cspwal Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Since the building was originally plumbed for hotel rooms why couldn't they make this into a lower cost apartment building. That way the city could have available units for lower cost housing in downtown. Maybe combine some rooms for larger inexpensive downtown housing units. I hear people talking about some form of a more affordable market downtown maybe the city, state or federal govt. could help fund the conversion. This seems to be a growing problem throughout this country. Its on the rail line so it would afford inexpensive transportation and a link to so many valuable assets. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 I think this could work if the current owners could both be convinced to do it and get the capital necessary to make the conversion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbro Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 1 hour ago, bobruss said: Since the building was originally plumbed for hotel rooms why couldn't they make this into a lower cost apartment building. That way the city could have available units for lower cost housing in downtown. Maybe combine some rooms for larger inexpensive downtown housing units. I hear people talking about some form of a more affordable market downtown maybe the city, state or federal govt. could help fund the conversion. This seems to be a growing problem throughout this country. Its on the rail line so it would afford inexpensive transportation and a link to so many valuable assets. Yes I agree . Affordable condos for sale or apartments for rent. Everything downtown doesn't have to be for the uber rich. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specwriter Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 52 minutes ago, htownbro said: Yes I agree . Affordable condos for sale or apartments for rent. Everything downtown doesn't have to be for the uber rich. +1 on htownbro's comment. The people who work in the hotels, restaurants, and bars downtown probably cannot afford the rents for most of the apartments there. I ride the train each weekday from the medical center to downtown and I see who gets on the train in mid-town (office workers) and who gets off (service workers). I'm not a social scientist but I do believe there is a need for a range of housing options, in term of cost, in a given area. I also believe these different options need to be somewhat dispersed and not concentrated in discrete parts. Consider how the mews (former stables and workshops) behind the stately houses in London were repurposed as housing for those with lower wage jobs. One big problem existing today for the former Holiday/Days/Heaven on Earth Inn is that it is in a food desert. Of course, proximity to public transportation will mitigate that somewhat. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rechlin Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 32 minutes ago, Specwriter said: One big problem existing today for the former Holiday/Days/Heaven on Earth Inn is that it is in a food desert. Of course, proximity to public transportation will mitigate that somewhat. A food desert? There's a Randall's just three blocks from it. Sure, it isn't fashionable now that H-E-B has (thankfully) taken over Houston, but it's still a full grocery store. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Another former Holiday Inn (Memorial and Silver) was converted into senior apartments, and seemed to be doing pretty OK until Harvey flooded it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 (edited) The Days Inn isn't in too bad of shape, food desert wise - Randall's is 3 blocks away from it, down Milam. The bigger issue is more just the capital to renovate the building (how much of that old plumbing and electrical wiring is even there, much less works?) and a matter of will. Edit: took to long to type, rechlin beat me to it Edited April 20, 2018 by cspwal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbro Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 (edited) 46 minutes ago, Specwriter said: +1 on htownbro's comment. The people who work in the hotels, restaurants, and bars downtown probably cannot afford the rents for most of the apartments there. I ride the train each weekday from the medical center to downtown and I see who gets on the train in mid-town (office workers) and who gets off (service workers). I'm not a social scientist but I do believe there is a need for a range of housing options, in term of cost, in a given area. I also believe these different options need to be somewhat dispersed and not concentrated in discrete parts. Consider how the mews (former stables and workshops) behind the stately houses in London were repurposed as housing for those with lower wage jobs. One big problem existing today for the former Holiday/Days/Heaven on Earth Inn is that it is in a food desert. Of course, proximity to public transportation will mitigate that somewhat. I don't mean government housing when I say affordable housing. I mean for working people or middle class who can afford to buy a home but want to live downtown instead of out in the burbs. It's more affordable to buy homes further out as opposed to downtown. There are single people and couples who dont have children but want to live downtown...or even empty nesters. People whose income is probably less than 100k annually. Edited April 20, 2018 by htownbro typo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 As far as the plumbing goes my point is that the building was designed for plumbing to every room throughout so it wouldn't be nearly as expensive as say taking an old office building which doesn't have a bathroom and shower in each room and converting it to a hotel or apartments. This is already set up with space for new piping or whatever was necessary to bring it up to todays needs. My thought was an Ivy kind of solution in a structure already built. Smaller 1 and 2 bedroom units. Maybe take out every other unit to make them each a little larger adding a small kitchen and maybe even more. I understand the need for a more useful efficient space designed for the worker bees that make the engines run downtown. There's already plenty of new expensive living downtown so why not? It would add to the neighborhood developing around Main with the Sky Houses and Houston House etc. Everyone should have the option of living downtown especially if they work there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Example of affordable housing that's not government housing: Houston House downtown right now has relatively reasonable rents - $980/mo for a 1 bedroom last I checked. By the standard 30% of income going to housing metric, that should be affordable to anyone making $35k or more. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Also I spotted this on Swamplot: Quote “Before I left work, a guy was at the very top pulling a long rope he had tied to a wooden structure hanging on the corner of the building. It looks like a homemade trebuchet. I’ll keep posting updates if anything major happens; hell, it’s in my sight line all day.” [Kim, commenting on Cleanup Crews Now Polishing Downtown Houston’s Most Famous Abandoned Building] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbro Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Make them condos where people can buy or investors can buy units and rent them out like 2016 Main. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 I think I'll send Bob Eury an email, and suggest this as a solution to downtowns low-cost housing problem while resolving an eyesore issue that has plagued downtown for over 30 years. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Just sent it and I'll let you hear what his response is if any. 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 10 hours ago, mollusk said: Another former Holiday Inn (Memorial and Silver) was converted into senior apartments, and seemed to be doing pretty OK until Harvey flooded it. That's not a good comparison. In the link below, I show an article that says the hotel in 1986. The city had planned it for elderly housing as early as the late 1980s, but it didn't open until 1998. Plus, according an article from 1997, there were actually new appliances, fixtures, and flooring in rooms from an attempt in the mid-1990s. Price to clean it up in 1997 dollars? About $3 million. Here, not only is the "structurally sound" part dubious (allegedly, there's problems in that department... ) but it deteriorated for far longer than the Memorial Holiday Inn ever did. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specwriter Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 (edited) 16 hours ago, htownbro said: I don't mean government housing when I say affordable housing. I mean for working people or middle class who can afford to buy a home but want to live downtown instead of out in the burbs. It's more affordable to buy homes further out as opposed to downtown. There are single people and couples who dont have children but want to live downtown...or even empty nesters. People whose income is probably less than 100k annually. I also wasn't thinking government subsidized house either but, like cspwal mentioned, something a family making $40-60k a year could afford. Yes, I overlooked the Randall's. I should stop in there one day and see how it compares to those I am familiar with. Another HEB near by like the one at Alabama and Dunlavy would be great, or maybe an Aldi. Heck, I'm just grateful something positive may be happening with this building after all these years. Edited April 21, 2018 by Specwriter add comment 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 3 hours ago, Specwriter said: I also wasn't thinking government subsidized house either but, like cspwal mentioned, something a family making $40-60k a year could afford. Yes, I overlooked the Randall's. I should stop in there one day and see how it compares to those I am familiar with. Another HEB near by like the one at Alabama and Dunlavy would be great, or maybe an Aldi. Heck, I'm just grateful something positive may be happening with this building after all these years. I stopped at the Randalls a year or two ago after the renovation. Partially due to how the Houston blocks are shaped, it's a very small store, feeling like an H-E-B Pantry but with full service departments (and at least the deli can cook you a hamburger per the signage I saw last time, something they haven't done in nearly the last twenty years). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 13 hours ago, Specwriter said: I also wasn't thinking government subsidized house either but, like cspwal mentioned, something a family making $40-60k a year could afford. Yes, I overlooked the Randall's. I should stop in there one day and see how it compares to those I am familiar with. Another HEB near by like the one at Alabama and Dunlavy would be great, or maybe an Aldi. Heck, I'm just grateful something positive may be happening with this building after all these years. I stop there sometimes on weekends if I drop my family at church. It's a decent store, with lots of stuff. The pharmacy was removed a while back, but it's full service other wise. The aisles are not as wide as a larger store, but it has everything you could want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 Pharmacy is still there. It’s wedged in the corner instead of being its own area, but everything is there grocery wise. It does tend to have a small selection of produce sometimes, especially right before the trucks get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbates2 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 I went to that Randall’s on 04/15. Most of the milk in stock had expired on 04/09, the rest expired the next day. Their management could use some work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyt36 Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Listed for sale, with conceptual renderings http://swamplot.com/downtown-houstons-foremost-abandoned-building-now-listed-for-sale/2018-04-25/ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 8 minutes ago, mattyt36 said: Listed for sale, with conceptual renderings http://swamplot.com/downtown-houstons-foremost-abandoned-building-now-listed-for-sale/2018-04-25/ Ok, now I'm wondering if I'm living in a simulation. This good news... then Kinder donates $70 million to the Memorial Park... then TMC3... then innovation tech hub in Midtown. It's been a good month for Houston, guys. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 ...Jones Plaza, Barbara Bush Literary Plaza at the Main Library to name a couple more of this week's simulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 It’s only good news if it sells to a new owner who has immediate plans to do something with this property. Hopefully, a new owner with vision can make it into something great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisibletrees Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 1 minute ago, UtterlyUrban said: It’s only good news if it sells to a new owner who has immediate plans to do something with this property. Hopefully, a new owner with vision can make it into something great. Make it our next building implosion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 3 minutes ago, invisibletrees said: Make it our next building implosion. Even that would be preferable, in my opinion, to what exists there now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 Surely whoever buys this would renovate, right? Is this lot really good enough to demo and build something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 31 minutes ago, Naviguessor said: ...Jones Plaza, Barbara Bush Literary Plaza at the Main Library to name a couple more of this week's simulation. Ah, I knew I was forgetting something. All in one month!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbro Posted April 25, 2018 Share Posted April 25, 2018 59 minutes ago, mattyt36 said: Listed for sale, with conceptual renderings http://swamplot.com/downtown-houstons-foremost-abandoned-building-now-listed-for-sale/2018-04-25/ The rendering looks good. Let's do it! Any buyers??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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