j_cuevas713 Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 Welp this sucks https://www.chron.com/business/bizfeed/article/Former-Maxwell-House-plant-to-close-12848286.php?ipid=happening 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 Quote Ford built the original brick and concrete building in 1913 for its Model T assembly plant. Did not realize it had been around that long. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted April 19, 2018 Author Share Posted April 19, 2018 Just now, cspwal said: Did not realize it had been around that long. Me either. Let's just pray that a developer doesn't rip this entire thing apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 This side of town will never smell the same. That's a pity. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intencity77 Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 While sad, it was inevitable with the rising property values and the decreasing industrialization of the East End. It sits on a prime, corner property off the light rail line. Just hope a developer other than Lovett Commercial redevelops this property as Lovett has had a chokehold owning many of the big undeveloped properties here in the East End and really hasn’t done much but sit on them for over a decade plus. Only now is dirt finally moving at the old nearby Stewart & Stevenson site which Lovett owns. Hopefully whoever snatches the coffee plant property up, can preserve and renovate parts of the original building if at all possible. Sadly, no more smell of coffee outdoors. Living nearby the plant for 9 years now I’ve quite enjoyed the aroma unless it was being burnt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 coffee roasting can smell far better than ever came out of that roaster in the last decade. last I heard they exclusively made decaf at the plant and that most of the money came from selling the caffeine to energy drinks manufacturers. it's been an institution of the east end for a really long time, but I won't miss it too much when it's gone. I'm sure cost of land enters into the equation, but it has more to do with the cost to continue operating the machinery inside. upgrade the hardware to increase efficiency vs dumping the facility. add to the increased value of the land and we end up with it being more beneficial for the company to sell this facility and either increase capacity at other facilities, or build a whole new facility somewhere. sad for the people that will lose their jobs though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 4 hours ago, cspwal said: Did not realize it had been around that long. I did some work in that building in the early 80's, and saw some blueprints that had the Ford logo on them. The view from the top of the coffee silos was pretty amazing. I wish I had had a camera with me on one of the trips there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
native_Houstonian Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 My grandfather worked for Ford in that building in the 1920's. He lost his job when a block and tackle hit him in the back and he couldn't work anymore. I have a company picture from 1926 that I treasure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 5 hours ago, native_Houstonian said: My grandfather worked for Ford in that building in the 1920's. He lost his job when a block and tackle hit him in the back and he couldn't work anymore. I have a company picture from 1926 that I treasure. Anyway to share it? I love going over Houston's history. I embarrassingly even have a book on the history of all the roads in Houston. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Triton said: Anyway to share it? I love going over Houston's history. I embarrassingly even have a book on the history of all the roads in Houston. That's nothing to be embarrassed about. I bought the Houston Freeways book as soon as I could, as and have several other obscure books on Houston. I've spent untold hours at several libraries and online looking for pictures and such from the old days. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChannelTwoNews Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 1 hour ago, Ross said: That's nothing to be embarrassed about. I bought the Houston Freeways book as soon as I could, as and have several other obscure books on Houston. I've spent untold hours at several libraries and online looking for pictures and such from the old days. Same here. One of the best book investments in a book that I've ever made. I have yet to scour the microfilm archives in Houston for the Chronicle's back issues, but I can't tell you the hours I've spent at the George Memorial Library in Richmond reviewing the Houston Post through the 80s. Spent a fair amount in dimes trying to print off as much of the business coverage of developments from the period. Probably will again at some point as there's still a fair amount I want to print out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 A few years ago during a rainy day I decided to roll down the window despite the weather and the somewhat sketchy neighborhood to get a wisp of the coffee smell, but instead I got this nasty burnt smell (the same sort of thing I got when I visited Houston for a weekend a few years back and left the coffee maker on the entire time) and rolled the window back up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share Posted April 23, 2018 What do yall think could become of the site? I'd hate to see a developer rip this thing apart. If the Ford structure could be converted somehow that would be awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downtownian Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 10 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said: What do yall think could become of the site? I'd hate to see a developer rip this thing apart. If the Ford structure could be converted somehow that would be awesome! 100% wishful thinking but love to see a Pearl-style redevelopment similar to what San Antonio did with the old Pearl Brewery and Hotel Emma. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share Posted April 23, 2018 (edited) 1 minute ago, downtownian said: 100% wishful thinking but love to see a Pearl-style redevelopment similar to what San Antonio did with the old Pearl Brewery and Hotel Emma. Nice idea! I love what they did with that development. Maybe instead of beer it can be all about coffee or a coffee museum? Lol idk Edited April 23, 2018 by j_cuevas713 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 there's no guarantee that another roaster won't come in and take it over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 14 minutes ago, samagon said: there's no guarantee that another roaster won't come in and take it over. Boom town coffee could go national 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 2 hours ago, samagon said: there's no guarantee that another roaster won't come in and take it over. True - that's what happened when Maxwell House took its giant coffee cup sign and left Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted September 29, 2018 Author Share Posted September 29, 2018 It's weird how they're still open and I heard they're hiring. So what's the deal with this? They were supposed to let go of over 200 employees starting in June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedistrict84 Posted September 30, 2018 Share Posted September 30, 2018 I was thinking the same thing. I drive by there occasionally, and it still seems to be going strong with many cars in the parking lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 is it still operated by Atlantic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted October 1, 2018 Author Share Posted October 1, 2018 25 minutes ago, samagon said: is it still operated by Atlantic? That's a good question. Maybe they got bought out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broadmoorbroad Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 I didn't smell coffee all summer but have the past few nights. Not sure if it changed hands but it is definitely still roasting coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
u195596 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) I have a neighbor who works there and he said they will be open until November. He also mentioned that they are taking core samples of the land. Edited October 11, 2018 by u195596 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I'm Not a Robot Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I really hope that if they develop the plant and the surrounding land that it is treated like the Pearl Brewery was treated in San Antonio. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pitts Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 It's a nice idea, but the coffee plant is nowhere near as attractive as the Pearl Brewery. Once you gutted the manufacturing equipment, there won't be much to look at. Razing the whole facility and redeveloping from the ground up makes the most sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 1 hour ago, I'm Not a Robot said: I really hope that if they develop the plant and the surrounding land that it is treated like the Pearl Brewery was treated in San Antonio. It's such a great property. Turning this in to a mixed use development would be incredible for the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 On 10/11/2018 at 2:37 PM, Pitts said: It's a nice idea, but the coffee plant is nowhere near as attractive as the Pearl Brewery. Once you gutted the manufacturing equipment, there won't be much to look at. Razing the whole facility and redeveloping from the ground up makes the most sense. Right, I'd think the best we could hope for is that whoever develops the land (assuming it's retail, residential, or some mixture) makes a building that nods to the industrial and coffee history of the land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerNut Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 On 10/11/2018 at 2:37 PM, Pitts said: It's a nice idea, but the coffee plant is nowhere near as attractive as the Pearl Brewery. Once you gutted the manufacturing equipment, there won't be much to look at. Razing the whole facility and redeveloping from the ground up makes the most sense. The Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC is another cool re-purposed manufacturing space. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ehbowen Posted June 6, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted June 6, 2019 I was at the plant during its last six weeks of operation as a producing facility (barring some form of divine intervention, of course!). Still see the towers standing; not sure of the status of sale/demolition. A view looking towards downtown from the top of the storage tower, shortly after sunrise on my final day: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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