Swamplot Archives by Tag: 77019

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Comment of the Day: Apartment Model Showings

September 23, 2009 – 6:45 pm
   

“If ‘Nudist sundeck + 1 hired model –> 100% occupancy’ was the case, then the Core (on Washington Ave) and Bel Air (on Allen Parkway) and many others in the similiar ’scene’ and price range would be at 100% occupancy too. But they are not. BTW, the Bel Air pool is really really nice!” [irfan, commenting on Taking More Than Half Off at Those Apartments with the French Quarter Look]

6:45 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Apartments, Comments, Leasing, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: Washington Corridor, Quicklink, Real Estate Marketing
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No, You Can’t See Ken and Linda Lay’s Renaissance-y Highrise Condo

September 23, 2009 – 1:03 pm
   

The storied full-floor unit on the 33rd floor of the Huntingdon at 2121 Kirby is at long last on the market . . . for $12.8 Million: “The condo sale is being handled privately by Beau Herrold, Linda Lay’s son from her first marriage. Tours are by invitation only . . . When a Chronicle reporter expressed interest in seeing the condo, so as to best to describe the Italian renaissance decor and ‘villa-style living’ touted in a real estate flier, Herrold had only one comment. ‘I bet you would.’” [Houston Chronicle]

1:03 pm | 27 Comments | Read more about Condos for Sale, Highrises, Interiors, Neighborhoods: River Oaks, Quicklink, Real Estate Marketing
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

In and Around the New North Montrose Whole Foods

September 15, 2009 – 10:11 am

A few details on that new Whole Foods Market planned for the corner of West Dallas and Waugh, just south of the now AIG-sign-free America Tower: Finger Companies, the owners of the land, says the new store will be 40,000 sq. ft. — slightly smaller than reported when the company first announced the project more than a year ago. Also: The store will have “a variety of eco-conscious elements and tons of inviting space for neighbors to congregate.”

The Finger Companies says the Whole Foods will be built “in conjunction with the developer’s proposed new luxury apartment project.” That project, also announced in the spring of 2008, was slated for the eastern portion of the site, closer to Montrose Blvd.

Image: The Finger Companies

10:11 am | 28 Comments | Read more about Apartments, Commercial Real Estate, Land Development, Leasing, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: North Montrose, Proposed Developments, Retail
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Monday, September 14, 2009

West Dallas Royal Norwegian

September 14, 2009 – 10:33 am

What’s happening to this brick office building on West Dallas, just east of Dunlavy? The Houston Business Journal’s Jennifer Dawson reports it’s getting an energy-conscious renovation — overseen by Bailey Architects, designer of the original building in the early eighties.

The West Dallas building used to house local advertising firm Sachnowitz & Co. The vacant site of the former Aquarium Lounge is next door.

Early next year, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General will be moving in. The consulate general currently occupies offices in a tower on Allen Parkway.

Photo: Swamplot inbox

10:33 am | 3 Comments | Read more about Green Design and Development, Neighborhoods: North Montrose, Office Buildings, Renovations
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Comment of the Day: The Elusive Essence of River Oaks

August 11, 2009 – 5:18 pm
   

“What the hell is ‘A River Oaks style Tuscan beauty’? Can you just add a couple million to the sales price of a house by adding the words ‘River Oaks’ to the description? . . .” [Bernard, commenting on Swamplot Price Adjuster: Blue Bonnet Spread]

5:18 pm | Add a Comment | Read more about Comments, Home Design, Neighborhoods: River Oaks, Quicklink
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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Comment of the Day: Bookstop Full Stop

June 25, 2009 – 3:55 pm
   

“A few comments from a reliable source who actually knows a few things about River Oaks SC and Alabama Theater.
1. Barnes and Noble owns Bookstop. They are closing it to move to the new location at ROSC.

2. Weingarten has no intent of demolishing the Alabama Theater. They have been marketing the space for re-use. They intend to restore the facade when a new tenant signs on.

3. The new portion of ROSC was designed by Altoon + Porter (of the Fashion Show flying saucer mall in Vegas fame) out of Los Angeles. Weingarten did not want the usual EIFS crap that the Houston architects do.

4. Weingarten’s long term interest in ROSC is to achieve the highest and best use for this property. They want to bring a higher density to the center that they feel is appropriate for its location.

5. Before the crash last fall they were working on a plan to improve the walk-a-bility of the ROSC through landscaping and art. I believe the project is on hold right now. Its interesting how everyone is in favor of density (less driving and more walking) except when it affects something in your backyard. If you don’t like the scale of the building or the lack of protection of historic structures in the city, call the mayor and the planning department. Disclosure: I do not work for Weingarten and don’t always agree with their decisions, but thought that this info would be useful. Flame on everyone!” [mt, commenting on Coming Soon to the River Oaks Shopping Center]

3:55 pm | 20 Comments | Read more about Comments, Commercial Real Estate, Houston Architects, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: River Oaks, Quicklink, Retail
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All That Empty Retail on South Shepherd: A Drive-By Photo Tour

June 25, 2009 – 12:36 pm

Armed with a camera, two enterprising Swamplot readers set out to document the retail carnage along South Shepherd, between 59 and the Shepherd Curve:

The sheer number of businesses that have disappeared along Shepherd in 4 months has been stupefying. This is with a large, new, empty Weingarten development at one end …and the chronically empty Shepherd Plaza at the other. Hell, we have gone from 4 Starbucks to 3!!

That’s a 25 percent reduction in mocha lattes alone. How about in some of the other sectors?

Granted, there have been some new businesses, a Hallmark store, a dance studio, and something seems to have filled the lingerie place at Welch and Shepherd, but the vacancy rate now stands at 22%!!! We counted 172 retail “units” and found 37 of them to be empty. As recently as February, I remember only about a dozen vacancies.

What are the sights?

Continue Reading This Story >

12:36 pm | 24 Comments | Read more about Commercial Real Estate, Leasing, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: Shepherd Curve, Neighborhoods: Shepherd Square, Retail
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Coming Soon to the River Oaks Shopping Center

June 24, 2009 – 1:52 pm

Writing in the River Oaks Examiner, Cynthia Lescalleet has a few updates on the River Oaks Shopping Center. Here’s what Swamplot has pieced together:

  • That well-trafficked space across the atrium from The Gap on the south side of West Gray will soon have a new tenant. Yes, this is the spot previously occupied by clothing retailer Harold Powell (whose parent company, Harold’s Stores, declared bankruptcy in November). Before that, it was occupied by M. King Interiors (which skipped out in the night a few years earlier, according to reports), before that Mesa Restaurant (ditto), and apparently way before that a restaurant called XIT. A new 6,200-sq.-ft. Mutual of Omaha Bank will be moving into the space soon.
  • Meanwhile, across the street, Barnes & Noble will be opening in its brand hulking new building around October 1st.

What else?

Continue Reading This Story >

1:52 pm | 57 Comments | Read more about Commercial Real Estate, Leasing, Neighborhoods: River Oaks, Openings and Closings, Restaurants, Retail, Shopping Centers
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Friday, June 5, 2009

Restaurant Row

June 5, 2009 – 4:42 pm
   

Six-month-old, heavy-tweeting, “new world creole” Richmond Ave. restaurant Sauté announces it has closed . . . on Twitter: “I guess this weekend saw three inside-the-loop restaurants close: us, Rickshaw, and Cafe La Jadeite. Sigh.” [Twitter; more on the other restaurants at Eating Our Words]

4:42 pm | 4 Comments | Read more about Neighborhoods: Upper Kirby, Openings and Closings, Quicklink, Restaurants
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Where You Want It: Best Locations for a Houston Townhome

June 3, 2009 – 12:02 pm

A reader calls attention to the listing for 902 Rhode Place Unit C, heralding a brand-new 4-story multi-pack townhome with a singular location:

UNIQUE 4 STORY ROOF TOP TOWNHOUSE OVER LOOKING DOWNTOWN AND MEMORIAL PARK. 1 BLOCK FROM MEMORIAL PARK‘ALLEN PKWY AND TAFT.

The listing photos include the requisite Downtown skyscraper and Memorial Park jogger views shown above. So . . . what else is within eyeshot?

Continue Reading This Story >

12:02 pm | 12 Comments | Read more about Homes for Sale, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: North Montrose, Real Estate Marketing, Townhomes
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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

That West Gray Tilt-Up Is Up

June 2, 2009 – 5:08 pm

A reader sends in a photo of the Arch-Con tilt-up office building going up at 1335 West Gray just west of Waugh, across from The Tavern on Gray — and asks:

This has got to be the first ever tilt up building inside the loop, right?

The 21,000-sq.-ft. building was planned to house the Houston headquarters for general contractor Arch-Con on the third floor, next to the terrace. Scraped bungalows will make room for an adjacent surface parking lot. The architect’s website notes there will be “additional parking on the first floor.” Stream Realty has two 7,466-sq.-ft. floor plates listed for lease.

Renderings of the finished building, from Ziegler Cooper Architects:

Continue Reading This Story >

5:08 pm | 16 Comments | Read more about Leasing, Neighborhoods: Montrose, New Construction, Office Buildings
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Friday, May 15, 2009

Grave Discovery: The Secret Chicken Rituals Going on Next to Regent Square

May 15, 2009 – 4:52 pm

Okay, whichever of you folks has been doing that weird secret ceremony thing with the chicken and the bone and all down at the cemetery at West Dallas and Gross St.? Well, the gig is up! Swamplot is on to you! Or . . . at least a couple of camera-wielding readers are:

College Park Memorial Cemetery on W. Dallas (where Jack Yates among others is buried) is getting cleaned up and cleaned out, the better to walk the dog through. Interestingly enough, it may be getting used for other purposes as well. We have seen two dead chickens – having never seen any live ones there, and just yesterday, after discovering the second chicken, we also found a tableau of objects at the base of a hollow tree – a large, LARGE bone (about 15 in long), conch and scallop shell, nicely arranged, and a dead bird, stretched out to show his skeleton.

Hmmm . . . could this have anything to do with that 28-story Regent Square condo tower that’s slated to go up next door?

Parade of shocking, non-vegetarian-friendly photographic evidence follows:

Continue Reading This Story >

4:52 pm | 5 Comments | Read more about Condos, Critters, Neighborhoods: North Montrose, Proposed Developments
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Monday, May 11, 2009

Montrose: All the Little Neighborhoods

May 11, 2009 – 8:29 am

Reader rdan weighs in on Swamplot’s recent discussion about the boundaries of Montrose:

In order to address the confusion/questions over Montrose neighborhood designations, I dug up the attached map that was put together a few years ago by the Neartown Association, the umbrella organization for the roughly 20 neighborhoods and civic associations that constitute the area known as “The Montrose”. Some of the civic associations, such as Mandell Place, Winlow Place, and Cherryhurst, represent the original legal subdivisions that were established in the 20’s. Others, such as WAMM (Westheimer Alabama Montrose Mulberry Civic Association), were established more recently to help property owners re-establish deed restrictions that had lapsed over the years.

In doing a little research on HCAD, it appears to me that the areas represented by WAMM,
Audubon Place, a portion of Avondale (south of Westheimer?), and all or part of the UST campus covers what was the original Montrose subdivision.

Image: Neartown Association, via Swamplot inbox

8:29 am | 11 Comments | Read more about Neighborhoods: Audubon Place, Neighborhoods: Avondale, Neighborhoods: Cherryhurst, Neighborhoods: Mandell Place, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: Winlow Place
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Thursday, May 7, 2009

Comment of the Day: Where Montrose Begins and Ends

May 7, 2009 – 3:32 pm
   

“. . . the referenced area has been known as ‘Montrose’ since the 1960s, at least. There are numerous ‘pockets’ not in original Montrose that have historically been called part of the area for decades. Generally, east of Shepherd, west of the US 59 spur (and Brazos), N. of 59, and S. of W. Dallas connotes ‘the Montrose’ or the Montrose-area, even if it does not denote it. I, too, once tried to parse the issue, (Winlow), but eventually, one gets tired of people saying ‘Oh, yeah, you mean Montrose!’. I love Montrose, and I don’t need neighborhood signs or old, original designations to muddy the waters. Believe me, if it seems ‘Montrosian’, then you’re in the ’trose (start with at least a smattering of 1930’s bungalows). Nothing quite like it the southern U.S architecurally, ethnically, socially and socio-economically. Montrose is our big, sloppy, lovable integrated, tolerant heart. If you want to say ‘I’m in the ____ part of the Montrose’, fine. Besides, Montrose always finds YOU, if you’re around it.” [devans, commenting on Comment of the Day: Name My Neighborhood]

3:32 pm | 10 Comments | Read more about Comments, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: Winlow Place, Quicklink
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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Regent Square Loft, Soft Launch

May 6, 2009 – 2:57 pm

Okay, everybody out with your Regent Square renderings! HAIF’s lockmat digs up images of additional structures planned for the 15-acre North Montrose mixed-use complex, including two separate projects from the Venezuelan Miami architect Luis Pons.

What’ve we got here?

Pons’s “Regent Square Launch” looks more like a transit station than a boathouse. But who knows? Buffalo Bayou is just across Allen Parkway!

Many more pics:

Continue Reading This Story >

2:57 pm | 4 Comments | Read more about Lofts, Mixed Use, Neighborhoods: Montrose, Neighborhoods: North Montrose, Proposed Developments
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