40 replies to this topic

[tmariar]

So I know this should really be posted in the Jim West Mansion thread, but maybe our kind-hearted moderators will let it go as a separate topic for a day or two...

I talked recently to a family friend in Clear Lake who is heavily involved in the fight to save the Jim West Mansion. She said that the potential sale of the mansion to a commercial developer planning to build a retirement community on the grounds and use the mansion as a main building - a deal that was reported in a few places in 2007 when it looked to be about to go through - did not go through. (I know I'd been thinking for the last several months that it was a done deal.) And that the mansion's future is that much more uncertain as time passes and the deed restriction prohibiting anyone from tearing the mansion down until 2012 (less than four years from now) becomes less of an obstacle to commercial developers.

I'll try to post later information about donating to the non-profit organization trying to buy the mansion - I think they're working on a new donation program that would offer incentives at different levels, and there should be more information soon. In the meantime, I helped start a Save the Jim West Mansion! ipetition (in the tradition of the River Oaks Theatre ipetition) that just went up today.... it would be great if we could get a number of HAIFers on there! Don't know if we can get 26,000+(!) signatures like the other petition, but a petition might really be helpful in this situation given that, as far as I know, Olajuwon can do what he wants with the property and presumably wants to help Houston. Anyhow - y'all can be among the first to sign if it's something you support. Here is the ipetition link again.

Thanks in advance to anyone who does sign - and, please, spread the word! I would so like to see this structure saved!

Edited by tmariar, Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 6:00 PM.

[sevfiv]

Signed and forwarded - thanks for posting about this!

[editor]

Pinned for greater visibility.

[tmariar]

Thanks to y'all both!

[EastEnd Susan]

Thanks for posting this. You bet I signed the petition!

[tmariar]

Can't help wanting to say "thank you, thank you!" each time someone signs... but I'll try to keep it to PM's from now on.

[marketingwiz]

tmariar, on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 @ 4:58pm, said:

Can't help wanting to say "thank you, thank you!" each time someone signs... but I'll try to keep it to PM's from now on.

Signed, sealed and delivered. No thanks necessary.

[NenaE]

Signed yesterday, hope it's left intact & unaltered.

[Vertigo58]

I thought this was just that other older Jim West topic so I ignored for a moment

but in any case, I just noticed it was a petition and just signed it!

Buona fortuna...Best of luck!

[jwphillips2]

Vertigo58, on Friday, August 22nd, 2008 @ 9:47am, said:

I thought this was just that other older Jim West topic so I ignored for a moment

but in any case, I just noticed it was a petition and just signed it!

Buona fortuna...Best of luck!

Me too. This is way too important.

[kayzer]

jwphillips2, on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 @ 11:19pm, said:

Me too. This is way too important.

I signed too! Lets stop the demolition madness, already!

[FilioScotia]

kayzer, on Friday, August 29th, 2008 @ 1:01am, said:

I signed too! Lets stop the demolition madness, already!

Keep in mind the West mansion is in Pasadena. Not Houston.

One of the people leading the effort to find a buyer told me that for all its shortcomings, Houston actually offers more avenues for protecting historic structures than Pasadena.

She says Pasadena has NOTHING to help the mansion.

[sheeats]

Only 50 signatures so far? There have to be more people who care about the Jim West Mansion than that. Please forward the link along to anyone you know who has ever taken even a passing interest in the mansion! It may only be an online petition, but it still serves a good purpose.

[Pumapayam]

tmariar, on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 @ 5:58pm, said:

Thanks in advance to anyone who does sign - and, please, spread the word! I would so like to see this structure saved!

I signed, but it would have been much cooler had it been Adam West's mansion, bat cave anyone?

editor, on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 @ 9:32am, said:

Pinned for greater visibility.

What is the difference between a pinned posts versus a sticky post?

[FilioScotia]

sheeats, on Friday, August 29th, 2008 @ 9:03am, said:

Only 50 signatures so far? There have to be more people who care about the Jim West Mansion than that.

Apparently not. Outside of several ladies who've been working hard for five years to find a buyer, and a few people here on the HAIF, it doesn't appear that anybody cares for the West mansion. In fact, the only people who've ever cared for it were the original West family who built it and lived in it for a few years in the 20s and 30s. Even they moved out when old man West died in 1941, and it has sat vacant for most of the time since then.

NASA used it for a few years in the 70s as the home of the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, but moved out because of the obvious problem of trying to fit the work of a scientific organization into a structure built as a home.

So what we have is a stunningly beautiful and palatial European style house that nobody wants. I hear that Hakeem Olajuwon wants 11 million dollars for the house and the 11 acres it sits on. Unfortunately nobody wants it at that price.

He wants to demolish the house and sell the property for whatever it will bring, but he can't because it's under deed restrictions that expire in 2012. So if no one buys the house and land before 2012, the West mansion will disappear and lord only knows what will take its place.

Don't bother appealing to Houston City Council, because it's not in Houston. It's in Pasadena, and Pasadena City Council couldn't care less.

Edited by FilioScotia, Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 2:27 PM.

[Vertigo58]

FilioScotia, on Friday, August 29th, 2008 @ 8:39pm, said:

Apparently not. Outside of several ladies who've been working hard for five years to find a buyer, and a few people here on the HAIF, it doesn't appear that anybody cares for the West mansion. In fact, the only people who've ever cared for it were the original West family who built it and lived in it for a few years in the 20s and 30s. Even they moved out when old man West died in 1941, and it has sat vacant for most of the time since then.

NASA used it for a few years in the 70s as the home of the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, but moved out because of the obvious problem of trying to fit the work of a scientific organization into a structure built as a home.

So what we have is a stunningly beautiful and palatial European style house that nobody wants. I hear that Hakeem Olajuwon wants 11 million dollars for the house and the 11 acres it sits on. Unfortunately nobody wants it at that price.

He wants to demolish the house and sell the property for whatever it will bring, but he can't because it's under deed restrictions that expire in 2012. So if no one buys the house and land before 2012, the West mansion will disappear and lord only knows what will take its place.

Don't bother appealing to Houston City Council, because it's not in Houston. It's in Pasadena, and Pasadena City Council couldn't care less.

I had been speaking to tmariar briefly of ideas to help. Now that I am back I can focus.

Get me some blank spaced out layered forms for signatures and I will get down and get plenty of sig's. You would be surprised how "willing" some can be after a few cold ones. Whatever it takes!

Something simple like this (minus the martini)

[FilioScotia]

Vertigo58, on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 @ 1:51pm, said:

I had been speaking to tmariar briefly of ideas to help. Now that I am back I can focus. Get me some blank spaced out layered forms for signatures and I will get down and get plenty of sig's. You would be surprised how "willing" some can be after a few cold ones. Whatever it takes! Something simple like this (minus the martini)

I salute your willingness and eagerness to do something, but I'm afraid we are nearing the end of the line for the West mansion. No one has actually lived in it for more than 60 years now, and nobody -- NOBODY -- is showing the slightest interest in buying it from Hakeem Olajuwon. Not at his asking price anyway. I don't think petitions are likely to strike a spark of interest where none has been seen before.

But I've been wrong before. I hope I'm wrong about this, but I've been around long enough to know that pessimists are rarely disappointed.

At the same time, my hat is off to the three Bay Area ladies who're working tirelessly through their 501c3 Preserved in Time Foundation to raise the money to buy the house. Who knows? They might succeed, and I'll be the first to admit my pessimism was wrong.

Edited by FilioScotia, Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 4:10 PM.

[tmariar]

All - For anyone interested in helping to gather signatures for the online petition using a hard-copy version, I've prepared one. If you PM me, I will send it to you.

Vertigo - I sent you an email.

FilioScotia - You mentioned that the mansion hasn't been used as a residence in decades. Supposedly, in his will, Jim West stipulated that the house could not be used as a private residence again - I'm sure there's a story there, though it may be something as simple as his wanting it to be used for public purposes. It hasn't been sitting empty all this time, though - it has been used by Rice University, by NASA, and for charity events. It still has many useful purposes, though no doubt is in need of some restoration.

The reason I think that saving the mansion may not be a lost cause is that it is owned by Hakeen Olajuwon, who has cooperated to some extent with local preservationist with regard to at least one other building. Also, while the mansion is technically held by a company owned by Olajuwon, I think it's a private company. In the case of the River Oaks Theatre, Weingarten has the argument that it is obligated to act in the interest of its shareholders in determining the future of the property. Olajuwon wouldn't have the same argument. Plus, I think he could sell to a buyer willing to preserve the mansion without taking much if any loss on the property - there has been at least one deal already that almost went through that called for the preservation of the mansion. To the extent a non-profit organization like Preserved in Time is interested in buying the house, I believe the thinking is that it might be possible to fund a large chunk of the cost via grants (though they would also have to raise a significant amount of money).

Edited by tmariar, Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 7:56 AM.

[sevfiv]

88.7 ran a story yesterday:

http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-...s_id=1220879059

[jwphillips2]

 DSCF1165.jpg   221.29K   101 downloads

This is of more immediate concern. Post-Ike damage looks like missing roof tiles and a broken window.

There is a Blue Roof program going on down here, but I don't have the creds to have them save the roof.

Any suggestions?

[jwphillips2]

jwphillips2, on Friday, September 19th, 2008 @ 11:38am, said:

DSCF1165.jpg

This is of more immediate concern. Post-Ike damage looks like missing roof tiles and a broken window.

There is a Blue Roof program going on down here, but I don't have the creds to have them save the roof.

Any suggestions?

[sheeats]

Blue Roof program can't help with Spanish tile roofs like that... Only roofs that aren't rigid are eligible, since the tarps will be nailed/stapled to the existing roof.

[jwphillips2]

sheeats, on Friday, September 19th, 2008 @ 5:22pm, said:

Blue Roof program can't help with Spanish tile roofs like that... Only roofs that aren't rigid are eligible, since the tarps will be nailed/stapled to the existing roof.

Right you are. They also exclude metal roofs for the same reason. Did the pic come out? Have a new browser that is squirrely.

[johnfinley]

Doesn't the house already have missing tiles? It's a miricle that the house didn't sustain any more damage. Do you all think it'd hurt if I downloaded my copies of the blue prints on here?



Also, I hope this isn't a silly question. Would it be okay if I could get some people here in Fort Worth to sign the peteition?

[tmariar]

johnfinley, on Saturday, September 20th, 2008 @ 12:37pm, said:

Also, I hope this isn't a silly question. Would it be okay if I could get some people here in Fort Worth to sign the peteition?

Sorry I haven't been checking this thread - still don't have power.

Would be great if folks outside Houston wanted to sign. Thanks!

[FilioScotia]

tmariar, on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 @ 2:51pm, said:

West Mansion Group Wants Volunteers

Houston Public Radio reports the non-profit group that's trying to raise money to buy the West Mansion is hoping to beef up its corps of volunteers with a volunteer reception Friday at the Nassau Bay Hilton on NASA Rd One.

Check it out. http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-...s_id=1223960539

[FilioScotia]

Fund Raiser to benefit the Jim West Mansion

“Step into the Past: A Roaring Twenties Murder Mystery Evening”
February 13, 2009
Historic Home Owned by Dick Wright, 431 Bayridge… Morgan’s Point
6:30-Midnight
More info: www.preservedintime.org

PRESERVED IN TIME, INC., IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MORGAN’S POINT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, ANNOUNCES “STEP INTO THE PAST: A ROARING TWENTIES MURDER MYSTERY EVENING”

Please join Preserved in Time, Inc., and The Morgan’s Point Historical Association as they “Step into the Past”, and enjoy “A Roaring Twenties Murder Mystery Evening”. The evening is a fundraiser benefiting Preserved in Time, Inc., a local non-profit organization dedicated to education and to preserving the historic West Mansion overlooking Clear Lake. Preserved in Time, Inc., has committed to raising the $11 million needed to protect and restore the landmark that contributes so much to the beauty of the Clear Lake community. The 11 acres of waterfront property and the romantic manor survived Hurricane Ike with only minor damage. Preserved in Time plans to turn the former residence into a museum & library, a tea room and an event facility for weddings, reunions, and other special parties. The facility will house a “special needs school” and will offer educational workshops for children and adults.

The event will be held at another historic landmark, the home of Dick Wright in Morgan’s Point. Designed by architect Joseph Finger, the summer home was completed in 1927 for Wade and Mamie Irvin. Joseph Finger also designed the West Mansion and similarities can be found between the two properties. The bay front home is also listed on the National Registry. Linda Sansing, CEO of Preserved in Time, will give an update on the efforts to save the West Mansion.

A cash wine bar with wine tasting will be featured along with epicurean stations, a silent auction and the murder mystery. A string quartet will provide music upon arrival followed by a jazz band the remainder of the evening. Costumes and participation in the murder mystery are optional. Tickets are priced at $70.00 per person. Space is limited. Tickets will not be available at the door and are “first come, first served”.

CONTACT INFO
Ellen Goodrich King
281-480-3868

Linda Summers Sansing
mail@preservedintime.org

[tmariar]

FilioScotia, on Monday, January 26th, 2009 @ 9:53am, said:

Fund Raiser to benefit the Jim West Mansion

This was a very nice event. The organizers did a great job.

The Irvin House (1927 - Joseph Finger) has been beautifully maintained. I hadn't been to Morgan's Point in years - or to LaPorte. for that matter. I've got to plan a trip during the day to get a better look at the Sterling Mansion and LaPorte's Main Street.

A number of talented people have gotten involved in the West Mansion preservation efforts. The updates were all positive, but Preserved in Time still has a long way to go to raise the money it needs, and needs all the help it can get.

Edited by tmariar, Saturday, February 14, 2009 at 9:40 AM.

[fortbendtomontrose]

This is a particularly painful exercise for me as Hakeem Olajuwon is involved and apparently
on the wrong end of the issue.

I always had a lot of respect for Hakeem both as an athlete and a person with high
ideals and sound ethics.

Meanwhile, I've signed the petition.

Edited by fortbendtomontrose, Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 8:49 AM.

[tmariar]

Thanks!

Though, the house hasn't been torn down yet, and Hakeem has cooperated with GHPA to some extent on other issues in the past - so I wouldn't assume just yet that he won't make some concession to the historical significance of this building. Even if it's just not charging a non-profit as much as he would a commercial venture for the purchase of the building.