Tag: Demolition

Proposed Developments, Retail, Richwood Place

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1801 Richmond Ave. Demo, Richwood Place, Houston, 77098
1801 Richmond Ave., Richwood Place, Houston, 77098 From beneath yesterday’s sunset glare off the new Big Tex Storage midrise on Richmond Ave, a reader captured the splintery wreckage of long-empty Cierra Interiors at the corner with Woodhead St.Â Plans to stick a new Starbucks in its place were submitted back in early NovemberÂ by an entity connected toÂ experienced Starbucks constructor Vaquero Ventures, and the knockoutÂ of the building was officially sanctioned just before Christmas.Â Next door, the landÂ opened up by Vaquero’s teardown of the pair of 2-story brick 4-plexesÂ at 1823 and 1827 Richmond back in AugustÂ looks to be marked for another Inner Loop outpost of oil change chainÂ Take 5.

And one more door eastward, the former Ruthie’s Place on RichmondÂ looks to be headed for new use by strip-centerÂ gelato shopÂ Sweetcup, per some early-stage permits issued in November that note a bar-to-ice-cream-shop conversion. Sweetcup bought theÂ building at 1829 Richmond in September after the bar’s early 2016 shutdown (in the wake of the passing of long-time former owner Ruth Vardilos). Here’s a shot of the whole corner taken inÂ August, shortly after the apartment removal, showing Ruthie’s tucked next to Ely’s Beauty Salon on the far right:

Richwood Place Replacements

77098, Adaptive Reuse, Demolition, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Restaurants, Retail, Richwood Place

Fairview

12/29/16 4:30pm

Meteor Crashes to the Ground in East Montrose

Some fluffy pink batting stands outÂ amid the debris spotted this week at the corner of Genessee and Fairview streets, beingÂ swept clean of shower-centric nightclub and regular drag venue Meteor. The teardown makesÂ room for work to start on that 5-storyÂ parking garage (theÂ one that might be getting theÂ artful crust ofÂ bicycles). Construction on the Fairview District, a six-block project including the parking garage, some office space, and more restaurant and retail spots, is supposed to get rolling in January, according to developer Fred Sharifi (also behindÂ the Max’s Wine Dive visible peeking out from the left of the shot above, as well asÂ itsÂ re-bricked strip-centerÂ companions).

A reader driving by caught a few shots of an excavator and a big red dumpster on the scene, loitering close to the Fairview-facing side where the Midtown Aegean Auto shack was — both the auto shop and Meteor received their very ownÂ demo permits just in time for Christmas, and the club was reportedly well on its wayÂ toward obliterationÂ by Monday afternoon. A view from across Genesee shows that the club’s clumps of privacy bamboo were still standing as of Tuesday:

Fairview Farewells

Demolition, East Montrose, Fairview District, Fourth Ward, Montrose, Parking-Garages, Redevelopment

Aldine

12/19/16 3:15pm

The Gravesite Breakup Mystery Near Aldine Middle School

Historic Preservation, Quicklink

THE GRAVESITE BREAKUP MYSTERY NEAR ALDINE MIDDLE SCHOOL Aldine Cemetery, Aldine Meadows Rd., Aldine, 77032 Who, exactly, ordered the unannounced, interrupted, and apparentlyÂ haphazard plant and gravestone removal at the unmarked Aldine CemeteryÂ near Aldine Middle School last week? As of Friday, Mike Snyder writes, the local sheriffs Â were still trying to figure that out —Â as were some of the (living) family members of the buried, and unofficial Aldine historian Elizabeth Battle, who had been working to get the cemeteryÂ its ownÂ historical marker. Battle tells Snyder she’d been under the impression that “people . . . barreling in and destroying graves without contacting the descendants” wasn’t something that was likely to happen; University of Houston professor and periodic gravesite construction advisor Ken BrownÂ notes that any disturbance of the 30-ish headstones, even by the property’s owner, should have required a court order. [Houston Chronicle] Photo of semi-cleared Aldine Cemetery on Aldine Meadows Rd: State rep.Â Armando Walle

77032, Aldine, Cemeteries, Demolition, Harris County, Historic Preservation

Demolitions

09/02/16 10:15am

Former Salon and Baskin Robbins Spot on Memorial Dr. Shaved, Licked Clean for Makeover

Memorial Bend, Retail

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Demo of 12740 Memorial Dr., Memorial, Houston, 77024

An excavator was spotted bowing its head yesterday afternoon in the freshly cleared spot at 12740 Memorial Dr.,Â until recently populatedÂ by the likes ofÂ Baskin Robbins,Â Â Anne’s Salon, andÂ A-1 Cleaners. Per an associated leasing flier for the property, the newlyÂ blanked space looks to beÂ slated for drive-thru bank-dom, with a place next door for a retail friend. Â The landÂ sits immediately next to a Bank of Texas branch (visible over the fence on the left), itself across W. Bough Ln.Â from a freestanding Chase. Heading south down Memorial Dr., a Prosperity BankÂ keeps watch overÂ the next Memorial Bend bend with help from the strip-center BBVA Compass branch across the street.

Previously on Swamplot:Â Memorial Dr. Baskin Robbins Strip’s Planned Departure Could Make Bank, Retail, Parking Spaces

Photo: Swamplot inbox

Making Bank

77024, Demolition, Memorial, Memorial Bend, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Retail

Quicklink

08/30/16 3:00pm

Documenting Houston’s Townhousification, One Tweet at a Time

DOCUMENTING HOUSTON’S TOWNHOUSIFICATION, ONE TWEET AT A TIME @densifyingHOU While you’re waiting for Kuukibot’s polite butÂ insistent stream of air toxics tweetsÂ to come back,Â another Houston-obsessed account has just hit the Twittersphere — this one documenting the city’s infill development, as evidenced by dailyÂ before-and-after shots pulled from Google StreetviewÂ (like the 2-house-t0-7-townhome transition shown above,Â from near the intersection of Gibson and Snover streets in Brunner).Â Â The accountâ€™s Philadelphia-based author (who’s looking for submissions,Â by the way)Â points to the 1999 changes inÂ minimum lot size requirementsÂ as the catalyst for the subsequent waves ofÂ tightly-packedÂ townhouse do-overs in previously large-lot neighborhoods around town, as explained by Daniel HertzÂ earlier this summer: Hertz writes that Â the decision to allow lots as small as 1,400 sq.ft. within the Inner Loop (a decree later expanded city-wide in 2013)Â allowed the building of way more housing stock in the city’s core without a switch to multifamily-style buildings. “An important research project in the coming years ,” Hertz notes, “will be to see if Houstonâ€™s willingness to allow more housingâ€”and especially missing middle housingâ€”in the center of a growing metropolitan area can reduce the growth of housing prices and keep neighborhoods more diverse and affordable than they would otherwise be.” [City Observatory] Screenshot of Densifying Houston tweet: @densifyingHOU

Brunner, Demolition, Google Maps, Houston Heights, New Construction, Prevailing Lot Size, Tools, Townhomes

08/17/16 1:15pm

Memorial Dr. Baskin Robbins Strip’s Planned Departure Could Make Bank, Retail, Parking Spaces

Memorial, Memorial Bend

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12740 Memorial Dr., Memorial, Houston, 77024 A few readers have written in regardingÂ the fate of the Baskin Robbins and its retail strip neighbors atÂ 12740 Memorial Dr., just south of Town and Country Mall. The building which housed the now-closed scoop shop along with Katy defector Anne’s Salon on Memorial and the local branch of More Hands Maid Service appears slated for a full tear-down and do-over (along with freestanding A-1 Cleaners next door), if plans from Streetwise Retail Advisor’s leasing flier are still on the mark:

Memorial Bends

77024, Demolition, Memorial, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Retail

07/12/16 1:30pm

Asbestos-Laden Mod Code Enforcement Office Now Getting Swapped for Mixed Use Highrise on Main St.

Midtown

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The 1967 occupant of 3300 Main St., which previously housed theÂ city code enforcement office, is currently getting its asbestos removed in anticipation of its impending demolition, according to a reader involved in the work. The structure and its parking lot grounds were bought from the city in 2011 by the Midtown Redevelopment Authority, who started trying to sell it in 2014; PM RealtyÂ (the developers of the glass-petticoated apartment tower at 2929 Weslayan, who are also currentlyÂ working on the less-is-more-brandedÂ Ivy Lofts tiny condo complex in East Downtown) put the property under contract that year.

What’s going to take the code building’s place,Â between the new MATCH box theater collection and the Houston Community College buildings to the north on Main St.? The involved reader confirms thatÂ the rendering below shows the current design in placeÂ along theÂ light rail line; materials from AECOM (a partner in the project) say the highrise should hold 336 apartments and 14,390 sq.ft. of retail space:

Trading Up in Midtown

77002, Asbestos, Demolition, Highrises, Mid-Century Modern, Midtown, Proposed Developments

Comments

07/06/16 4:15pm

Comment of the Day: A Monument To Wholesome and Seedy Turnover in Rice Village

Quicklink

2 Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: A MONUMENT TO WHOLESOME AND SEEDY TURNOVER IN RICE VILLAGE “The Village Arcade sign was a nod to the Village Theatre marquee (which was promptly razed in January of the year after a Jim McConn-administration moratorium on demolition of historic structures expired). Â . . .Â There was, actually, some effort to save the Village Theatre and its block of shops (including World Toy and Gift), but it came to naught. It was a nice MacKie & Kamrath neighborhood theatre design, but by the time of its demise it was probably irretrievably tainted by its waning days as a porn house.” [marmer, commenting onÂ Hanover Montrose Move-In Day Nears; Rice Village Arcade Sign Comes Down] Photo of Village Arcade sign: Swamplot inbox

Comments, Demolition, Movie-Theaters, Signs

Downtown

06/23/16 2:45pm

Shots from a Doomed Allen Center Skybridge of a Companion Meeting Its Fate

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Allen Center Skybridge Remodeling, 500 Dallas St., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Currently underway: the partial disassembly of 1Â of the 2 skybridges connecting One and TwoÂ Allen Center at the corner of Dallas and Smith streets downtown. The bridge pictured above is expected to survive the planned 3-tower redevelopment — a permit to remodel it was issued on Monday with some other OKs on the work, which includes turning the rubble-filled space to the east into a Smith-St.-facing events lawn and concert space. Renderings previously released by Brookfield suggestÂ that the other skybridge, from which the above photo was taken,Â won’t be so lucky:

Last Days Downtown

77002, Allen Center, Bridges, Demolition, Downtown, Proposed Developments, Remodeling

Bars and Clubs

06/15/16 12:45pm

Kay’s Lounge Evicts Septuagenarian Companion on Bissonnet St.

Demolitions, Greenbriar

2332 Bissonnet St., Greenbriar, Houston, 77005

On Monday afternoon a reader caught part ofÂ the smash-and-drag action at 2332 Bissonnet St., right next to Kay’s Lounge. That’s part of the exterior staircase of the 2-story retail-residential structure lying curled upÂ in the foreground; a remaining memberÂ of the bar’s shrinking entourageÂ of smaller structures can be spotted peeking around the fence on the right. Â

Greenbriar Goodbye

77005, Bars, Demolition, Greenbriar, Rice-Village

Comments

06/07/16 4:15pm

Comment of the Day: The Proof Is In the Permitting

Quicklink

No Comments

COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE PROOF IS IN THE PERMITTING Bulldozer Illustration “You donâ€™t need to read a university study to know the Houston housing market is going through a downturn. You donâ€™t even have to look at HAR. To gauge the health of the Houston real estate market, you only have to look at the Daily Demolition Report: only 2 residential permits today; only 1 yesterday. Crisis!” [Angostura, commenting on Move-In Day Approaches for New Phillips 66 HQ; Montroseâ€™s Crowded Mexican Restaurant Scene] Illustration: Lulu

Comments, Daily Demolition Report, Demolition, Development Patterns, Housing

Downtown

06/07/16 2:45pm

Former Chronicle Building Tunnel Back Open During Demo Limbo

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Proposed Prairie Tunnel Map, per Theater Square lawsuit filings

The management at 717 Louisiana St. has sent out word to tenants that the tunnel segment beneath the vacatedÂ downtown Houston Chronicle buildingÂ is now open again,Â even though the newspaper’sÂ former headquarters at 801 Texas Ave.Â are still standing on top of it. Documents filed with the Harris County district clerk’s office show that Hines agreed to hold off on the demoÂ for a while,Â after Linbeck’s Theater Square groupÂ filed a lawsuitÂ to stop them.

Downtown Downtime

77002, Demolition, Downtown, Downtown Tunnel System, Proposed Developments

06/07/16 12:45pm

River Oaks Baptist Conversion of Unemployed Former Walgreen’s Site Now Underway

Highland Village

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Demolition of former Walgreen's at 3900 Westheimer Rd., Highland Village, Houston, 77027

TheÂ walls and roof of the former Walgreen’sÂ at 3900 Westheimer Rd. are now being teased apartÂ into the tangle above, following the issuanceÂ last week of a demolition permit for the 1975 structure. River Oaks Baptist School bought the property in April of last year, around the time Walgreen’s jumped eastward across the intersection of Westheimer and Weslayan/Willowick to inhabit the former Fresh Market space (where it now operates next to what turned out to be a Texas Emergency Care Center neighboring the River Oaks branch of Mattress Firm).

Here’s another angle on the teardown, with the 1963 Willowick Condominiums tower peeking over the scene in the background:

Born Again in Highland Village

77019, Demolition, Highland Village, River Oaks, Schools

05/25/16 10:45am

Prepping the Soil for Soccer by the Sawyer Yards Silos

Sawyer Heights

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Houston Toros Downtown facility, 2202 Summer St., Sawyer Heights, Houston, 77007

The new Houston Toros facility on Summer St. is getting polished up for next month’s softÂ kickoff, per reader Rony Canales’s latest panoramic update. The training spot and community center is across a railroad easement and some now-warehouse-free fields from theÂ rice silo complex being redevelopedÂ into the Silos at Sawyer YardsÂ artsy-retail space to the south.

The new soccerÂ centerÂ appears to incorporate at least the shells of few of the warehousesÂ previously occupying the site, though a few structures on theÂ blockÂ haveÂ ejected — including the house at the corner of Summer and Hemphill streets, where a playing field is now being smoothed into place (as shown above). Check out the aerial rendering of the entire site, facing toward the silos and theÂ Downtown skyline: