But ever since M-a-a-a-rvin broadcast the bombshell, legions of Felix groupies have descended upon the little faux hacienda for what might be a final nostalgic fix of Mexican treats drenched in cheese and chili.

Tijerina says his phone has been ringing off the hook with customers pleading with him to keep the restaurant open, and says he’s also received letters from patrons in San Antonio and as far away as North Carolina.

It worked for a while. This time, there were no media warnings.

After the jump, a look back at Felix’s place in Houston’s history (there used to be 6 locations!), plus a reprise of David Beebe’s Felix restaurant restoration concept!

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7:53 am | Add a Comment | Read more about Houston History, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Openings and Closings, Restaurants
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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Storefront Ad: Midtown Full Frontal Oddity

March 5, 2008 – 11:12 am

Storefront Ad for Red Bull Art of Can Competition and Exhibition on Elgin St., Midtown, Houston

Here’s one advantage if you’re one of the not-so-large number of retail centers in Houston that doesn’t have a parking lot in front: If business ain’t so hot, you can always sell the highly visible adspace on your facade!

A reader sends in this photo of an ad for Red Bull’s Art of Can competition on the streetfront of a retail center on Elgin, across from the Calais apartments in Midtown. The Maple Leaf Pub is two doors down.

Is this the future of retail real estate? Sure, we’ve all seen ads painted onto the sides of old buildings and the giant window stickers on David’s Bridal storefronts, but doesn’t this go a bit . . . beyond that? Think of the possibilities: Stores . . . with ads covering their entire fronts, advertising . . . other stores. Or anything.

Forget billboards, graffiti, and wheatpaste posters. When this new market really kicks in, we’ll see Houston for its revenue-generating possibilities: We’ve got acres and acres of exploitable advertising space.

Tyvek Housewrap was only the beginning.

What comes after Tuscan-themed shopping centers? Billboard-themed shopping centers!

After the jump: a second photo, so you can get your Red Bull straight.

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11:12 am | Read more about Art, Commercial Real Estate, Neighborhoods: Midtown, Real Estate Investing, Retail, Shopping Centers
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Monday, February 25, 2008

Midtown Mix: Fit for Leasing

February 25, 2008 – 10:26 am

Fence at Elgin and Louisiana Advertising the Mix @ Midtown, Houston

More details about Crosspoint Properties’s expanding developments at the corner of Elgin and Louisiana in Midtown: Catty-corner across Elgin from the building that’s already under construction is this new fence advertising the “Mix @ Midtown.” The Chronicle’s Nancy Sarnoff writes that Crosspoint — whose owners also rule the High Fashion Home/Fabric empire down the street — is planning an additional 50,000 square feet of retail space in the recently fenced block, though construction won’t start until 2009 at the earliest.

A commenter on HAIF suggests announcing the Mix might be a good way to drum up more interest in 3201 Louisiana — the building that’s already going up. A 24 Hour Fitness “Super Sport” — which will include a basketball court and swimming pool and occupy the entire second and third stories of that building — is the only tenant Crosspoint’s George Levan is mentioning. Still available, apparently: retail space on the entire 25,000-sq.-ft. ground floor.

Photo: HAIF user ricco67

10:26 am | Read more about Commercial Real Estate, Development Strategy, Leasing, Neighborhoods: Midtown, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Real Estate Marketing, Retail
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Friday, February 22, 2008

Weekend Open House Tour: Montrose

February 22, 2008 – 11:57 pm

Smaller homes in Montrose haven’t disappeared entirely over the last few years; they’ve just been busy knocking down interior walls and undergoing price-lifts. We’ve rustled up a few shy senior citizens from around the neighborhood for this weekend’s tour.

1737 Indiana St., Hyde Park, Montrose, Houston

Location: 1737 Indiana St.
Details: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths; 1,288 sq. ft.
Price: $275,000
The Scoop: Smallish 1930 cottage in nice condition on divided lot in Hyde Park. Built-in Mahogany bookshelves in Living Room; beamed ceiling in Dining Room. No garage. Just listed.
Open House: Sunday, 2-5 pm

The tour continues . . .

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11:57 pm | Read more about Neighborhoods: Cherryhust, Neighborhoods: Mandell Place, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: Rosedale, Open Houses
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Hoa Binh: The Lasting Legacy of the Original Strip Mall

February 19, 2008 – 9:37 am

Hoa Binh Center at 2830 Travis, Midtown, Houston

Wielding a copy of Stephen Fox’s Houston Architectural Guide, transit buff Christof Spieler writes in to report that the vacant and graffiti-laden Hoa Binh Center in Midtown — targeted by Camden Property Trust for a new apartment complex — has an important story behind it. He quotes from Fox’s writeup of the shopping center, which was built in 1923:

What distinguishes this building is that it was the prototype of the 20th century American suburban shopping center: it introduced the concept of off-street parking, toward which the grocery store itself was oriented.

Spieler adds:

In other words, Camden may be about to tear down the world’s first strip mall. Now that’s a historic building.

And it’s certainly worth at least a nice plaque somewhere on those new apartments going up on the site!

But before all you preservationist types get up in arms about the impending demolition of the mother of all strip malls, keep in mind that an equally important part of this structure’s history and legacy will almost certainly be preserved, cherished, and celebrated. Sure, the building will probably end up in a pile of rubble off Loop 610. But all those historic off-street parking spaces? They’ll be moved into a nice new garage at the Camden Travis, where residents of the new apartments and their guests will be able to enjoy them for generations to come.

After the jump: Spieler spills more Hoa Binh history!

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9:37 am | Read more about Apartments, Commercial Real Estate, Demolitions, Historic Preservation, Neighborhoods: Midtown, Parking, Proposed Developments, Shopping Centers, Strip Centers
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Monday, February 18, 2008

Maybe Somebody Did Give Up

February 18, 2008 – 8:48 am

Hoa Binh Center, Travis and Tuam, Houston

For years, Camden Property Trust has been talking about a giant mixed-use project the company is planning for the “superblock” bounded by Main, Anita, McGowen, and Travis in Midtown. And the Chronicle’s Nancy Sarnoff reported this weekend that Camden is ready to go ahead with its Midtown development.

Except the new Camden project isn’t on the vacant superblock. And it won’t be mixed use. It’s a four-story, 253-unit, $45 million apartment complex called the Camden Travis, planned for the site of the former Hoa Binh supermarket building, the dilapidated and heavily tagged vaguely-moderne-looking shopping center one block to the west, at 2830 Travis.

8:48 am | Read more about Apartments, Commercial Real Estate, Demolitions, Mixed Use, Neighborhoods: Midtown, Proposed Developments, Shopping Centers
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Historic Preservation, Meet Self Preservation

January 30, 2008 – 12:35 pm

1704 Kipling St., HoustonNot all recipients of the 2008 GHPA Good Brick Awards will be able to attend this Friday’s historic-preservation awards banquet at the River Oaks Country Club, but some will have better excuses than others. Ken Rice, who along with Sarah Goodpastor will receive an award for the renovation of a 1930 brick duplex at the corner of Kipling and Dunlavy, won’t be able to make it because he’s currently serving a 27-month sentence in federal prison for securities fraud.

Yes, that’s former Enron Broadband CEO and architecture patron Kenneth Rice, who already helped lessen his sentence by testifying against other Enron executives in two separate trials after his 2003 guilty plea. Rice agreed to forfeit more than $13.7 million worth of cash investments, real estate, cars, and jewelry as part of his plea agreement. His sentence included a $50,000 fine.

Rice, 48, could end up serving less than half of his prison term, though.

His lawyers say he hopes to enter a drug and alcohol treatment program available to nonviolent federal inmates that, if completed, could shave up to a year from his term. In addition, federal inmates can reduce their prison time by 15 percent with good behavior. With those two combined, Rice could get out of prison in 11 months.

After the jump, details and photos of a project Rice is likely hoping will count towards that good-behavior credit.

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12:35 pm | Read more about Crime, Historic Preservation, Home Design, Houston Architects, Interiors, Neighborhoods: Winlow Place, Renovations
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Thursday, January 10, 2008

And Now, Some Gentle Words of Encouragement for Midtown Redevelopment

January 10, 2008 – 5:40 pm

Hoa Binh Center, Travis and Tuam, Houston

Hey, whaddya say we just knock this baby down and put up a strip center?

Another parting shot of the former Hoa Binh Center at Travis and Tuam — plus more from Midtown’s most . . . vocal booster — after the jump.

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5:40 pm | Read more about Neighborhoods: Midtown, Public Art, Shopping Centers
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Thursday, January 3, 2008

Welch St. Townhouse: The Holiday Premium Is Over

January 3, 2008 – 11:40 am

705 Welch St., Montrose, HoustonSome curious price fluctuations on this 2006 turreted Montrose townhouse: Last week the asking price was reduced from $525,000 to $350,000. Which is pretty dramatic, though only slightly more dramatic than the $140K increase recorded on MLS the day after the property was listed, in early December.

11:40 am | Read more about Buying and Selling, Homes for Sale, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Real Estate Marketing, Townhomes
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Friday, December 14, 2007

Resistance Is Futile: The Proletariat Will Be Crushed

December 14, 2007 – 3:52 pm

Proletariat Nightclub, 903 Richmond, Houston

In an extensive interview with Houston Press music blog Houstoned Rocks, Proletariat owner Denise Ramos explains she isn’t shutting down her Richmond Ave. bar and music venue in February because she’s afraid upcoming University Line construction on the street will hurt her business. She’s shutting the club down because Metro has told her exactly where the Montrose light-rail station is going to go:

I started going to all these meetings Metro had put together, and in one of the meetings they had the proposed design for the rail, and I noticed that our building was nowhere in the design . . .

Right in front of where our building is, that’s where they [plan to] have the station . . .

We know for sure they plan to demolish our building. That’s a given; we know that. But I just don’t know when that’s going to be.

Guess that means Metro won’t be sliding that station to the west of Montrose . . .

3:52 pm | Read more about Neighborhoods: Montrose, Nightlife, Openings and Closings, Transportation
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Tremont Tower Video: How Construction Problems Attract Foreclosure Pileups

December 12, 2007 – 2:13 pm

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

So the actors aren’t likely to win any awards, but this new video posted to YouTube by Tremont Tower owner-victim-gadfly Heather Mickelson is notable for it’s uh . . . stirring illustration of the connection between construction-quality complaints and foreclosure train wrecks.

The Tremont is colorfully renamed “LemonTree Tower” in the video reenactment. If you’re new to the story, you’ll find better introductions to the sordid Montrose condo tale elsewhere. But if you’ve ever wondered why foreclosures seem to gather like flies around new developments that feature questionable levels of quality (and, say, water-tightness), this will make pretty good internet theater. No, the mortgage defaults aren’t the work of the millions of mold spores and the grim reaper, who together make cameo appearances in the video; they’re the ultimate result of the surefire sales techniques employed for undesirable properties — made so much easier, of course, by the subprime-mortgage boom.

Here’s the formula: Building with bad enclosure + poor disclosure = lots of foreclosure. Or just watch the video. At just over seven minutes, it’s still a lot shorter than Glengarry Glen Ross.

2:13 pm | Read more about Buying and Selling, Condos, Financing, Foreclosures, Fraud, Highrises, Mold, Mortgages, Neighborhoods: Montrose
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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Shade, Subs, Plexes and Suds: A Bissonnet Story

December 4, 2007 – 6:08 pm

Money Stop on Bissonnet, Houston

It’s high time for another street-walking adventure from the writing, singing, photographing, and drinking duo of quasi-professional pedestrians John Nova Lomax and David Beebe. Their latest challenge: a 14.5-mile walk along Bissonnet, from Synott Road (just past Dairy Ashford) to Montrose, which brings Lomax to this stirring conclusion on the sidewalk-transforming power of street trees:

By now, I’ve walked damn near the entire lengths of Bellaire, Westheimer, Clinton, Navigation, and Shepherd, and Bissonnet is nicer than all of them, for the simple reason that its sidewalks have far more shade. Westheimer has none between 6 and the Loop, save for a few landscaping fantasias at scattered corporate campuses; there’s none to be had on most of Shepherd unless you duck under a bridge (where you might sit on human turds); sun-baked Bellaire has none from Eldridge central Sharpstown, and the East Side streets are only a little better. Bissonnet, on the other hand, seems like a stroll through Yosemite.

Below the fold: local color.

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6:08 pm | Read more about Neighborhoods: Bellaire, Neighborhoods: Sharpstown, Neighborhoods: Westwood, Streets
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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Going Up in Midtown: The Calais’s New Neighbor

November 29, 2007 – 8:56 am

Construction at Intersection of Elgin and Louisiana, Midtown

A reader who frequents Midtown sends photos showing the progress of the new building at 3201 Louisiana, along with comments.

Took this from near the corner of Elgin and Milam. Steel’s all up, and then some. 24 Hour Fitness is supposed to be moving into the top floor. The parking garage [in the foreground] was already there but was shuttered for a long time, has been painted and dressed up. Will be great to have an actual new three-story building with retail in midtown, instead of the usual strip centers and drug stores.

After the jump, plans and fancy renderings of the finished building, plus: our correspondent gets snarky!

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8:56 am | Read more about Apartments, Neighborhoods: Midtown, New Construction, Retail, Shopping Centers
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Avondale West: Do Not Bother

October 24, 2007 – 8:23 am

Lots for Sale on Avondale, Stanford, and Westheimer in New Avondale West Historic District, Houston

Here’s one of those great coincidences that makes watching Houston real estate so much fun:

  • Avondale West just became Houston’s newest historic district! But . . . uh, it’s not a protected historic district.
  • A big chunk of Avondale West is for sale! Adjacent lots 600, 606, 610, and 614 Avondale are in the new district; 520, 524, and 528 Westheimer aren’t. Together, they make

    a total of 52,400 square feet in the heart of Montrose with frontage on Westheimer, Avondale and Stanford. Do not bother tenants, do not walk property with out notifying listing agent!

Asking price: $5 million. Being able to tell your new neighbors that you can tear down whatever history you want in their new district after 90 days: priceless.

8:23 am | Read more about Buying and Selling, Demolitions, Historic Districts, Historic Preservation, Homes for Sale, Neighborhoods: Avondale
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