THE SPJST IS NOT CZECHING OUT OF SHADY ACRES, ACCORDING TO LODGE CHAIRMAN 
Talk of an upcoming sale of the SPJST Lodge #88 is no more than just talk, according to the lodge’s chairman of the board Mildred Holeman. “The consensus has been that it will not be sold at any price,†she tells the Houston Chronicle‘s Craig Hlavaty, referring to an ongoing mail-in election to decide whether or not the Czech heritage fraternal organization, dance hall, party venue and once-a-week bingo parlor will remain on the 9-acre Shady Acres site at 1435 Beall St. it will have occupied for 50 years next year. Holeman, 88 and a real estate agent, also dishes details on the property’s suitors: townhome developers who have offered the organization $10 million. Long-term lodge member Lindsey Michalak-Kindall did not share Holeman’s assurance of a secure future for the lodge. She tells Hlavaty that the explanation letter and ballot went out too late for members to learn of the one and only meeting to discuss the possible sale — last weekend, only a day or two after most members received the letter and ballot. She also characterized the letter as “doom and gloom” and blase about what would happen to the lodge if the property was sold. All ballots must be in the organization’s Temple, Texas head office by December 31, with an announcement of the election’s result coming at January’s Houston membership meeting. [Houston Chronicle, previously on Swamplot] Photo: Swamplot inbox.)
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with that kind of money in hand, is it not possible to sell off part of the land and fundraise a new building with a parking garage? could still be a win-win for everyone involved, but i presume parking garages are a no go for this part of town and its attendees.
If they aren’t starving for money, they should hold on as long as possible, eventually it’ll be worth more then the 10M they were offered…
I salute the lodge for giving the parasitic developers the middle finger!
@UTAlum: “If they aren’t starving for money, they should hold on as long as possible, eventually it’ll be worth more then the 10M they were offered…”
.
Or less. Real estate values aren’t guaranteed to rise eternally.
It’s not a done deal yet, the votes have not been cast and it looks like some people are not so set on not selling. Even if they don’t sell today, it’s only a matter of time, the offer will get high enough, and if that doesn’t work, a few hands will be creased and a magic vote recount will approve the sale. The simple fact is that money losing organization is occupying way too much valuable land, sooner than later it will be gone by natural processes.
^Money losing organization?
I don’t know about the other locations, but this one is quite busy. The front of the building is a recent remodel in the last few years. This location is not short on funds to be fixing up the place.
Just go to bingo night..if you can get in. They have to close the doors so the fire marshal doesn’t fine them. And it’s not the older crowd going to this bingo. It’s filled with many people in their 20s and 30s.
The Lodge is a non-profit, so a killing on a real estate deal is meaningless unless the funds are used to build something else or to endow the Lodge’s operations for years to come. That is, any potential sale cannot be looked at through the same prism as a typical Houston real estate deal.
Nom nom nom!!!!
Seems like parasitic developer won’t be eating today.
I would think they could get more than $10m if they market this – that’s only $25psf.
Went to play bingo once and went home with a free frozen turkey from the raffle. Rock on, SPJST – resist the urge and fight the man. Oh yeah…and Jak se mas?
I keep hoping they will transfer some of the extra land to the Timbergrove Sports Association. That would be a great use of the property.
Offering to buy someone’s property does not make someone a parasitic developer. Give me a break. Those “parasitic developers” keep cities growing. Or would you rather everything stay the same forever?
They really ruined the exterior with the recent remodel, I thought it looked much better before. Not sure why they demolished the entryway, that was the most distinctive feature of the old building.