List Of Things Demolished For Katy Freeway Expansion

[IronTiger]

Well, I had a breakthrough--the addresses are still owned by TxDOT, so reverse looking them up isn't too hard. Found lots of cool stuff in that process, like where the regional headquarters of Auchan were. I'm planning to actually make a page for this as I stated that I would do, so look for that soon!

[SpaceGhost]

Sweet new info on this topic.

 

 

Well, I had a breakthrough--the addresses are still owned by TxDOT, so reverse looking them up isn't too hard. Found lots of cool stuff in that process, like where the regional headquarters of Auchan were. I'm planning to actually make a page for this as I stated that I would do, so look for that soon!

 

Okay that's really peaking piquing my interest! I had no idea Auchan even had separate headquarters!

[IronTiger]

Yeah, all HCAD gives me is addresses, but I could look those up. 7887 Katy Freeway, based on the size and shape of the building and multiple results, strongly indicates it was an office building. One of the companies of those is Auchan Hypermarket, though that's not the first place they tenanted (other records indicate their predecessor company, Texfield Inc., was at 4700 W. Sam Houston Parkway North.

 

Since Auchan was gone by early 2003, it wasn't a problem for them when the building was condemned for construction.

[Tigerjag]

When the old Katy road was widened to make way for the Katy Freeway (I-10) there was a road side park on the south side of Katy road between Wirt road and Silber, I can't remember the exact location or I would nail it down a little closer for you. It was a very pleasant little park that had hills and gullies in it. When I was a kid in the mid fifties we went to church in Spring Branch and would pass by it on the way and coming back home from church. Some times in the summer my mom would pack a picnic lunch for us and we would stop on the way back from Sunday services and have a picnic at the little park. I remember one time we were there and a GI was driving his girlfriend around in an Army jeep and a boy ask him if he could climb a hill in the jeep that was pretty steep. I remember the GI telling him that yes he probably could but he would not as he could not take a chance on doing damage to the jeep. If I am not mistaken the park was owned by the Texas Highway Department.

 

I remember that park! I think I was only there a couple of times before it became part of Katy Freeway. We probably went because we knew it was going to be gone soon. I was maybe only 5 or 6 when we went there, but I found it quite memorable! Growing up in Spring Branch, hills were few and far between, so having those to run around on was amazing.

[Reefmonkey]

GESSNER DRIVE

a stand-alone restaurant at the northwest corner of Gessner and I-10 (don't know name)

unknown restaurant - Dewar's? Dexar's? Take a look for yourself

REI - Opened in the late 1990s, short lived

 

 

I think that standalone restaurant on NW corner of Gessner & I-10 was a Luther's Barbecue, wasn't it?

 

That unknown restaurant looks like a Demeris Barbecue (a couple other locations still open)

 

REI wasn't short-lived, they simply moved to Westheimer and Voss/Hillcroft in the early 00's and are still in business. They had a big moving sale, I got some nice gear at it pretty cheap.

 

[Reefmonkey]

The Fiesta at Blalock and I-10 lost a large chunk of it's parking lot.  They moved out and 99 Ranch Market moved in.

 

That's not correct. As a young fledgling environmental scientist in the late 90s early 00s I worked on groundwater remediation projects (to bring soil contamination levels down to safe levels for construction workers) at two spots along the railroad bed between Old Katy Road and the I-10 feeder road. Every month for two years I measured groundwater levels  at a site right there at Blalock, and the northwestern-most well was right at the southeast corner of the old Fiesta parking lot. I know what that lot was like before the expansion intimately because of that, and now I shop at 99 Ranch Market quite often. None of the the parking lot was lost to the expansion.

[IronTiger]

That's not correct. As a young fledgling environmental scientist in the late 90s early 00s I worked on groundwater remediation projects (to bring soil contamination levels down to safe levels for construction workers) at two spots along the railroad bed between Old Katy Road and the I-10 feeder road. Every month for two years I measured groundwater levels at a site right there at Blalock, and the northwestern-most well was right at the southeast corner of the old Fiesta parking lot. I know what that lot was like before the expansion intimately because of that, and now I shop at 99 Ranch Market quite often. None of the the parking lot was lost to the expansion.

You can compare on Google Earth how much was lost. Furthermore, a newspaper article at the time explains that because of that, it was restriped to take advantage of the lot they had left.

[SpaceGhost]

I have some further info on the unknown property next to 59 diner. I think it was mentioned earlier in this thread that El Tiempo Cantina briefly moved into the building before it was shut down. So I Googled the address for El Tiempo and found it was 8135 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77024 thanks to this page.

 

HCAD Results for the address show that it has been owned by "DETERING INVESTMENTS LTD" since 1990, and previously was owned by Steak and Ale.

[SpaceGhost]

I'm sure there's some way to edit my post, but I can't figure it out at the moment.

 

Anyways I have found confirmation of the name Dixies! Searching through pages of Google Results for the address brought back this page. Which gives the name of "Dixies Red Hot Roadhouse" Google gives about 5 results for Dixies and the address. Although Dixies was closed before the listings on the net became common place so it's not unbelievable that net listings wouldn't exist. (I'm trying to remember exact closing dates, as my family ate constantly at the 59 Diner next door usually at least once a week after church.) Googling just the name Dixies without the address brings back results for another location in Austin which has since closed. Although if you check out the Streetview the building is almost a carbon copy of the one on I-10. I wonder if it was an old Steak & Ale as well? Checking the historical view on Google Earth the I-10 location looks like it was the same building that Steak & Ale used, and was just slightly remodeled.

 

So I know what you're probably thinking so far. This is all nice, but it's kind of loose evidence.

Well check this out!

[IronTiger]

Actually, I did figure out the lineage of that location and did trace it back to S&A. But thanks.

[IronTiger]

I'm sure there's some way to edit my post, but I can't figure it out at the moment.

 

Anyways I have found confirmation of the name Dixies! Searching through pages of Google Results for the address brought back this page. Which gives the name of "Dixies Red Hot Roadhouse" Google gives about 5 results for Dixies and the address. Although Dixies was closed before the listings on the net became common place so it's not unbelievable that net listings wouldn't exist. (I'm trying to remember exact closing dates, as my family ate constantly at the 59 Diner next door usually at least once a week after church.) Googling just the name Dixies without the address brings back results for another location in Austin which has since closed. Although if you check out the Streetview the building is almost a carbon copy of the one on I-10. I wonder if it was an old Steak & Ale as well? Checking the historical view on Google Earth the I-10 location looks like it was the same building that Steak & Ale used, and was just slightly remodeled.

 

So I know what you're probably thinking so far. This is all nice, but it's kind of loose evidence.

Well check this out!

Oh! I didn't see the picture. I didn't need anymore proof, but that looks positively awesome! In a weird way, I'm glad I never saw that in person, its demolition would make me sad.

[SpaceGhost]

Oh! I didn't see the picture. I didn't need anymore proof, but that looks positively awesome! In a weird way, I'm glad I never saw that in person, its demolition would make me sad.

 

Oh cool! Glad you saw it. The sign was not demolished by the Katy Freeway Expansion but rather, when Dixies vacated the building. I don't remember for sure if it was El Tiempo, or the realtor who removed it however.