November 7, 2008 – 10:23 am
Legacy Restaurants, the owners of Ninfa’s on Navigation, is starting up another chain using the Ninfa’s name. The first Ninfa’s Mexican Kitchen, “inspired by the original Ninfa’s but with an upscale twist,” will open on NASA Road 1 across from the Johnson Space Center early next year. “Adding to the confusion is the fact that all the other Ninfa’s Mexican restaurants are individually owned and are not related to Legacy Restaurants. Investor Neil Morgan, who also owns the rights to Antone’s restaurants, purchased Ninfa’s on Navigation in 2006, and he and [CEO Chris] Harter formed Legacy Restaurants to manage it as a wholly owned subsidiary.” [Houston Business Journal]
Read more about: 77058, Chain-Stores, Johnson Space Center, Restaurants
October 16, 2008 – 12:39 pm
One more reason to get excited about the possibility of another Depression: It could save the Jim West Mansion in Clear Lake!
Two years ago, a real-estate company controlled by former Houston Rocket Hakeem Olajuwon bought the mansion with plans to subdivide its 41 acres for sale to developers. At one point, the mansion seemed about to be razed. At another, it seemed likely to become the centerpiece of a luxury complex for retirees.
But as of yet, no deal has solidified. And that’s where [Clear Lake schoolteacher Linda] Sansing finds a strange upside to talk of a new Depression: With credit tight, it seems unlikely that a for-profit developer will swoop in.
Great! But . . . will that make raising money for preservationists to buy the property any easier?
Linda Sansing’s nonprofit group, Preserved in Time, aims to raise $100,000 in earnest money, so it can make an offer on the mansion and some of its grounds. She figures that, ultimately, the group will need $11 million to buy the mansion and some of its land. Some of that money could come from opening the mansion to the pubic for rentals and tours. Some could come from grants. But she knows she has a long way to go.
Video: Preserved in Time
Read more about: 77058, Buying and Selling, Clear Lake, Historic Preservation, Houston History
September 12, 2008 – 3:49 pm
That Sunday open house scheduled for this townhome at 18224 Lakeside Ln. in Bal Harbour Cove on Clear Lake? Probably not going to happen. Sadly, it may be that the only open houses taking place in the Houston area this weekend will be unscheduled ones.
If you find any impromptu open houses taking place in Hurricane Ike’s wake, how about adding them to this weekend’s Open House Tour? Send pix to the Swamplot tip line, or add your comments or directions below. Have any other Hurricane Ike photos, videos, or stories you’d like to share?
Read more about: 77058, Bal Harbour Cove, Flooding, Hazards, Homes for Sale, Hurricane Ike, Nassau Bay, Open Houses, Tours
September 11, 2008 – 2:20 pm
Apparently, some sort of storm is headed this way. If you live in the 77507, 77058, 77059, 77062, 77520, 77546, 77571, 77586, or 77598 zip codes, here’s a little advice: Surfing Swamplot for real-estate news is probably not the best use of your time right now. How about a little gettin’-out-of-town-ing instead? There’ll be plenty of time to gawk at photos of soggy homes right here — after we’ve been soaked and the power comes back on. On the other hand, all you shelter-in-place people: How’s the installation coming along on those foundation bolts and jacks? Got any tips for turning decorative shutters into something . . . useful? And who’s been buying up all the toilet paper? [Houston Chronicle]
Read more about: 77058, 77059, 77062, 77507, 77520, 77546, 77571, 77586, 77598, Evacuation, Flooding, Hurricane Ike, Weather
