A handful of curious neighbors and passers-by have written Swamplot with reports that the Crossing at Kirby Apartments at 7600 Kirby Dr. are being cleared out. “It appears the whole complex is about to be demolished,” writes one correspondent who snooped around the 5.76-acre compound that stretches from South Main to a gas station short of S. Braeswood. “Looks like they’re disconnecting electrical and there was one U-Haul truck but it’s otherwise abandoned,” writes another. “Apartment windows are boarded and one building looks like the roof has started to be stripped.” Gee, what could be happening here?
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The 15-building complex (plus a clubhouse and 2 laundromats) was purchased last September by an entity connected to the Dinerstein Companies, developers of the Millennium Greenway and Millennium High Street, apartment buildings, plus 2 Millennium-branded complexes in The Woodlands, and 3 more in California. Dinerstein doesn’t appear to have made public its plans for this location, but it’s likely working on a Millennium Kirby — that’s the name of the LLC that made the property purchase.
Photos: Swamplot inbox
Good.
Some old urban cowboys in this town are pouring out a little bit of their lone star beer in memory of this place, thinking about their “rodeo wife” (look up this local term from committee folks you know if you’re not aware of it) of 1977, and some wild night stumbling their way across main street to this spot.
great addition to the area. anything that makes the corridors in/around Reliant Stadium look more up to date, clean is fine by me.
Expect more of this in that area. Big complex was recently erected upstream of there, at the former Shriner’s location, and there are big parcels still open on So. Main between Kirby and Buffalo Speedway. And maybe The Broadmead will be next to go.
I’m happy to see they are redeveloping this prime space. With the proximity to the Med Center, a Kroger and Morningside Thai across the street and other midrises nearby as examples such as Monaco at Main and Domain at Kirby, this place will do well. I looked into moving there multiple times in the last few years and was not impressed. The rent was overpriced for what you get and the place was somewhat in disrepair, having changed hands several times in the last few years I believe. Now, if they could clear the Xpress Lube and the old gas station at the corner of Braeswood and Kirby, they could have nearly the whole spread on that side of the street between Braeswood and S. Main, aside from the CVS on the corner.
Anyone know how many residents were affected? I shop that Kroger and that complex always *looked* full, as recent as last month.
Couldn’t agree more with Gisgo. South Main has tons of huge tracts and other older complexes like this just waiting to be developed. The area is actually more practical than other parts around town. I wouldn’t be surprised if S Main (should we call it SoMa?) becomes another hot spot corridor one day.
Oh good! I agree that this area needs some cleaning up. Now if someone can get the 77025 post office to pick up the litter that covers the front of their property…
My late Dad used to tell me (as long ago as the 60s) that some day the S. Main corridor would become one of the best in the city. Even as it exists today, it is far better than it was (it was really, really awful in the past). But it has been very disappointing how slowly the corridor has come around. Perhaps we’re now going to see it become what it should. The question is how quickly real momentum will build.
SOuth main between reliant and 610 needs to be completly changed it should look like Highland village…not like the crappy area it looks like now….with conns and those ghetto motels
I avoid that area because of the crazy intersections. It’s one of the rare places in Houston where streets meet at angles other than 90 degrees – which blows my mind. Luckily, I have not spontaneously combusted while driving through there yet.
Next time someone says “Houstonians don’t want more density,” show them this project! We Houstonians are usually more than happy when older apartment complexes are bulldozed and rebuilt at equal or higher densities. We don’t usually mind when higher density development takes place on large infill lots – as long as it’s well located and high enough quality that we wouldn’t foresee it becoming a slum in fifteen years. In fact, most development in this City is welcomed and goes off without a hitch!
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What we don’t want is high rises towering over single family houses, and poorly built, cramalot townhouses taking the place of reasonably sized homes in our neighborhoods. Sadly, those are the ones that make the news.
Surely the “Crossing on Kirby” wasn’t the original name of it. That looks like a late-1990s rename.
@Spirit of 2005: I lived in this complex in the late 90’s and at the time it was called “The Lodge”. When I moved out, they were in the process of doing some upgrades and renamed it “Berkshire Crossing”. Not sure when it received it’s current name.
Kinda sad to see the place go. It was my second apartment in Houston
Good riddance! I am SO glad to be out of that hell hole. It was a DUMP! And management sucked!
The whole area, particularly east of Main, is ripe for truly urban dense development. Most of the structures around there are old and probably worth relatively little per sf. I would love to see most of the triangle between Main, Kirby, and 610 developed into an actual urban cityscape as befits its proximity to the med center, public transport, and the Reliant complex. The benefit there too is that hardly any single family housing would be affected.
I lived here from 2005 to 2009. It had just been renamed “Crossing on Kirby” from “Berkshire Crossing” at that time. Fun fact – when I moved in, my 600-square-foot one-bedroom was $470/month. By the time I left it was in the neighborhood of $850/month. No renovations or upgrades had taken place during those years. Terrible management at that time too.
the crossing on kirby has been totally torn down. i am not sure what is going up in its place, but what i hear it is going to be a midrise. but i have heard nothing. the company is out of business. i will find out in the next few days.
This was my first apartment back in 2005, with my fiancé, and my new job in the med center. It was only $410 per month for a studio, and back then we only had this bill and a light bill. The place wasn’t as fancy as some of the other apartments around, but I remember it fondly, as our first home together. When we left in 2007, the rent had gone up to $600 for a one bedroom. But I never had a problem with the staff, only the walls were a bit thin, and it could get crowded. One the plus side, glad to see the real estate is getting a much needed face life. Wonderful location right in the middle of some important cross streets.