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Stegeman Building At 502 Main St.


WestGrayGuy

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The current renovation of this location is damn ugly in my opinion. The location is at 502 Main (corner of Main and Prarie) in the former Crazyhorse Cantina location.

I know that is an ideal location for a fantastic bar or restaurant. The architectural elements are there unfortunately covered by what it appears to be plywood. The name of the bar looks like it was cut out by a junior high shop class using a table saw.

The place seems to have a huge potential if some investor would spend some money on renovation rather than cheap crap that been there in the last few years.

I have also heard the food was crappy.

Thoughts/Opinions?

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Absolute and utter agreement.

Plywood covered with aluminum paint?! What...they ran out of cardboard?

That building could be a showcase, especially if the missing architraves (second definition) around the upstairs windows could be replicated and replaced.

Also, this building originally had a Mansard roof, and replacing it would definitely reenforce its Second Empire appearance.

Takes $$$. In a case such as this, it would seem appropriate for the city to offer some sort of tax abatement to return this building to its historic roots. Perhaps then they'd also find a more deserving tenant.

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Well, with any luck, they will be bought out (don't want to wish the place to fold, it would look bad) and a proper place to be put in.

I always hated the facade, and just hoped they were waiting to make more money to make themselves look better.

Ricco

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I walk past Jefe at least once a week and every time I just shake my head. While renovations are going on to buildings next to and across from it, the painted over plywood looks more and more rag-tag. At the very least, they could've spurng for an actual sign with lighting like what's up at Suede.

It's also sad that they've done ZERO work on the building's second level. To more sophisticated customers, this speaks to the quality of the bar in general, and that's not good for business when you've got several more options downtown.

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From "Last of the Past. Houston Architecture 1847 to 1915" by William Scott Field:

"The Stegeman Building on Main"

"The building on Main Street built by Frederick W. Stegeman, a manufacturer of ornamental ironwork, was originally a two story Italianate style commercial building, erected by 1879. The need for extra lease space coupled with the desirability of updating the style of the building led Stegeman to construct a third floor hidden behind a mansard roof. Dormer windows allowed light ot penetrate this third floor, first occupied by a photographer...Prairie Avenue was given side-street status in this remodeling, evidenced by the new roof not continuing all the way down this facade and the original window treatments being left unaltered. In recent years, the building lost its Second Empire status when the mansard roof was removed during remodeling. Only the Italianate brackets remain to remind the viewer that this was indeed a commercial building of the last century. "

The are photos of the original building and also when the facade was covered by Churches Fried Chicken.

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From "Last of the Past.  Houston Architecture 1847 to 1915" by William Scott Field:

"The Stegeman Building on Main"

The are photos of the original building and also when the facade was covered by Churches Fried Chicken.

At least Church's is outta there. Sounds like the current owner is from Latin America, where hand-painted, misspelled signs with crooked letters are normal. (I'm sick of seeing crap like that around town, sorry).

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Here's a picture which shows this building when it still had the mansard roof. This isn't the first building I've seen which has had the roof/uppermost floor removed. Perhaps they're hard to maintain; and at one time mansard roofs were considered to be hopelessly old fashioned (and therefore ugly).

You can see what was meant by the William Scott Field quote from Subdude's post:"Prairie Avenue was given side-street status in this remodeling, evidenced by the new roof not continuing all the way down this facade..."

birds.jpg

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I believe Jefe is closed now.  The lights have been off for the last couple of nights incuding this past weekend.  A Slainte bartender told me they did not renew their liquor license.

If someone would like to check this, go to TABC's website and look up the address.

I'd do it myself, but they're available only as .zip files, and my zipper's stuck... :angry:

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  • 3 weeks later...

Great location, bad bar. However, watch it be open this weekend... it seems to be open & closed, open & closed more times than I can count. One week, it was closed and seized for taxes, the next week it was open. I wonder where that cute bartender went though that was always there...

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Jefe sucks. People I've talked to who go there say that they don't ever feel like it's set up to have any staying power. It's like the owner runs a name out there six months to a year, does some "light" renovations to the interior and then closes up only to change again with a new gimmick and name (which might explain why they never do any work to the upstairs or put up any longterm signange/marquees).

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  • 11 years later...
  • 1 year later...

From previous page:  Noticed this today.  Remodel permit is dated December of 2016

 

There was no way this could have been ready for the Superb Owl. :ph34r:

Edited by mollusk
(adding context 'cause of the page change)
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