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1111 Studewood Place


maggie

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This property (directly behind Someburger), and its 2 adjacent properties to the west, have been vacant since I moved to Norhill 6 years ago. I queried PPNA about what they might know was planned for the property some time last year and the last post indicated the property was contaminated due to a dry cleaner occupying it some time ago.

I recently contacted Harris County and the City to obtain any information they might have about the alleged contamination and received letters from both indicating there was no record in their files about contamination.

So who determines if a property is contaminated? Why would the City and County not know if it were?

How can I find out how contaminated the property is and what that means to me as a nearby homeowner?

The property was sold to Natchez Properties LLC during this 6 year period and I have done a little research to try to find out what is planned there. This company, among many others (Airline Investments, Buffet, Inc., Pacemaker Homes, San Saba, Corp., L.P. Investments, Inc.), is connected to Joe F. Wheat.

Anyone have an idea about how I should approach finding out about the contamination and the plans for the property?

Thanks, I am a new poster but have visited this forum many times and appreciate all of the information and opinions offered.

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This property (directly behind Someburger), and its 2 adjacent properties to the west, have been vacant since I moved to Norhill 6 years ago. I queried PPNA about what they might know was planned for the property some time last year and the last post indicated the property was contaminated due to a dry cleaner occupying it some time ago.

I recently contacted Harris County and the City to obtain any information they might have about the alleged contamination and received letters from both indicating there was no record in their files about contamination.

So who determines if a property is contaminated? Why would the City and County not know if it were?

How can I find out how contaminated the property is and what that means to me as a nearby homeowner?

The property was sold to Natchez Properties LLC during this 6 year period and I have done a little research to try to find out what is planned there. This company, among many others (Airline Investments, Buffet, Inc., Pacemaker Homes, San Saba, Corp., L.P. Investments, Inc.), is connected to Joe F. Wheat.

Anyone have an idea about how I should approach finding out about the contamination and the plans for the property?

Thanks, I am a new poster but have visited this forum many times and appreciate all of the information and opinions offered.

There are way too many entities competing over environmental causes IMO. Between the City of Houston, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), collecting information gets to be quite a chore. And they don't make it easy either--their websites are not laid out in a way that makes obtaining data easy unless you know exactly what you're looking for or are a knowledgable environmental consultant. Good luck.

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The property is contaminated. It was a drycleaners years ago, and to get building permits the top 24" has to come off. Wheat has told me he is holding to sell to highest bidder.

In addition, the neighborhood in the area is extremely vigorous, and active, and has successfully affected the commercial development in the area. As such, I don't anticipate anything with a "less than extremely friendly" attitude about building in the Heights will be met with a warm reception at that location.

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  • 3 years later...

Anyone know what is being built on the big open lot between 11 1/2 and Someburger on Studemont? A black perimeter fence appears to have been put up today that I think says "cain construction" or something like that.

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Interesting timing - Because of the 11th Street road construction, the course for the Houston Marathon on Sunday has been altered from past years. The "normal course" takes runners north on Michaux, west on 11th, and south on Studewood. This year, the course goes north on Michaux, west on Key, and south on Studewood.

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I heard it was going to be townhomes several months ago from someone, but probably just hearsay. We'll see. I've seen several cars destroy themselves on the entrance to that lot (its like a 2ft drop off). This is going to hurt the parking situation for Decapos and The Brazlian Arts Foundation (several of us Capoeiristas parked in that lot).

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Interesting timing - Because of the 11th Street road construction, the course for the Houston Marathon on Sunday has been altered from past years. The "normal course" takes runners north on Michaux, west on 11th, and south on Studewood. This year, the course goes north on Michaux, west on Key, and south on Studewood.

Your explanation makes the most since to me. Come Monday it will go back to being the quasi waste dump big rig hangout that heights yankee more eloquently describes on her blog.

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Your explanation makes the most since to me. Come Monday it will go back to being the quasi waste dump big rig hangout that heights yankee more eloquently describes on her blog.

Well, someone on my FB page pulled the permit and looks like it is going to be mixed use. Someone on the blog commented that they heard six stories. I wonder if the Heights Assoc is going to address that like they did on White Oak.

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Well, someone on my FB page pulled the permit and looks like it is going to be mixed use. Someone on the blog commented that they heard six stories. I wonder if the Heights Assoc is going to address that like they did on White Oak.

wow. I just looked it up and seems there will be ~$3 Million of construction there they got there permit on the 20th so the timing is only coincidence

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Yeah, looks like its a mixed use development. The property is owned by these guys. http://vitanuovallc.com/index.html

yes their website is very strange, whole bunch of extremely non-specific hype.

"Novemeber 2010. Purchased land for development"

"December 2010. Completed design for latest development concept"

Picture of downtown Houston.

Thats it.

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http://swamplot.com/studewood-place-some-new-building-behind-the-11th-st-someburger/2011-01-25/

From Swamplot's article:

"They’re planning a cast-in-place concrete structure with an all- or mostly masonry exterior, containing apartments or condos and “some retail.” Also included: some multi-level parking and some “really cool green space.” Car entrances will be on both Studewood and 11th 1/2. The architect is from San Antonio; a local historical consultant is working to make sure the design is what the developer considers “period appropriate.” The long-vacant site is the former home of the Globe Laundry; the new project is registered under TCEQ’s Dry Cleaner Remediation Program, which the developer says doesn’t appear to require any solvent cleanup on the site. Vita Nuova plans to put a sign up soon announcing more details in the next 30 days."

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  • 2 weeks later...

I live about 1/2 a block away from the development, my neighbor (who is three houses closer) said he talked to the foremen on site the other day. The foreman described it as an 8 story project, we surmise two stories for the ground floor retail and six stories for whatever else. Have to monitor site to see how big the excavation for the piers are. It seems pretty big from my vantage point, but I'd like to see drawings; wonder if they'll match colors with Someburger?

Another thought about the "new developer", wondering if it could be a front/spinoff for an established company, since I imagine a start up design firm might have a hard time getting the financial backing for a project this size right off the bat.

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I live about 1/2 a block away from the development, my neighbor (who is three houses closer) said he talked to the foremen on site the other day. The foreman described it as an 8 story project, we surmise two stories for the ground floor retail and six stories for whatever else. Have to monitor site to see how big the excavation for the piers are. It seems pretty big from my vantage point, but I'd like to see drawings; wonder if they'll match colors with Someburger?

Another thought about the "new developer", wondering if it could be a front/spinoff for an established company, since I imagine a start up design firm might have a hard time getting the financial backing for a project this size right off the bat.

I heard it's the same guys who did 2727 Kirby. However, I am surprised if those guys have the capital considering I heard that high rise was kind of a flop??? On the other hand, there is another "developer" out of CT with the same name and it seems like this is a spin off of that group. Either that or these guys are 100% ripping off someone else's ideas.

http://www.vitanuova.net/index.php

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On the other hand, there is another "developer" out of CT with the same name and it seems like this is a spin off of that group. Either that or these guys are 100% ripping off someone else's ideas.

http://www.vitanuova.net/index.php

I see the similarities in the published profiles to "economically rehabilitate environmentally distraught land". The CT company looks like the parent which provides services to remediate, handle stakeholder engagement and market on behalf of owners of tainted properties. The plan here may be to remediate the dry cleaner contamination and handle the NIMBY's to a point where the property can be flipped for a profit or developed by the client.

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Anyone know whats happening with the SE corner of the street? It looks like there's some work being done on the abandoned building there (stone work and paint on the exterior). I thought I remembered reading about plans for a restaurant there a while ago, but haven't heard anything since... any scoop?

And, it looks like plans are moving full-steam ahead and quickly with the project on the NW corner behind Some Burger... they've already dug a gigantic hole that takes up much of the property. Looks like it will be used for underground parking or a deep foundation...

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Anyone know whats happening with the SE corner of the street? It looks like there's some work being done on the abandoned building there (stone work and paint on the exterior). I thought I remembered reading about plans for a restaurant there a while ago, but haven't heard anything since... any scoop?

Restaurant. Same owners as BRC.

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Restaurant. Same owners as BRC.

Liberty Kitchen, if the name stays ....

Were they able to work around the issues with serving alcohol near the school? I thought i heard something about the building being grandfathered in since it was there before the school, but i'm not sure.

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Liberty Kitchen, if the name stays ....

Were they able to work around the issues with serving alcohol near the school? I thought i heard something about the building being grandfathered in since it was there before the school, but i'm not sure.

Still gonna be Liberty Kitchen. If there were issues about selling alcohol, they would have never gone ahead with the project.

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Its within 1000 feet of Middle School property line. No way to work around. Can't sell liquor. If it going in, its going in without liquor.

Actually, there is a possibility to get around it if the premise derives less than 50% of its revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages, and it has a food and beverage permit from TABC. See TABC Sec. 109.33 (f). However, the 300 foot rule still applies. This property appears to lie within 300 feet of a public school.

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Actually, there is a possibility to get around it if the premise derives less than 50% of its revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages, and it has a food and beverage permit from TABC. See TABC Sec. 109.33 (f). However, the 300 foot rule still applies. This property appears to lie within 300 feet of a public school.

Maybe they will get around it however Paulie's and Lanier Middle do (I think they are a "club" or something). There is no way they are 300 ft apart.

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  • 1 month later...

Just drive by a bit ago and was surprised by how deep that hole is.

Maybe the perc contamination from the former dry cleaner is really bad. The site was listed in the top 5 priority of Texas contamination sites, and the remediation effort is underway. To quote cleantechnica.com " TCE and perc contamination is notoriously difficult to remediate. Unlike oil, which floats, TCE and perc are more dense than water. In an aquifer, they sink to the bottom. Further complicating the problem is their solubility, of which they have very little. Instead of diluting evenly through an area, they form plumes that contain a relatively small core of concentrated contaminants. The core is often difficult if not impossible to find, and it can continue to leach contaminants into the aquifer, polluting the fresh water that enters for an indefinite period of time. "

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