Tag: 77098

Montrose, Quicklink, Winlow Place

10 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHERE MONTROSE BEGINS AND ENDS “. . . 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 donâ€™t need neighborhood signs or old, original designations to muddy the waters. Believe me, if it seems ‘Montrosian’, then youâ€™re in the â€™trose (start with at least a smattering of 1930â€™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 ‘Iâ€™m in the ____ part of the Montrose’, fine. Besides, Montrose always finds YOU, if youâ€™re around it.” [devans, commenting on Comment of the Day: Name My Neighborhood]

77006, 77019, 77098, Comments, Montrose, Winlow Place

Comments

05/06/09 2:11pm

Comment of the Day: Name My Neighborhood

Lancaster Place, Quicklink

22 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: NAME MY NEIGHBORHOOD “. . . my husband and I call our neighborhood ‘no manâ€™s land.’ It isnâ€™t Museum, it isnâ€™t Montrose, it isnâ€™t upper Kirby, it isnâ€™t Southhampton, it isnâ€™t River Oaks. What is it: Between Shepherd, W. Alabama, Dunlavy and Richmond. We are orphans.” [miss_msry, commenting on Regent Square Cemetery Condo Tower: 28 Stories, 2 Faces]

77098, Comments, Lancaster Place

Homes for Sale

04/30/09 11:55pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game Over: Kids These Days

Interiors, Lancaster Place, Neighborhood Guessing Game

9 Comments

All those Inside-the-Loop guesses meant some of you weren’t too far off the mark in this week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game.

The most popular guess was West University, made by 4 of you. The Heights, Winlow Place, and Woodland Heights each attracted 3 guesses. There were 2 guesses each for Rice Military and Highland Village. The rest? Southampton, Southgate, “the area behind the River Oaks shopping mall on West Gray, bordered by Shepherd to the west, Westheimer to the south and Montrose to the east,” “the Hyde Park area behind River Oaks Center,” “the Post Oak/Woodway corridor,” Nantucket, West Lane Place, Montrose, “High End Montrosian,” Mandell Place, “near the Village,” “that vague area between Kirby and Shepherd that is neither River Oaks nor Montrose,” “Audubon Place – around there or east of Montrose at least,” the east side of Montrose, Lynn Park, Weslayan Plaza, “between W. Alabama and 59, somewhere between Shepherd and midtown,” “Kingwood-ish,” “southeast of the Medical Center, off Parkwood,” Midtown around Brazos and Main, “Southmore/Wheeler/288ish,” the Museum District, The Woodlands, Westmoreland, Riverside, Southmore, “on the way to that old cemetery . . . I drive down to get to Lockwood via Leeland . . . near Wayside” (?), St. George Place, “around the Museum District – but east of Montrose,” “along the Gulf Freeway on the east side,” Midtown, and East Houston.

Who was the winner? LT, who humbly asked if “between W. Alabama and 59, somewhere between Shepherd and midtown” was too broad a guess. Not if it’s the only one that’s correct! LT went on to marvel:

I just canâ€™t [get] over how CLEAN the place is – I donâ€™t know anyone with kids who has as little clutter as these people.

Congratulations, LT!

Two players deserve honorable mentions for smart catches. JT, for going that extra step to guess that the house is a “red brick Georgian”; and Starkeshia, for deducing that this was “a new house meant to look old.”

Meant, in fact, to look like this:

77098, Homes for Sale, Interiors, Lancaster Place, Neighborhood Guessing Game

Bankruptcies

04/28/09 10:32am

Tracking the Disappearance of Antique Properties

Crime, Fraud, Furniture, Galleria, Redevelopment, Retail, Upper Kirby

8 Comments

Jerry and Wynonne Hart are scheduled to be sentenced today for “misapplication of fiduciary property” in the operation of their auction business at the Hart Galleries. In return for the couple’s guilty plea, prosecutors dropped charges of theft and money laundering.

11 News reporter Dave Fehling spoke to several former Hart Galleries customers:

The auction house thrived for years. The Harts enjoyed a sterling reputation among the rich and not so rich who all trusted the Harts to sell their valuables. But around 2003, something strange began happening . . .

. . . the Harts auctioned furniture and antiques for John Zielinski and his wife.

They were expecting to get $20,000.

â€œAnd I said, â€˜whereâ€™s our money?â€™ And they said, â€˜weâ€™re having difficulty collecting some of the checks,â€™â€ said Zielinski.

The next thing Hartsâ€™ customers learned was that the couple was bankrupt.

77057, 77063, 77098, Antiques, Bankruptcies, Crime, Fraud, Furniture, Galleria, Redevelopment, Retail, Upper Kirby

04/20/09 1:14pm

Comment of the Day: Wilshire Village Payment Due

Comments, Commercial Real Estate, Demolitions, Financing, Lancaster Place, Quicklink, Redevelopment

10 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: WILSHIRE VILLAGE PAYMENT DUE “I forgot to mention that with regard to the loan Dilick took out to pay for taxes on the property four years ago, sources have reported that the bank set a deadline of early April 2009 for him to take steps toward paying back that loan. In demolishing the apartments and selling the land, Dilick would be able to pay back the loan and make a profit as well. . . . As to the comment, ‘This is private property. The owner should be able to do with it as he sees fit,’ the problem is that Jay Cohen, who inherited the property from his parents, still holds 80 percent ownership. Sadly, he was duped or forced by circumstance into signing over managing control to Dilick. . . .” [dredger, commenting on Comment of the Day: Grand Unified Wilshire Village Conspiracy Theory]

77098, Apartments, Comments, Commercial Real Estate, Demolitions, Financing, Lancaster Place, Redevelopment, Wilshire Village

04/17/09 11:51pm

Comment of the Day: Grand Unified Wilshire Village Conspiracy Theory

Comments, Demolitions, Historic Preservation, Lancaster Place, Quicklink, Redevelopment

20 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: GRAND UNIFIED WILSHIRE VILLAGE CONSPIRACY THEORY An “anonymous news reporter/non-resident” explains all the wacky goings-on at Wilshire Village — complete with a detailed timeline. Here’s an excerpt, but if you love real-estate soap operas, settle in with a snack and read the whole finger-pointing thing: “. . . The original owner, Jay H. Cohen, inherited the apartments and property from his parents, who had the apartments built in 1940. In November 2005, Matthew Dilick partnered with Cohen under a partnership called Alabama & Dunlavy, Ltd., taking out a loan to pay for taxes. Through this partnership, Dilick was able to obtain general partnership status to make management decisions, and his widely published plan all along has been to demolish the buildings and sell the land. Before the apartments could be demolished, they would have to be vacated. But the original owner Jay H. Cohen maintained majority ownership and wished to keep the buildings standing. Toward that goal, Cohen obtained two repair permits in January and February 2009 and set electricians to consistently making electrical repairs over the course of the next couple of months. . . . Questions: If the buildings were demolished and new condos were built, would the City of Houston stand to profit by the increased value of the land and therefore increased taxes? Was the City of Houston working in coordination with Alabama & Dunlavy, Ltd to cause the buildings to be vacated? Why were Cohenâ€™s repair efforts disregarded by Alabama & Dunlavy, Ltd. and the City of Houston? Has everything been legit? . . .” [dredger, commenting on Wilshire Village Is Ready for Its Closeup]

77098, Apartments, Comments, Demolitions, Historic Preservation, Lancaster Place, Redevelopment, Wilshire Village

04/17/09 11:12am

Wilshire Village Is Ready for Its Closeup

Construction Materials, Demolitions, Historic Preservation, Lancaster Place, Redevelopment

19 Comments

Note: Story updated below.

Over at Wilshire Village, all appears on track for one of those classic salvage-free start-over-the-weekend demos — the kind this town is famous for! A pre-demo sewer-disconnect permit for the apartments was pulled yesterday. And a Swamplot reader has sent in a photo report:

I saw that one of your commenters had noticed the Komatsu in the parking lot of Wilshire Village. It’s from Ambush Demolition, so that’s not a particularly good sign. There are numbers spray-painted on the sides of at least some of the buildings there and orange cable (and gas line?) markings on the sidewalks . . .

Will Wilshire Village’s actual demo permit be purchased sometime today? You’ll get a definitive answer . . . in next Monday’s Daily Demolition Report, right here on Swamplot!

Now, about that closeup:

77098, Apartments, Construction Materials, Demolitions, Historic Preservation, Lancaster Place, Redevelopment, Wilshire Village

04/16/09 4:38pm

Okay, How About the Wilshire Village Apartments for Salvage?

Construction Materials, Demolitions, Lancaster Place, Redevelopment

6 Comments

The nonprofit Historic Houston Salvage Warehouse sure would like some of them nice materials that went into the Wilshire Village Apartments. But no dice:

“All efforts to contact owner have been a dead end,” founder Lynn Edmundson writes:

If anyone knows or can get in contact with the ownersâ€¦my crew could start immediately!!!

Hey, that would be great — because there’s apparently a Komatsu excavator hanging out in the parking lot on Dunlavy, looking for some action.

More from Edmundson:

77098, Apartments, Construction Materials, Demolitions, Lancaster Place, Redevelopment, Wilshire Village

04/16/09 11:11am

Wilshire Village Speculation: Demolish, then Flip?

Demolitions, Historic Preservation, Lancaster Place, Land Sales, Neighborhood Disputes, Real Estate Investing, Redevelopment

18 Comments

The reader who provided this “tip” wouldn’t or couldn’t tell us where the information came from, so there’s no particular reason to take it seriously. But it raises a few interesting questions about the future of the 8-acre property at W. Alabama and Dunlavy that’s apparently soon to be the former site of the Wilshire Village apartments.

. . . So here it is:

The buzz in the air over the demolition of Wilshire Village is Mr. Dilick plans to try to sell the property soon after the demolition, word is he hasn’t the funding to develop this tract.

Wilshire Village coverage [Swamplot]

Photo: Swamplot inbox

77098, Apartments, Demolitions, Financing, Flipping, Historic Preservation, Lancaster Place, Land Sales, Neighborhood Disputes, Real Estate Investing, Redevelopment, Wilshire Village

04/13/09 10:46am

Owner Shocked, Shocked To Find Wilshire Village Apartments in Such Disrepair

Bankruptcies, Demolitions, Lancaster Place, Neighborhood Disputes, Redevelopment

20 Comments

The Wilshire Village Apartments at Alabama and Dunlavy have been surrounded with a chain link fence topped with barbed wire since Friday, reports a Swamplot reader. And over at the Chronicle, Nancy Sarnoff confirms that the now-vacant complex is “set to be demolished.”

Swamplot readers may especially enjoy parsing this passage:

In 2005, the owner announced plans to tear it down and possibly build an upscale tower in its place.

Matt Dilick, a commercial real estate developer who controls the partnership that owns Wilshire Village, said the demolition process will start â€œrelatively soon.â€

â€œThe buildings are unsafe, and for numerous years prior groups have not kept the buildings maintained or the property up to city code,â€ he said. â€œThe dilapidated buildings are an eyesore to the public and to the numerous homeowners and businesses in the area.â€

Helpful hint: the “owner” who announced plans to tear down the complex way back in 2005 was . . . Matt Dilick.

Extra credit: Unwrap the sequence of events Sarnoff gently suggests in this passage:

77098, Apartments, Bankruptcies, Demolitions, Evictions, Lancaster Place, Neighborhood Disputes, Redevelopment, Wilshire Village

Montlew Place

04/10/09 1:26pm

Reproduction Anxiety: Tara Shaw and Maison

4 Comments

With her just-introduced line of home furnishings called Maison, New Orleans-to-Houston commuter Tara Shaw has apparently found relief from that bane of all highly successful antiques dealers: the little problem of supply.

Tara Shaw Antiques fanatic Joni Webb ended up seeing a cardiologist after a heart-racing episode at Shaw’s first Houston to-the-trade sale a few years ago — after she thought she might lose out on a set of antique chairs. So she’s uniquely qualified to explain:

Recently thereâ€™s been some rumblings that Tara was off on a new adventure, manufacturing her own line of furniture, inspired by original pieces she owns in her private collection. . . . The debut was worth the wait. The new MAISON pieces are gorgeous, their authenticity is unrivaled by anything available on the market today. Besides wonderful tables, chairs, and bookcases, there is a great array of smalls â€“ candlesticks and mirrors, crowns and jardineres. One could certainly furnish a house with the MAISON line, thatâ€™s how extensive it is. The craftsmanship is superb, each piece was created under Shawâ€™s knowledgeable and watchful eyes.

A bit more hyperventilating after the jump:

77098, Antiques, Furniture, Home Decor, Interior-Design, Montlew Place

03/23/09 8:18am

City Building Official to Wilshire Village: Everybody Out, Really

Hazards, Lancaster Place, Neighborhood Disputes, Utilities

2 Comments

These bright letters, dated this past Friday, are now posted throughout the Wilshire Village Apartments. They’re a friendly notice from the city Building Official, informing the remaining residents of the 17-building maintenance-deprived apartment complex at Alabama and Dunlavy that their residences “pose a serious and immediate hazard to the occupants” — and yanking all Certificates of Occupancy.

Oh . . . but all is not lost! The owner can appeal:

The Owner of the Property is entitled to request a hearing by delivering a written request to the Building Official at 3300 Main, Houston Texas 77002. The Building Official or his designee shall hold a hearing within three business days after receiving such request, unless the owner requests an extension of time.

Given the apparent owner’s evident interest in scrapping the place, that’s not likely. Any objections from anybody else?

77098, Apartments, Evictions, Hazards, Lancaster Place, Neighborhood Disputes, Public Safety, Utilities, Wilshire Village

03/19/09 12:39pm

West Ave School of Loud but Muffled Knocks

Mixed Use, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Retail, Upper Kirby

22 Comments

The River Oaks Examiner‘s Cynthia Lescalleet says her recent tour of West Ave at the corner of Kirby and Westheimer “felt a bit like a campus visit for a really, really, ritzy college.” But wait, there’s more:

Rising seven-stories, West Ave. is hard to miss. The project by Gables Urban is massive and ambitious, and thatâ€™s only the first phase. The two-acre lot behind it, now used as a construction staging area, will be Phase II. Some day. It may spend the interim as overflow parking.

Further details about that Upper Kirby campus:

77098, Apartments, Mixed Use, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Retail, Upper Kirby, West Ave

Openings and Closings

03/17/09 12:16pm

Hue Gone Away

Restaurants, Retail, Shopping Centers, Strip Centers, Upper Kirby

16 Comments

A couple of readers have written in to let us know that Hue Vietnamese Restaurant — otherwise known as the first but hopeful occupant of the revamped but still extremely lonely strip center at the southwest corner of Richmond and Kirby — has closed. One writes:

I have a feeling it was a casualty of a low occupancy building with additional damage inflicted by continual Kirby Ave roadwork. It’s a shame, the food and drink were mighty tasty and the building itself has some nifty lighting. Better looking than most new builds.