A “massive” sheet of glass from a wall surrounding an outdoor recreational area of the 2727 Kirby condo tower fell from the 7th floor to the street and damaged a car sometime after June 21st of last year, according to a lawsuit filed against the developer by the building’s owners. No one was injured, but the incident sparked a round of investigations into the building and the discovery, according to the lawsuit, of additional construction problems: with the glass railings on the balconies of individual units, portions of the metal wall-panel system and the exterior tile cladding, the fire sprinkler system, and the building’s waterproofing, among other things. The lawsuit follows an earlier confidential settlement agreement for other claims against the developer that was worked out last year. Oh, and for those of you keeping score at home, a spokesperson for the building owner says 38 of the building’s 77 units have been sold so far.
- Lawsuit alleges condo defects [Houston Chronicle]
- Tower of troubles at 2727 Kirby [Prime Property]
- 2727 Kirby coverage [Swamplot]
Photo: Michael Bludworth
Can someone substantiate that these are the same guys now DBA as Vita Nuova and building the 6-8 story building behind Somebuger in the Heights? This is what I heard but haven’t been able to find out for sure. Of course, my detective skills are lacking. If so, that project just keeps getting worse.
I had a friend living below that building when it was under construction. Before Ike, they did not secure the building materials well enough if at all. So when the storm began, steel beams rained through the condos below.
This should not be surprising.
How are 38 units sold given the property tax records? Also, when I drive by the building it doesn’t like like 10 units are even occupied? HAR lists only 1 recent sale. Are they selling units outside of HAR?
Yep, Heights Life. It is the same guys.
Ummmmm… I doubt the developer of 2727 Kirby is now developing anything in the Heights seeing as how he is DEAD.
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/01/07/story3.html
According to that HBJ article they had sold 41 units in January 2008 which makes their backwards progress to now seem even more problematic.
Massive glass attacks! Hope the crazy Bier Haus vigilantes in the Robinhood condos don’t get any ideas….
i knew this sounded familiar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hancock_Tower#Falling_glass_panes
Some of the exterior metal panels blew off during Ike – one of them hit the side of my townhouse (a couple of blocks away) and landed like a basketball in my courtyard.
Another high rise fiasco. And, it looks like the same people are developing the 11th-Studewood property? Mind boggling
Can someone point me at the information that suggests that the developer behind this building, a $75M high rise, is the same developer behind the mid-rise going up on Studewood. Aside for the fact that the developer is dead the projects just seem so different in size, cost and market that I am somewhat sceptical. I would be very interested in learning what the connection is.
The best I can come up with so far is the name of the registered agent, a real estate attorney on the SW Freeway with a resume that includes Weingarten.
It is very common for developers to pull their sales off of HAR when they are not getting the price per square foot they desire for comps.
sam jeevers,
Just because a unit is sold, doesn’t mean someone will be moving in and living in it.
Many of the condo towers in Miami had sold many of the units, but the buildings are ghost towns since the purchasers are just real estate investors.
Every single unit that has been sold in that building is to an end user that is using it as their residence.
End users,eh?
Read the lawsuit directly:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BzCAZK6ZHclzZTc0Y2I1Y2UtNTNkYy00ZTZmLThmNzYtMGQ2ZDA5ZjZhYWJi&hl=en
So, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jerry Brown and his ilk moved onto some other project in the Heights. Seems his response to quality building was less than professional. He was a poor manager, only ensuring that he got his salary and fancy car…
What is the future of this building? Have the residents been assessed anything for damages?
@”The Heights Life”. The Vito group building in the Heights are tied to MDA Holdings/MDA Construction. Not sure if the owners of this new start up include Sherri Atlas or Jerry Brown. They are just as culpable, IMO…and I wouldn’t hire them to build me a shed.
Correction. It’s Vita Nuova and here’s the website: http://www.vitanuovallc.com/index.html
They do not list the names of the owners.
On HCAD 30 of the condos are listed as owned by Kirby Towers LP under the address of 0 Kirby.
Wow!
The building has a paid $30 mil. wrap insurance policy for 10 years against construction defects. $50k deductible.