Tag: Renovations

Homes for Sale, Interiors, Renovations

18 Comments

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Whatever the renovation vision might have been appears to have been suspended for the Farnham Park property previously owned by fashion designer Tina Knowles, also known as Solange and BeyoncÃ©’s mom. Among the work interrupted: peeled back ceilings and notches in the colonnade encircling the vast main room, left empty but for a lingering set of plans near an abandoned work table.

Pastor and developer Kirbyjon Caldwell and his wife Suzette Caldwell bought the property from the Knowleses in 2012 for $2.9 million, when the ask was $3.4 million. In its listing earlier this month, the house appears to be half gutted and in a state of disarray.Â Its price tag starts a bit lower too, at $2.85 million.

Re-Don’t

77024, Beyonce Knowles, Farnham Park, Homes for Sale, Interiors, Renovations

02/11/15 12:30pm

The New Old Color They’ll Be Painting the Upper Sides of the Astrodome Soon

Public Buildings, Reliant Park, Renovations

7 Comments

Paint Samples, Astrodome, Houston

What’s next in Astrodome beauty treatments after the unused county stadium’s powerwashing late last year? How about a little color magic? As noted by the KHOU chopper sent out to record the incident earlier this week (which produced the image above), test paint patches recently appeared at the top of the vacant structure’s walls. In concert with the removal of the eighties-add-on stair towers and the latest grime-spray efforts, the painting of a dark bluish-black color on the upper sections of wall just below the roof would help return the stadium exterior to something closer to its original 1965 appearance.

Sprucing

77054, Astrodome, Public Buildings, Reliant Park, Renovations

Adaptive Reuse

02/05/15 12:45pm

Here’s Heights Mercantile, Carved Out of the Former Pappas Warehouse Facility at Yale and 7th St.

Development Regulations, Historic Districts, Houston Heights, Mixed Use, Proposed Developments, Renovations, Retail

97 Comments

Proposed Heights Mercantile Retail and Office Complex, 7th St. at Yale St., Houston Heights

Proposed Heights Mercantile Retail and Office Complex, 7th St. at Yale St., Houston Heights Residents near the section of 7th St. between Yale St. and Heights Blvd. have been discussing plans to turn the group of warehouse buildings long held by Pappas Restaurants into a 4-building “creative neighborhood and shopping destination”Â called Heights Mercantile. The Finial Group, which bought the properties from Pappas and a few other landowners last year, hired Austin architect Michael Hsu to come up with plans for renovating 3 of the buildings lining 7th St., tearing down the long warehouse lining Yale St. and replacing it with the new 2-story structure pictured above. The new project is a joint venture between Finial and a local investment firm called Radom Capital.

A notable feature of the 1.4-acre site plan is 3 stretches of head-in parking along 7th St. The plan shows 36 spaces on the north side of the street, facing the row of wooden bollards lining the hike-and-bike trailÂ converted from the path of the former MKT rail line and 2 banks of 11 spaces in a row on the opposite side. Although head-in parking configurations dominate in some portions of the city (Rice Village, for example), new stretches of more than 4 spaces in a row have been prohibited by city regulations for decades.

The Pappas warehouses have head-in parking along 7th St. The developer not only wants to preserve and adjust that arrangement for the new development, but is asking the city to count these on-street spaces toward the required number of off-street spaces.Â The planning commission is scheduled to rule on the associated parking variance application this afternoon.

Here’s a site plan:

Retail Revamp

77007, Adaptive Reuse, Historic Districts, Historic Preservation, Houston Heights, Mixed-Use, Parking, Planning Commission, Proposed Developments, Renovations, Shopping Centers, Variances

01/27/15 11:45am

Wendy’s Kirby Dr. Drive-Thru Memorializes the Corner Oak Trees Its Owners Chopped Down Illegally with New Commemorative Plaque

Renovations, Restaurants, Streetscapes, Trees, Upper Kirby

27 Comments

Plaque on Wendy's Drive-Thru, 5003 Kirby Dr. at North Blvd., Upper Kirby, Houston

Oak Tree Stumps, North Blvd. at Kirby Dr., Upper Kirby, Houston

Jaws have been dropping along North Blvd. at the intersection of Kirby Dr. at the sight of a prominently placed inscription that now greets drive-thru customers of the Wendy’s at 5003 Kirby Dr. Is this just one of those obliviously coincidental following-corporate-guidelines things, or is the management of this Wendy’s going out of its way to draw attention to the under-cover-of-night street-tree massacre it orchestrated late last year to clear away 6 oaks on the corner and that cost the franchise owners a well-publicizedÂ $300,000 settlement from the city’s legal department? Or is the assembly of words attached directly to the brick wall, which honors “SERVICE THAT DOESN’T CUT CORNERS,” meant to apologize for the hired landscaping crew’s actions — which y’know, reallyÂ did cut a corner — and emphasize that the hardworking burger-makers inside are trying to do something . . .Â different?

In full, the signage reads, “QUALITY SERVICE THAT DOESN’T CUT CORNERS IS OUR RECIPE,” though the part about corner-cutting service in the middle is clearly meant as an add-on to the fast-food chain’s more famous “Quality is our recipe” tagline. For those of you who haven’t been following the saga closely enough to appreciate the . . . humor? chutzpah? contrition? obliviousness? involved here, Â here’s the backstory:

Corner Cutting

77098, Fast Food, Renovations, Restaurants, Streetscapes, Trees

Attractions

01/23/15 1:00pm

End Zone Seats at Rice Stadium To Be Replaced with New Student Weightlifting Observation Attraction

Institutional Buildings, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Rice University, Uncategorized

24 Comments

Proposed Brian Patterson Sports Performance Clinic, Rice Stadium, Rice University

It’s been notoriously difficult to fill Rice Stadium — ever since those darn Houston Oilers came to town. Even President Kennedy couldn’t do it when he came by in 1962 to introduce a little mission to the moon he had cooked up. About 8 years ago, giant logo-bearing tarps were planted over the seating areas in both end zones, reducing the capacity (though not permanently) from 70,000 to 47,000.

But the latest planned changes appear to be following a 2-fold strategy to help fill the place: First, Rice University’s new $31.5 million Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center will knock out the stadium’s entire northern end zone — including more than 11,000 seats. Even better, the mostly brick building will have a giant glass wall on the side facing the playing field, which will offer spectators tired of watching the game shaded views into 2 levels of weight rooms. If they can get the scheduling right, with gridiron and pumping-iron action running simultaneously, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy 2 attractions at once. Likewise, flexing athletes will have a pretty good view of the field — and fans, if they’re out there — while they’re working their muscles.

Watch Them Pump and Watch

77005, Attractions, Institutional Buildings, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Renovations, Rice-University, Stadiums

01/22/15 2:15pm

A North Main St. Shopping Center’s Change of Clothes

Norhill, Renovations, Shopping Centers

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Visiting the former Mark’s Plaza shopping center at 4721 N. Main St. near the end of Airline Dr., reader Christopher Andrews notes that the new facade going up (top) appears to be headed in a slightly different direction than what was portrayed in the rendering (below) floated by Braun Enterprises after the serial shopping-center fixer-upper company bought the Norhill property and renamed it TheÂ Heights Place.

The Heights Place

77009, Norhill, Renovations, Shopping Centers

01/20/15 12:30pm

Former Heights Blvd. Home of Waldo’s and Boulevard Coffee About To Reach Equilibrium

Houston Heights, Openings and Closings, Restaurants

6 Comments

The latest in a stream of coffee shops to grace the bungalow at 1030 Heights Blvd. will open next month, the owner of the new establishment reports. Equilibrium Social House will serve coffee, teas, and baked goods in a building that’s been repaintedÂ (see above) since the departure of Boulevard Coffee. Inside, there’s a new counter and serving area and new furniture. New sliding doors will allow some interior spaces to be closed off for private meetings. The EQ patio will be open to both humans and dogs.

Coming Soon [EQ Heights]
Previously on Swamplot: Boulevard Coffee Is Giving Up on Heights Blvd. After Just 7 Months

Photo: Equilibrium Social House

Three for Coffee

77008, Cafes, Houston Heights, Openings and Closings, Renovations

East End

01/15/15 5:15pm

A Simms Woods Contemporary Mods Up For a $450K Flip

Home Design, Homes for Sale, Interiors, Renovations, Simms Woods

12 Comments

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Spiffed up more than considerably since its purchase for $93K in September 2014, a double-decker Simms Woods spread maxes out the midcenturyisms. Do the updates — to just about every surface and system — merit the $450K asking price in its listing over the weekend? The 1955 property, in a neighborhood west of Idylwood, is one lot off the intersection of Jefferson and Hackney streets. That puts it catty-corner to the site of a plannedÂ 173-home subdivisionÂ onÂ a cleared, former 11.93-acre warehouse property adjacent to the HB&T rail line.

Short Ribs

77023, Flipping, Home Decor, Home Design, Home Staging, Homes for Sale, Interiors, Mid-Century Homes, Renovations, Simms Woods

Downtown

01/09/15 5:15pm

A Skylit Tour of the Alley Theatre Redo, Now in Progress

Renovations, Theater District

2 Comments

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Above the renovations that have been opening up the bunker-likeÂ Alley TheatreÂ all the way from its sub-basement to (new) fly loft, the revamped skylight — distinctive triangles kinda forming a series of “A’s,” for Alley — now appear in high relief (top). A hard hat tour for the media Thursday showed off portions of the $46.5 million project, which was designed by Studio RED Architects.

Construction kicked off in July 2014 and plans to wrap up for an October 2015 debut. Here’s a peek at what’s been going onÂ behind the behind-the-scenes:

The Inside Story

77002, Alley Theatre, Renovations, Theater District, Theaters

01/05/15 12:15pm

Pin the Pitched Roof on the Meadowcreek Village Mod

Quicklink, Renovations, Theater District

Gardening, Homes for Sale, Meadowcreek, Modern Design, Renovations

32 Comments

2042 Forest Oaks Dr., Meadowcreek Village, Houston

Juxtaposed “before” and “after” pics (recreated above) of the 1963 used-to-be-Mod house at 2042 Forest Oaks Dr. in Meadowcreek Village have garnered a mere 1002 comments (so far) on a Facebook Mid Century Modern fan page. Many of the comments decry the roofing and landscaping changes made to the home, explaining that the renovator doesn’t appear to “get” the style of the original. Others wonder whether some sort of Photoshop trickery might be involved. But a few commenters note that the home, whose Houston Mod open house was featured on Swamplot in 2012, was a foreclosure, that many of its modern features had been altered before its most recent sale, or that the 4-bedroom, 3-bath, 2,650-sq.-ft. home appears to be much more livable in its current state.

Unfortunately, the earlier listing included only a few additional photos, making direct before-and-after comparisons of the extensive changes made to the home’s interior — including the addition of laminate floors and granite countertops — difficult. The home was listed for sale in mid-December for $210,861. Pre-renovation, it sold in March of 2013 for $78,000.

2042 Forest Oaks Dr. [HAR; previous listing]
Lamenting a former Mod in Houston, TX [Mid Century Modern on Facebook]
Previously on Swamplot: A Meadowcreek Village Help-You-Sell

Remuddling

77017, Flipping, Gardening, Homes for Sale, Meadowcreek Village, Modern Design, Remodeling, Renovations

College Station

12/22/14 10:00am

Oh My God! They Killed Kyle!

by John Nova Lomax

Demolitions, Quicklink, Renovations, Stadiums

10 Comments

OH MY GOD! THEY KILLED KYLE! Here’s a view from the front row yesterday morning as the west side of Kyle Field comes a’-tumbling down, to the cheers, hullabaloo, and whoops of a crowd police estimated at 7,000. The Aggies are eager for the final phase of the school’s ongoing stadium renovation project to come to completion.Â After hauling off the 75,000 tons of debris, and rebuilding, the Aggies plan to have Kyle Field reopened —Â with a capacity of 102,51, the largest stadium in TexasÂ — by September 12, when Ball State University’s gridiron warriors invade College Station in new Kyle Field’s debut. [Bryan-College Station Eagle; previously on Swamplot]Â Video: Ton Wagner

77840, Demolitions, Renovations, Stadiums, Texas A&M

Downtown

12/18/14 10:45am

Ben Koush: Adding a 4-Story ‘Gas Tank’ to the Alley’s Roof Not My Idea of Preservation

by John Nova Lomax

25 Comments

BEN KOUSH: ADDING A 4-STORY ‘GAS TANK’ TO THE ALLEY’S ROOF NOT MY IDEA OF PRESERVATION 10-alley-theater-houston-archpaper Citing it as epitomizing Houston’s ineptitude in historic preservation, architect and former Houston Mod president Ben Koush soundly lambasted a May rendering of the Alley Theatre’s ongoing renovation by Studio Red, of Summit-into-Lakewood transformation fame. Koush saves most of his bile for the planned gridded fly-loft rising 4-stories above the theater’s roofline. “The original building evoked a castle,” Koush writes. “In the drawing, the new fly loft looks looks like a gas tank or grain storage bin dropped atop that castle. One can only wonder why Studio Red’s insistent design was not more restrained.â€ Studio Red has since pulled the rendering from its website, calling it “a terrible fisheye view of the fly loft that completely distorts what it will look like.” Distorted or not, the fly loft’s metallic appearance will contrast with Ulrich Franzen’s Brutalist concrete design, and Koush contends that such an essential alteration of the Alley is not the sort of project that groups likeÂ Houston Mod and the Texas Society of Architects should be lauding. [Gray Matters; previously on Swamplot] Photo: The Architect’s Newspaper.

77002, Houston Architects, Renovations, Theater District, Theaters

Commercial Real Estate

12/05/14 3:00pm

Strip Center Alteration Planned for Houston Alternator Shop at N. Shepherd and 19th St.

Houston Heights, Redevelopment, Renovations, Retail

7 Comments

Proposed Strip Center, 1835 N. Shepherd Dr., Houston Heights

Houston Alternator’s West Heights location is getting a tuneup. Owners of the 6,000-sq.-ft. auto center, located on the busy N. Shepherd–W. 19th St. intersection’s southwest corner, are remodeling the 1960 vintage building for restaurant and retail use. But remixing N. Shepherd’s former auto care zone of used car dealerships and repair shops won’t stop there.

Auto Center to Retail Centers

77008, Commercial Properties, Houston Heights, Renovations, Retail

Home Design

11/26/14 2:30pm

Wainscot World: Channeling the Paneling Within an Almost New Older Home in Mandell Place Seeking $1.35M

Homes for Sale, Interiors, Mandell Place, Open Houses, Renovations

24 Comments

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More a reconstruction than a renovation, extensive work on a 1938 Mandell Place property is believed to have kept only the original slab, exterior walls and roofline. The rest has been reimagined by Fisher Homes, which looks to have reduced the number of interior walls but boosted the white trim package big time. Like a line of creamy frosting, wainscoting panels finish much of the home, which is located west of Mulberry St. and north of W. Alabama St. For the rebuilt results, the seller is now asking $1.35 million.Â The previously updated property last sold in 2011 for $485K.Â Do the modifications add up to the “90 percent new”Â touted in the listing, which went up earlier this month?