What’s going on at the corner of West 43rd St. and Ella in Oak Forest? A team of Swamplot photographers went to find out.
This is their report. It’s also known as Swamplot’s 3rd group photo feature. How’s it looking?
Sign up for the Newsletter
Tag: 77018
WEINGARTEN’S SELLOFF CONTINUES The 283,841-sq.-ft. Central Park Northwest off Dacoma St. and the 100,600-sq.-ft. Jester Plaza near Oak Forest are the latest industrial properties to leave the Weingarten Realty fold. And there’s more to jettison: “The company’s vice president/director — industrial properties Kelly Landwermeyer told GlobeSt.com the disposition of the industrial service center on 3500-3582 W. T.C. Jester Blvd. is part of Weingarten’s overall disposition strategy of non-core industrial asset, which includes service centers and flex properties. He says another asset is under contract and scheduled to close within the next few weeks. ‘There are another half-dozen on various pre-contract stages in the pipeline,’ he explains, adding that there are no set deadlines for closings by the end of 2009.” [Globe St.; previously on Swamplot]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: MODERN LIBRARY EDITION “The mid-century Oak Forest Library IS NOT being demolished. Houston Public Library is working very diligently to save, restore, renovate and add-on to the existing building. The rendering that you show is of the addition to the west side of the original building facing the newish elementary school across the street. When the work is complete, the “new†Oak Forest will have dedicated areas for Children, Teens, and Adults, a new Meeting Room, Conference Room, and expanded services. It will be fully ADA compliant and should also acquire L.E.E.D certification.” [John, commenting on The New Oak Forest Neighborhood Library]
Thanks to the reader who sent Swamplot this image, showing what the new west wing of the Oak Forest Neighborhood Library is supposed to look like when construction is complete. The addition provides an updated reading of the library’s current Mod entrance, which sits quietly at the back of the shopping center on 43rd St., a block west of Ella:
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHAT HAPPENED TO CARTER’S GROVE? “I still go back to Carter’s Grove Apartments as an example of restoration vs. teardown. They were the shame of Garden Oaks and a proven hazard to residents with over 240 municipal court violations resulting in a $100K fine for the owner. Take a drive around North Shepherd at 34th and see what restoration hath wrought with minimal disruption to the area and improvements on utility infrastructure as well as property values. If those ratholes can have a future life as pricey condos, anything is possible.” [Hellsing, commenting on Wilshire Village Fire Hazard Sale: Everyone and Everything Must Go!]
Ready for the market: the site of the Great Tuscan Wedding Fantasy Crash of ’08! Listing agent Bill Burge says the sellers of the wedding venue in Garden Oaks once known as the Tuscany Gardens and Villa will be asking $4.5 million.
The Tuscany of Garden Oaks, at 835 W. 34th St., was built from the ashes of the famed Bill Mraz Ballroom, by Titus Inc. — operators of that other wedding stage set on Chimney Rock, Bella Terrazza. Titus of course is better known as the company that stranded all those brides and grooms without the $2 million in deposits they had paid for their weddings before Hurricane Ike hit. (Though maybe the company isn’t quite so well known: HCAD lists the property’s owner as “Tutus Inc.”)
We all know the ending: Rachael Ray swooped in and gave that big de-Tuscanized group wedding in the middle of the baseball field at Minute Maid Park — and 33 couples got to get married on teevee for free! Happily ever after, right? Well, almost.
This home on Sue Barnett went on the market in early February for $410,000, but it’s only been downhill since. It’s been listed since July at $375K.
The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and claims 1,872 sq. ft. The lot, however, is more than 17,000 sq. ft. How many prospective buyers in Garden Oaks will be looking long or hard at the home’s 1950 Ranch pedigree — or the singular collection of dolls and figurines inside?
More pics of the Sue Barnett Doll Ranch, after the jump!
This week’s puzzle prompted some terrific efforts again from our photo-detective readers. With four votes each, Timbergrove and Oak Forest were the most popular guesses. Next came Garden Oaks (with 3 votes), followed by Tanglewood, Meyerland, Willow Meadows, Willowbend, Knollwood Village, and Shepherd Forest, with 2 votes each. Other guesses were Bellaire, Norhill, Timberside, “Mandell/Montrose on Banks or Milford,” Highland Village, Mangum Manor, Lazybrook, Sharpstown, Stella Link/Med Center area, Woodside, Woodshire, Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Afton Oaks, Piney Point, Hedwig Village, Bunker Hill Village, and Briargrove.
This week’s winner is Starkeshia, a guessing-game regular who was the first to name . . . Oak Forest!
The house looks like nearly a total redo, but there also appear to be some original features left such as the front windows, and the front door, hardwoods everywhere, sliding closet doors…I’d say this is a mid century home. Looks too small to be in Meyerland or Bellaire, however.
Our honorable mention goes to margo, for identifying an entertaining but perhaps not especially useful clue: there appear to be burglar bars on the bathroom windows!
Karen also had some comments that helped build the Oak Forest-area consensus:
I see aluminum windows and molding that say early 50s. Small kitchen w/o breakfast area says small house. Ceilings are too low for a bungalow. Wood floors are all new, so could be an Alison redo, but the kitchen base cabinets look original to me, so odds are there was no flood here, just a nice updating job.
Stay with us for the scoop!
What will you find in Oak Forest? Big lots with variously updated 1950s-era ranch homes, tall oaks and pines . . . and granite countertops! Below are five homes in the neighborhood open this weekend:
Location: 1411 Candlelight Ln.
Details: 4 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths; 1,700 sq. ft.
Price: $237,000
The Scoop: 1955 ranch with kiddie playground, back patio, and carport. Bunk bed in 4th bedroom is available! New tile, granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, fresh mulch, and much more. Listed just a week and a half ago.
Open House: Sunday, noon-4 pm
There’s more in our tour . . .
A home from the 1930s comes down from the Heights. Plus: an Intercontinental casualty. See our daily address list of destruction—after the jump.
As autumn creeps in, Neighborhood Protection rolls up to demo a rundown home near U of H. Addresses for the protected property and eight other demo-bound houses are in our daily list.
A whole lotta demo going on: A county outpost downtown, more industrial buildings along Studemont, plenty of houses, and more. Our daily list of addresses begins after the jump.
More industrial buildings along Studemont come down. See the addresses where the carnage continues—after the jump.
A lovely and diverse group of demolitions in today’s edition. See them after the jump.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Med Center goes down, Green Hill Dr. gets flattened, and more in today’s demolition report, below.