[Native Montrosian]

Yes, vacant buildings are quite expensive to insure. Good motive for letting people live there.

And by the way, Emme, welcome to the forum. Don't let the first experience run you off - this is really a fun and informative place.

[EMME]

Native Montrosian, on Monday, April 20th, 2009 @ 8:27am, said:

Yes, vacant buildings are quite expensive to insure. Good motive for letting people live there.

And by the way, Emme, welcome to the forum. Don't let the first experience run you off - this is really a fun and informative place.

Thanks Native Montrosian.

[houston-development]

EMME, on Friday, April 17th, 2009 @ 12:21pm, said:

My point is this...don't judge somebody else's experience based on your own. They don't always match.

completely agree.

sometimes two people can have the same conversation but when asked about it, you get two totally different stories... personally, i dont know lynn but would assume/hope her intentions are for the best and i do not doubt that you are only passing along information you heard from her.

regardless, ill contact matt and see what the deal is. if its appropriate, ill gladly pass along details.

[EMME]

houston-development, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 11:13am, said:

completely agree.

sometimes two people can have the same conversation but when asked about it, you get two totally different stories... personally, i dont know lynn but would assume/hope her intentions are for the best and i do not doubt that you are only passing along information you heard from her.

regardless, ill contact matt and see what the deal is. if its appropriate, ill gladly pass along details.

AWESOME HD, Thank you!

[sevfiv]

That would be awesome if he talked to you and you were allowed to post. Breaking news at HAIF since no one else can get a word outta him!

[Ross]

Only tangentially relevant, but interesting, it does appear that the lot with the Fiesta is owned by a Suzanne Cohen Levin, operating through yet another LLP, that has her condo as the address. The Harris County property records show her having a lot of activity over the years. The Cohens originally had an address at 726 Crawford. Wonder what that is now. Quick look at th emap, that's between Rusk and Capital.

[EMME]

Ross, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 1:04pm, said:

Only tangentially relevant, but interesting, it does appear that the lot with the Fiesta is owned by a Suzanne Cohen Levin, operating through yet another LLP, that has her condo as the address. The Harris County property records show her having a lot of activity over the years. The Cohens originally had an address at 726 Crawford. Wonder what that is now. Quick look at th emap, that's between Rusk and Capital.

Rumor has it David Cohen's sister owns Fiesta property and that they hated each other. Post earlier in this thread supposes that is why David Cohen would not allow upkeep of the exterior of his building, to bring her property values down.

Inheritances bring out the worst in siblings.

[Ross]

EMME, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 2:22pm, said:

Rumor has it David Cohen's sister owns Fiesta property and that they hated each other. Post earlier in this thread supposes that is why David Cohen would not allow upkeep of the exterior of his building, to bring her property values down.

Inheritances bring out the worst in siblings.

I did a quick trawl through the Harris County District Clerk records, and Suzanne Levin sued Jay Cohen in the 80's over Wilshire Village Corporation, which owned the apartments. Lots of acrimony there. She also sued HCAD a few times over the appraised value of the Fiesta property. Jay Cohen sued the City of Houston after the city demolished one of his buildings on the Gulf Freeway. Teh Cohen siblings also owned/own the Dowling Theater property, which I don't know much about.

Bottom line is, I don't think it's rumor the Cohen kids had a major falling out. Taht said, letting your property deteriorate out of spite is not exactly good business.

[EMME]

Ross, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 1:48pm, said:

I did a quick trawl through the Harris County District Clerk records, and Suzanne Levin sued Jay Cohen in the 80's over Wilshire Village Corporation, which owned the apartments. Lots of acrimony there. She also sued HCAD a few times over the appraised value of the Fiesta property. Jay Cohen sued the City of Houston after the city demolished one of his buildings on the Gulf Freeway. Teh Cohen siblings also owned/own the Dowling Theater property, which I don't know much about.

Bottom line is, I don't think it's rumor the Cohen kids had a major falling out. Taht said, letting your property deteriorate out of spite is not exactly good business.

When it comes to family, business isn't what business is about. It just gets ugly.

[sevfiv]

Yeah, Jay Cohen owns the odd Chequer Imports building property (demolished in 2006 or so) on the Gulf freeway (shown/discussed in this thread). Not taken care of at all.

[Ross]

Thanks for the link, Sevfiv. I remember that building well, having watched it slowly fall apart over the years (it first caught my eye because of the TVR sign in th edays when I wanted a TVR). Sort of like Wilshire Village, but worse. Might be interesting to see how all of Mr. Cohen's other properties are maintained.

[EMME]

sevfiv, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 2:19pm, said:

Yeah, Jay Cohen owns the odd Chequer Imports building property (demolished in 2006 or so) on the Gulf freeway (shown/discussed in this thread). Not taken care of at all.

Wasn't that the Carousel Hotel in the early 60s?

[sevfiv]

EMME, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 3:07pm, said:

Wasn't that the Carousel Hotel in the early 60s?

The Carrousel was a little south down 45 at Reveille - same type of roofline, but not as exaggerated (plus the (Bob) Cohen house in Meyerland - all three gone).

[Specwriter]

So Mr. Cohen is the villian who let the Chequer Imports building crumble to the ground. Was he related to the Cohen for whom the house above was named? If so, how ironic and unfortunate.

[sevfiv]

Specwriter, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 4:17pm, said:

So Mr. Cohen is the villian who let the Chequer Imports building crumble to the ground. Was he related to the Cohen for whom the house above was named? If so, how ironic and unfortunate.

Not as far as I know, but anything is possible..

[EMME]

sevfiv, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 3:22pm, said:

The Carrousel was a little south down 45 at Reveille - same type of roofline, but not as exaggerated (plus the (Bob) Cohen house in Meyerland - all three gone).

There's a beachhouse in Galveston with a similar shape. It lost its staircase years ago and it has never been replaced. It has to be a Cohen property. This whole family is seeming quite "touched." Is this the only shape he ever built? Definitely a signature.

Jay Cohen must be Bob Cohen's son. Too much coincidence.

This post has been edited by EMME: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 4:23 PM

[sevfiv]

^From what I've read, Bob Cohen and his wife loved that house and were upset about its demolition. Apparently they moved (to The Bristol - a highrise of all things) because of mobility/accessibility issues with the house.

[marmer]

Jay Cohen's father was named Howard J. Cohen, and he was the developer of Wilshire Village.

Like sevfiv, I doubt very much that there was any relation between Bob Cohen, the marine architect, and Howard Cohen, the real estate developer. Just a coincidental name.

Also, the circular butterfly roof pavilion was a modernistic feature of the time, I think just coincidence that it happened to be on so many buildings in Houston. The Chequer Imports building _might_ have been influenced by the Carousel Motel, but that is just speculation on my part.

[musicman]

marmer, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 5:14pm, said:

Jay Cohen's father was named Howard Cohen, and he was the developer of Wilshire Village.

thank you for keeping the post accurate and not saying the family is "seemingly quite touched"

This post has been edited by musicman: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 6:29 PM

[EMME]

musicman, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 @ 6:29pm, said:

thank you for keeping the post accurate and not saying the family is "seemingly quite touched"

Apologies.

[sevfiv]

The GHPA sent out a notice earlier today (no new news, though):

Developer Matthew Dilick has started the process to raze Wilshire Village, the Art Deco garden apartment complex at West Alabama and Dunlavy. The City of Houston has issued the necessary permits for the sewers to be disconnected. After City inspectors confirm the work has been completed, demolition can begin. Over the weekend, the copper gutters were pulled from several of the 17 historic buildings on the site. The last tenant at Wilshire Village moved on April 5.

GHPA staff and representatives from the surrounding neighborhoods will continue to meet with City Council Member Wanda Adams and At-Large Council Member Sue Lovell to address nearby residents’ concerns about redevelopment of the seven-acre tract. Issues still to be resolved include increased traffic, tree preservation and compatible uses for the property.

The developer originally announced plans for two mid-rise condo towers on the site. According to the Houston Chronicle, those plans have been revised. Homes in the surrounding Lancaster Place, Mandell Place and Winlow Place subdivisions are primarily one-story bungalows and two-story houses built in the 1920s and 1930s.

[sidegate]

Dilick's playing mind games....the Komatsu was gone again yesterday morning...

[EMME]

sidegate, on Friday, April 24th, 2009 @ 6:52am, said:

Dilick's playing mind games....the Komatsu was gone again yesterday morning...

Hopefully, that is not the case. Maybe he is negotiating with someone and the cost of the rental was too high to have it sitting there. I will hope for the best.

[GREASER]

I doubt he has time for that. The rental company charges for drop off and pickup. In this case prob 110$ ea. way. It cheaper usually to just keep it. Maybe permit fell thru and took it off rent.

[sidegate]

Some movement this morning on my way to work. There were piles of excavated dirt at the base of the wall of one of the outer buildings facing Dunlavy, near the corner of Dunlavy and Alabama. I have no idea what this signifies. Would there be anything buried worth salvaging?

I just became a theater. Woohoo!

This post has been edited by sidegate: Monday, May 4, 2009 at 10:26 PM

[Native Montrosian]

I might guess Dilick's integrity, but the "worth salvaging" part rather negates that possibility.

[sid113]

Looks like prep work before demo. In addition to all the ground excavation, a lot of the windows seem to have been removed over the weekend. I have noticed quite a few workers going in and out of the buildings but no heavy equipment yet.

[EMME]

sid113, on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 @ 9:18am, said:

Looks like prep work before demo. In addition to all the ground excavation, a lot of the windows seem to have been removed over the weekend. I have noticed quite a few workers going in and out of the buildings but no heavy equipment yet.

If the windows were "removed" couldn't that mean salvage? Do they remove windows separately prior to demo if it is not necessary?

[sid113]

EMME, on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 @ 10:27am, said:

If the windows were "removed" couldn't that mean salvage? Do they remove windows separately prior to demo if it is not necessary?

or they removed them to throw stuff out of them. many window still there, but most doors look like they have been removed, probably just to make it easier to take things in/out.

[sidegate]

Man that work must suck in this heat!

Yeah I had noticed a few vans here and there but no big machinery as you say. Get the cameras out, this is the beginning of the end.

[seoid]

This makes me so sad. I've thought Wilshire Place was so interesting since I first visited Houston. Now that I live here, it's a demo. The entire story is just sad and the units that were pictured were so full of character.

I'm sure the new places won't have half of the charm or details.

[MaggieMay]

seoid, on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 @ 5:05pm, said:

This makes me so sad. I've thought Wilshire Place was so interesting since I first visited Houston. Now that I live here, it's a demo. The entire story is just sad and the units that were pictured were so full of character.

I'm sure the new places won't have half of the charm or details.

I don't think we know yet whether there will be "new places" or "a new place." Perhaps just a vast vacant lot until the economy picks up. Could the apartments have been maintained or even upgraded & remained money-makers? After so many years of not giving a frak, the owners are taking the cheap way out.

Let's hope they leave the trees, at least. For a while....

[sangria]

I live in the neighborhood. We've been told that the demolition will begin near the end of the month, continuing through mid-June. The trees (or at least most of them) will be left, and then the land will be put up for sale. We'll see what happens.

[Native Montrosian]

We can call the latest giant vacant limbo lot SonomaWorld!

[EMME]

I really hope Sangria's report is accurate, and that they leave the trees, at the very least.

[LonghornLaw]

Apparently the apartments are on fire right now! I was told there are 12 fire trucks.

[sevfiv]

Whoah - active incidents report as of right now:

W ALABAMA ST DUNLAVY

492V 05/22/2009 12:32

211 fire 2

A516, D006, D008, E008, E016, E508, L016, L007, SQ007, SF015, E007

[EMME]

sevfiv, on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 @ 12:58pm, said:

Whoah - active incidents report as of right now:

W ALABAMA ST DUNLAVY

492V 05/22/2009 12:32

211 fire 2

A516, D006, D008, E008, E016, E508, L016, L007, SQ007, SF015, E007

Is the arson squad onsite?

[Highway6]

I smelled it burning this morning and went to go see.

It's not the Wilshire apts. It's the apartments on the NE corner of Alabama and Dunlavy.

It's a circus there - dozen fire trucks, dozen support vehicles, 2 helicopters, and every civilian there with a camera. ( Im sure a Haifer, or Houstonist or Hairballs will have photos up shortly)

Looks like the small complex will survive, didn't appear the fire spread too far. Some kid told me it started with a kid trying to sneak a cig while his mom was gone, hid it when she came home, and forgot about it.

This post has been edited by Highway6: Friday, May 22, 2009 at 1:44 PM

[Highway6]

Sevfiv - Where are you accessing those incident reports from ?

[LonghornLaw]

Sorry for the bad info. I heard yellow apartments at the intersection of Dulavy and Alabama and assumed it was the Wilshire.

I guess it's actually the Alabama Place apartments?

[Highway6]

Looks like i was wrong about the extent of damage.

http://www.chron.com...ro/6437174.html

[foxmulder]

I was at the fiesta...

[foxmulder]

Highway6, on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 @ 1:51pm, said:

Sevfiv - Where are you accessing those incident reports from ?

IPN probably. HFD had/has a website that pushes out calls.


http://cbtcws.cityof...DIncidents.aspx

This post has been edited by foxmulder: Friday, May 22, 2009 at 6:27 PM

[cosmic08]

Anyone have new news to share? The last I heard was about a bulldozer parked on the property ready to go.

[sevfiv]

Highway6, on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 @ 1:51pm, said:

Sevfiv - Where are you accessing those incident reports from ?

foxmulder, on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 @ 6:25pm, said:

IPN probably. HFD had/has a website that pushes out calls.

http://cbtcws.cityof...DIncidents.aspx

Oops, yes, I didn't see the question originally asked - http://www.houstontx...activeincidents

[Native Montrosian]

Not really news; just hearsay and a funny incident. My husband and I were stopped at the light to turn on Dunlavy from W. Alabama the other night and a movement caught the corner of my eye - a HUGE RAT scampering merrily up the sidewalk to disappear under the chain link fence. In all the years we visited our friend there, we never saw the likes of that! I hear that since the residents have moved out, the squatters have moved in. I'm sure the neighborhood is thrilled.

[KinkaidAlum]

rats, squatters, and taggers. There's a lot of new graffiti all over the buildings. The chain link fence is a nice touch too...

[Specwriter]

KinkaidAlum, on Monday, June 22nd, 2009 @ 6:08pm, said:

rats, squatters, and taggers. There's a lot of new graffiti all over the buildings. The chain link fence is a nice touch too...

The chain link fence is useless except to add the "eyesore" value of the property in its present state. I passed by yesterday at about 6:30pm and noticed many more broken window panes than previously. I would love to see WV restored but, if that isn't going to happen and it looks like it will not, will the owner please have the decency to put it out of its (and our) misery.

My daughter gave me the book Houston Deco: Modernistic Architecture of the Texas Coast for father's day and the Wilshire Village Apartments are mentioned in it. The book says the property is nine acres. One could put a lot of condominums (even the three storey ones) on nine acres. I doubt that will happen this year or next but, when it does, I hope they are not ugly.

A good architect (ahem) could design something that makes sense economically and acknowledges and respects that which was there before. Let's hope.

[sid113]

Is there a limit for how long the city will allow the buildings to remain standing in this state or is basically up to the owner? I assumed he would have needed to submit some sort of plan??