[houstonray]

Anyone know whassup? I drove by yesterday and the fence was down and the ground around the house was being bulldozed. This is the big blue house on the NW corner (next to the old Eckerds/new Shopping center). House looks to be in pretty good shape, I hope it's not being torn down??

[SaintCyr]

I noticed this too... I hadn't ever seen the house before the storm, I thought maybe they had some trees go down and have decided to clean up?

[jgs1419]

SaintCyr, on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 @ 6:36am, said:

I noticed this too... I hadn't ever seen the house before the storm, I thought maybe they had some trees go down and have decided to clean up?

I'm pretty sure that they are rehabbing. Some of the shanty out buildings were demolished. There is a sign in front of the house for a local designer (APD). Looks like this one will be redone.

[heights_yankee]

jgs1419, on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 @ 9:09am, said:

I'm pretty sure that they are rehabbing. Some of the shanty out buildings were demolished. There is a sign in front of the house for a local designer (APD). Looks like this one will be redone.

Hmmm. I hope you're right, but ADP does both new and renos.

[poyea]

I was actually at the City of Houston Historic District meeting a couple months ago for my own renovation, and this proposal was on the same agenda. Their plan is to tear down the garage (which was done a week or two ago), slide the house over to the north by ~25-50 feet, and then build a mini strip center along 11th street, facing the post office. The strip center design seemed to be in "good taste", 2-story, with a brick facade. It was approved after much debate about the historical integrity of the blue house.

[GettaClue]

Too bad there wasn't more of a debate about the integrity of building yet another strip center.

[tmariar]

Saw this on Swamplot today - presumably the same project despite the reference to it being on the northeast corner.

[heights_yankee]

GettaClue, on Sunday, October 12th, 2008 @ 7:21am, said:

Too bad there wasn't more of a debate about the integrity of building yet another strip center.

there is a notice for a public hearing. is there time to alter these plans?

[Krol]

There was a lot of discussion with the developer about trying to find an alternative that did not involve another strip center on the boulevard. He turned a deaf ear to the warnings that his project may not do any better than the others on the boulevard that are currently not fully leased. There are examples all around including the building housing McCain's, the orphanage-like office structure next door and the beautifully restored building at 11th and Yale.

The developer was sensitive enough to understand that demolishing another Heights National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) structure would cause neighborhood outrage along the lines of what we saw when the Doyle Mansion came down. Although this is not the best alternative, it does save the house and keep it on its original site. As for the strip center, only time will tell if this developer can somehow buck the trend that has left other commercial properties on the boulevard in constant search for tenants.

On a somewhat related note, the old Ashland Tea House site is on the block again. If your recall, that NRHP house was demolished two or three years ago to make room for a condo project. Those developers have been hurt by the current credit crunch. They can't obtain financing.

[heights_yankee]

Krol, on Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 @ 4:11pm, said:

There was a lot of discussion with the developer about trying to find an alternative that did not involve another strip center on the boulevard. He turned a deaf ear to the warnings that his project may not do any better than the others on the boulevard that are currently not fully leased. There are examples all around including the building housing McCain's, the orphanage-like office structure next door and the beautifully restored building at 11th and Yale.

i was thinking about this as i dropped my kid off a school this morning and drove by all the places you mention here. i want to add the empty lot behind Someburger that has yet to get a tennant, so they haven't even broken ground yet. Perhaps this builder should put up a rendering and see if anyone has interest before he defaces the boulevard further...

[tmariar]

Assuming the Swamplot article linked above is talking about the same house, this house is the Perry-Swilley House.

As Krol noted, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (The listing says it was built in 1901.)

Here is a poor (but mostly readable) copy of the application for approval of a certificate of appropriateness for the move. (The application says it was built circa 1910.)