Nate99 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Right across Crawford from the ballpark, there's a nondescript three story old white building that I never gave too much thought, but with the cataloguing of old buildings around here lately, I thought I'd look it up. It is apparently a prison, near as I an tell a private/contract place. Maybe it is a unit that requires some logistically convenient location to get to the courts, but this and the Federal pen on Texas Ave seem to be holding down some pretty valuable real estate. Anyone ever heard anything else about the place? https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7582722,-95.3562352,3a,75y,350.2h,78.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfHyg9TIT4jobWKTn3TEXgg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I have noticed it before. There is a big sign on the wall. It's probably not a prison as there are no bars, etc. it is most likely a halfway house of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 I have noticed it before. There is a big sign on the wall. It's probably not a prison as there are no bars, etc. it is most likely a halfway house of some kind. I walked by it yesterday, access is heavily, but discretely, very restricted. This is the only link I have found: http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/unit_directory/xm.html ISF's are evidently a treatment based short-term (but full-time) place for parole/probation violators. https://www.versustexas.com/criminal/isf/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nole23 Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 I've always wondered about this place but figured it was vacant. I can only imagine that many of these empty lots and smaller buildings will be redeveloped over the next decade with all of the new apartments, hotels, ect going up nearby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 12, 2017 Author Share Posted January 12, 2017 Driving by this place recently, there is a big construction waste type dumpster in the parking lot. Would be a great step for the area if this were turned into something that people visited willingly. EDIT: Found these from August, there were at least plans to close it, but can't find if they actually followed through. http://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/TDCJ-moves-to-close-downtown-Houston-lockup-9148332.php http://www.ktxs.com/news/texas-department-of-criminal-justice-to-request-budget-cut-exemptions/50768230 Quote "This would free up a site for commercial development that would be more compatible with restaurants and residential development and ballpark that are now its close neighbors," Whitmire said. "The new site is across from the Harris County Jail, a much better location." Quote The Department of Criminal Justice says those cuts would come in large part from shutting down the 450-bed South Texas Intermediate Sanction Facility in Houston You have to wonder how the whole downtown block market price dynamic works with the state/county owned property. Probably corruptly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highrise Tower Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 Demolition permit has been issued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 1 hour ago, ekdrm2d1 said: Demolition permit has been issued. If this was in any other place I would say this should be tried to be restored or remodeled, but with its proximity to the ballpark, and its rough shape it makes sense to Demo it. Do we know if this is for the entire block or just this particular building on the block. Is this more residential? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 4, 2019 Author Share Posted December 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Luminare said: If this was in any other place I would say this should be tried to be restored or remodeled, but with its proximity to the ballpark, and its rough shape it makes sense to Demo it. Do we know if this is for the entire block or just this particular building on the block. Is this more residential? It's the only structure on the block, but the rest of the block looks further divided. It would be interesting to know if there are still separate parcels/owners, or if the divisions are just remnants of old foundations hastily paved over. The cost of the demolition would take a long time to recoup through parking revenue, I would think, unless there is some other compelling reason to get rid of the structure and parking lot-itize it like Hines briefly did with the Chronicle building block prior to the tower construction. Apart from 81 five hour chunks of time per year, that area isn't short of parking options, which makes me hopeful that someone has a plan here, but I know nothing. To my untrained eye, the building looks to have been designed explicitly to be immemorable; I thought it was someone's storage warehouse for years, turns out it stored officially unsavory people for the State of Texas. Restoring it to anything interesting would not be faithful history unless it were heavily modified from something else to get to its current state, not that anyone seems to remember or care [edit - see below]. The covered sidewalk on the Preston side is nice for function (and I wish more of downtown had them), but form is pretty basic. This block has 4 adjacent blocks that are surface lots, 2 are part of the MMP grounds and one the back end of 500 Crawford apartments. Other nearby neighbors include the DeGeorge hotel (a homeless veteran outreach type facility if I remember correctly) The Salvation Army, and a bail bonds place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 /\ According to HCAD, there are still separate owners... 4 different owners on the block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 this building should have been redeveloped. Not torn down. I hate how much this city throws away good architecture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttuchris Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 I started this thread which has some history of the building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 11 minutes ago, Avossos said: this building should have been redeveloped. Not torn down. I hate how much this city throws away good architecture. Do we know that it is being torn down? I think demolition permits don't necessarily mean the building is being torn down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 4, 2019 Author Share Posted December 4, 2019 I retract my bit about no one knowing or caring about the history, that is interesting info. Not that it makes it an interesting building as it sits now to me personally, but to each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highrise Tower Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 Demolition should start next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 12 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said: Demolition should start next week. The full thing is coming down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highrise Tower Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 5 minutes ago, Avossos said: The full thing is coming down? I believe so. A Cherry represenative said the space will probably used for parking. He only took a guess though. This would indicate the whole thing is coming down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 2 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said: I believe so. A Cherry represenative said the space will probably used for parking. He only took a guess though. This would indicate the whole thing is coming down. 😪 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillip_white Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 3 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said: I believe so. A Cherry represenative said the space will probably used for parking. He only took a guess though. This would indicate the whole thing is coming down. I could support a parking garage with ground floor retail and top floor bar and/or restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 If there is no bar/restaurant in whatever building eventually gets built there, I would be very surprised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcal Posted December 5, 2019 Share Posted December 5, 2019 Someone making the bet about the Astros losing a big chunk of their surface lots from NHHIP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highrise Tower Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 Better view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate4l1f3 Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 If they go vertical here then the Civil courthouse building would probably be blocked from the view inside MMP. (These are the things I think about). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted December 6, 2019 Share Posted December 6, 2019 11 hours ago, nate4l1f3 said: If they go vertical here then the Civil courthouse building would probably be blocked from the view inside MMP. (These are the things I think about). Hopefully, it would also block the view of the county's horrible parking garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highrise Tower Posted December 7, 2019 Share Posted December 7, 2019 On 1/13/2016 at 7:37 AM, UtterlyUrban said: I have noticed it before. There is a big sign on the wall. It's probably not a prison as there are no bars, etc. it is most likely a halfway house of some kind. Someone helped me with this photo. Appreciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate4l1f3 Posted December 8, 2019 Share Posted December 8, 2019 On 12/6/2019 at 11:49 AM, Houston19514 said: Hopefully, it would also block the view of the county's horrible parking garage. Excellent point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 is this simply being demo'd and prepped for sale or has this site been acquired and is being prepped for development? I wouldn't be surprised if this was/is one of the lots Crane and the Astros et al have acquired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 32 minutes ago, swtsig said: is this simply being demo'd and prepped for sale or has this site been acquired and is being prepped for development? I wouldn't be surprised if this was/is one of the lots Crane and the Astros et al have acquired. That is a logical theory. Nothing showing up in the county records so far... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate4l1f3 Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 3 hours ago, swtsig said: is this simply being demo'd and prepped for sale or has this site been acquired and is being prepped for development? I wouldn't be surprised if this was/is one of the lots Crane and the Astros et al have acquired. This being one of Cranes lot was my hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted December 16, 2019 Share Posted December 16, 2019 The rest of this block has three different owners, none of them having the Crawford St taxpayer address that signifies one of Crane's properties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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