Multifamily At 2706 White Oak Dr.

[J008]

Saw this posted on the chronicle. It looks like good news to me.

http://blogs.chron.com/peep/2010/07/fitzgeralds.html

[Angostura]

 

(Former) owner speculating that the building will be torn down after the new year.

 

https://www.chron.com/life/article/Long-time-Houston-music-venue-set-to-shutter-13444663.php

 

 

[mkultra25]

I can't say I'll be surprised if it's demoed, but that doesn't make the situation suck any less. The building is 100 years old and has a long history that predates Fitzgerald's. It's too bad that another solution can't be found to repurpose it instead of replacing it. But the time for that would've been before the building was sold to someone who, as Sara points out, paid a lot of money for the land and will be looking for a return on that investment. Kudos to her for cashing out to a comfortable retirement after 42 years - I imagine by the time I'm her age, leaving Houston for Seguin or someplace similar will have likewise begun to seem quite appealing. 

[HouKev]

I drove by Fitzgerald’s this evening and construction fencing is up around the property as well as what appears to be the two residential properties immediately behind Fitzgerald’s on E 6 1/2 st. I’m speculating, but it looks like in preparation for demo of at least some of the structures if not all.

 

That’s a big plot of land if combined. Has anyone found anything on what is planned?

Edited April 18, 2019 by HouKev

[samagon]

18 hours ago, HouKev said:

I drove by Fitzgerald’s this evening and construction fencing is up around the property as well as what appears to be the two residential properties immediately behind Fitzgerald’s on E 6 1/2 st. I’m speculating, but it looks like in preparation for demo of at least some of the structures if not all.

 

That’s a big plot of land if combined. Has anyone found anything on what is planned?

 

sadness.

[Evil Developer]

i believe this is the same owner that bought the strip just west of this with public house, barnaby's, etc. in it, as well as the construction on the south side of WO, and the automated parking garage as well.  

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

apartments are going up here.

 

I took one last walk-through of Fitz in early January, chatting with Sarah's son. He said she's opening an events center in Seguin.

[gene]

long live Fitzgeralds... loved that place and it was home to most of my favorite concerts ever by my best friends band Blue October...

I had at one point spoke to them about playing one last special show before it closed but it just never worked out.

 

[native_Houstonian]

Fitzgerald's was originally the Polish Home.  My father told stories of dances and parties there.  Best story was either during or right after WWII.   He and his cousin were at a dance there, and while dancing, his cousin hit a girl's leg and tore her stockings.   The girl's date insisted that he pay for the stockings as there were expensive and hard to come by.   A fight ensued at the top of the stairs, punches were thrown, and the date fell down one side of the stairs and my dad and his cousin ran down the other. 

[samagon]

On 5/9/2019 at 9:20 AM, native_Houstonian said:

Fitzgerald's was originally the Polish Home.  My father told stories of dances and parties there.  Best story was either during or right after WWII.   He and his cousin were at a dance there, and while dancing, his cousin hit a girl's leg and tore her stockings.   The girl's date insisted that he pay for the stockings as there were expensive and hard to come by.   A fight ensued at the top of the stairs, punches were thrown, and the date fell down one side of the stairs and my dad and his cousin ran down the other. 

 

something as old and unique as this building, and let's tear it down, but all those bungalows that look exactly the same, we need to preserve those. what a joke, and what a waste.

[Ginger Meyer]

The demo of this was not even permitted. Nor is their plans for a 75' tall parking garage (I just came from a lunch were they talked about their plans for this). What a shame. Hopefully neighborhood will push back on a 5-7 story parking garage being built on this corner.

[BeerNut]

 

[Angostura]

On 5/16/2019 at 5:52 PM, Ginger Meyer said:

The demo of this was not even permitted. Nor is their plans for a 75' tall parking garage (I just came from a lunch were they talked about their plans for this). What a shame. Hopefully neighborhood will push back on a 5-7 story parking garage being built on this corner.

 

The demo WAS permitted, but not as Fitz's original address (2706 White Oak), but rather as 615 Studewood. Permit was issued in April.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

my buddy Chris played at the venue across the street from Fitz yesterday. He took this pic. 

[Angostura]

 

Apparently they meant: Easy Park is planning a retail development on [ano]the[r] property called Railway Heights.

 

Maybe they got confused because this particular Easy Park project is actually IN the Heights (though not particularly near a railway)

 

 

Quote

Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray's case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward — reversing cause and effect. I call these the "wet streets cause rain" stories. Paper's full of them.

In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know.

 

— Michael Crichton

 

 

[gene]

Wow so crazy to have lived a life of going to Fitz for almost 20 years to see my best friends and tons of other friends play this venue to see a completely vacant empty lot when i drove by this weekend! (so Fitz, their parking lot AND the 1 or 2 buildings behind Fitz on the residential street are all leveled and fenced in...)

It was kinda sad to see it all gone!

 

[Urbannizer]

https://theleadernews.com/mixed-use-development-targeted-for-fitzgeralds-site/

 

Quote

Clues can be found on the website for Verde Communities, a real estate investment firm that develops and manages properties throughout the Houston area. A page dedicated to “Fitzgerald’s at White Oak” shows a video montage of the former building, recounts its history and outlines a plan for the future – a mixed-use development with a multi-story structure.

 

“We hope this will include retail and multi-family residential uses, and perhaps a street level or rooftop lounge which, perhaps in a modest way, is an homage to the history of the Fitzgerald’s site,” the website reads.

 

 

https://verdecommunities.com/commercial-projects/801-congress-second-floor-houston-tx-77002/

 

Quote

 

Building Type: A new mixed use development project is being considered.

Stories:  The project is planned as a multi-story structure.

 

Year Built: The site has been in operation just over 100 years.  Sara Fitzgerald owned and ran her Fitzgerald’s concert venue on the site for 40 years.

 Year Renovated: We plan a new structure for the location in or after 2019, to include a retail operation at the street level of at least 7,500 square feet and possibly also a rooftop lounge.

 

[Urbannizer]

Project now includes the two homes at E 6th 1/2 & Studewood:

 

Potential name: 'Holcombe Heights North'

 

SubdivisionPlatPDF_Holcombe Heights North_plat_03-Plat 36X24 LSCP (2).pdf

[Angostura]

7 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

Project now includes the two homes at E 6th 1/2 & Studewood:

 

Potential name: 'Holcombe Heights North'

 

SubdivisionPlatPDF_Holcombe Heights North_plat_03-Plat 36X24 LSCP (2).pdf 505.08 kB · 4 downloads

 

 

Kind of a big deal. Here's why:

 

 

There have been two minimum lot size application filed that cover this block face (the south side of 6th 1/2). The first extended all the way to 9th St, between Oxford and Studewood, and (on staff recommendation) was voted out of the Planning Commission with this block face excluded, as it's predominantly 3200 s.f. townhouse lots rather than 6000+ s.f. detached house lots. The second covers JUST the south block face of 6th 1/2 St., and appears to meet all the requirements for a minimum lot size designation of ~3200 s.f.

 

However, these MLS applications aren't really about preserving a minimum lot size. They are aimed specifically at preventing development of this site. The MLS ordinance requires that if a parcel current (or, in the case of vacant land, most recent) use is single family residential, it must remain single family residential for the duration of the MLS protection. This a replat of three 6250 s.f. lots into a single unrestricted reserve. The third lot from the corner (738) is already classified as commercial, but the other two were designated as A1 (Residential, single family) at the time of demolition, and hadn't been replatted when the application was submitted.

 

So, if this replat is approved, whatever happens with the MLS application won't affect the development of this site. If it's rejected, I expect the developer to challenge the classification of the two lots on the corner (742 and 746), as the have already filed a statement from Sara Fitzgerald that these properties were used for commercial purposed related to Fitzgerald's activities. Failing that, they may opt to challenge the entire MLS process as an illegal form of zoning, since it applies land use restrictions on property but wasn't subject to a city-wide referendum.

[CrockpotandGravel]

7 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

Project now includes the two homes at E 6th 1/2 & Studewood:

 

Potential name: 'Holcombe Heights North'

 

SubdivisionPlatPDF_Holcombe Heights North_plat_03-Plat 36X24 LSCP (2).pdf 505.08 kB · 5 downloads

 

4 minutes ago, Angostura said:

 

 

Kind of a big deal. Here's why:

 

 

There have been two minimum lot size application filed that cover this block face (the south side of 6th 1/2). The first extended all the way to 9th St, between Oxford and Studewood, and (on staff recommendation) was voted out of the Planning Commission with this block face excluded, as it's predominantly 3200 s.f. townhouse lots rather than 6000+ s.f. detached house lots. The second covers JUST the south block face of 6th 1/2 St., and appears to meet all the requirements for a minimum lot size designation of ~3200 s.f.

 

However, these MLS applications aren't really about preserving a minimum lot size. They are aimed specifically at preventing development of this site. The MLS ordinance requires that if a parcel current (or, in the case of vacant land, most recent) use is single family residential, it must remain single family residential for the duration of the MLS protection. This a replat of three 6250 s.f. lots into a single unrestricted reserve. The third lot from the corner (738) is already classified as commercial, but the other two were designated as A1 (Residential, single family) at the time of demolition, and hadn't been replatted when the application was submitted.

 

So, if this replat is approved, whatever happens with the MLS application won't affect the development of this site. If it's rejected, I expect the developer to challenge the classification of the two lots on the corner (742 and 746), as the have already filed a statement from Sara Fitzgerald that these properties were used for commercial purposed related to Fitzgerald's activities. Failing that, they may opt to challenge the entire MLS process as an illegal form of zoning, since it applies land use restrictions on property but wasn't subject to a city-wide referendum.

 

The project has included those two homes since LAST YEAR. 

That was included in this thread along with other details until mods removed all of my content in early October.


 

Edited October 24, 2019 by CrockpotandGravel

[Angostura]

2 minutes ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

The project has included those two homes since LAST YEAR. 
 

 

Yes, but since they were never re-platted, they would still (theoretically) be subject to the restrictions in the MLS ordinance. Those restrictions were placed in the ordinance to close the "condo loophole," under which a lot that couldn't be subdivided due to MLS restrictions could instead be developed as multi-family.

 

At the hearing for the larger MLS area back in September, a large number of speakers supported maintaining the original boundary, and were clear that the application was intended specifically to block this development. (For example, the multi-family project on the corner of Oxford and 6 1/2 would not be affected.)

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted May 1, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.



An updated Loopnet listing of 2805 White Oak Dr includes plans for the Fitzgerald's building at 2706 White Oak. 

Shown on the map  where Fitzgerald's is located are plans for a future development.

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/2904-2920-White-Oak-Dr-Houston-TX/15766084/
(archive link)



 
 

Edited October 24, 2019 by CrockpotandGravel

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted May 14, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.


 

From Houston Chronicle last August:



The owner of Fitzgerald’s, the live music venue housed in an century-old wooden building in the Heights, has sold the property to a real estate investor who has been buying sites in the area to redevelop.

The longtime owner of the property and venue, Sara Fitzgerald, said Monday that she is still running the club at 2706 White Oak but is now a renter. She did not say how long she was planning to stay or what the future holds for Fitzgerald’s.
 

...The new owner of the property, an entity affiliated with a Chicago-based parking company, owns multiple sites along White Oak just west of Studemont. They include buildings on the north side of the street that house the Barnaby’s, Tacos A Go Go and Christian’s Tailgate restaurants. A parking garage is slated for the area as well.
 

The investor behind the entity, Jesse Levine of Easy Park, is also planning a retail development on the south side of White Oak and a project on Washington Avenue called Railway Heights.
 

Levine could not be reached Monday.
 

In 2015, another Easy Park affiliate purchased the Broadway Square Apartments, a 2,470-unit complex built near Hobby Airport by the late Harold Farb. At the time, Levine said that “in the very long term” a section of the property closest to the airport could be redeveloped.
 

The change in ownership of the Fitzgerald’s property from its longtime owner to Easy Park entity called Heights Studemont Purchase Company LLC was recorded in a deed filed last month in the Harris County clerk’s office. The purchase price was not disclosed.
 

The property also includes three lots on 6½ St. that back up to the nightclub. The entire parcel totals 36,750 square feet and has a market value of nearly $3 million, according to the Harris County Appraisal District.


https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Fitzgerald-s-property-in-the-Heights-has-new-13152404.php
 

 

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted May 14, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.

 

Houston Business Journal speculates on the future of 2706 White Oak Dr in the Heights, Houston. This is the Fitzgerald's building under demolition.

Houston Business Journal says the lot will become a parking garage, but I think that's wrong. Houston Chronicle reported the Fitzgerald's lot and the houses behind it will become some kind of new development. A recent site plan posted above shows this too.

The parking garage is going in at 2714 White Oak Dr, next to Fitzgerald's (thread about that here).

The automated parking garage was previously planned for the site of 2912 White Oak Dr or 2920 White Oak Dr (more about the previous planned location in the thread here).



From Houston Business Journal:


The historic Heights live music venue Fitzgerald’s, which closed with a New Year's Eve bash, is now being demolished, according to media reports. The longtime establishment is making way for new development — most likely an automated parking garage.

Sara Fitzgerald, the venue’s founder and former owner, sold the property in July 2018 to an entity called Heights Studemont Purchase Company LLC — which has the same Chicago address as My Park Easy, which also goes by Easy Park. From August through December, she leased the venue from the property’s new owners.

“I’ve been here 42 years, and I’m tired,” Fitzgerald told CultureMap in December. “You can’t stay up at four o’clock in the morning when you’re 70."

The venue, at 2706 White Oak Drive, had been quiet for more than five months. Since 1977, the two-story building that was formerly a Polish dance hall put on shows for up-and-coming and local musicians.

In the '80s, Houston Chronicle music critic Marty Racine wrote that Fitzgerald’s was “the most essential club to the city’s and region’s original live music scenes,” according to the Chronicle.

Another entity that shares Easy Park’s Chicago address, South Heights Purchase LLC, is developing a 10,000-square-foot building for retail — dubbed South Heights on White Oak — just steps away at 2805 White Oak Drive, the Houston Business Journal reported in July 2018.

Plans for South Heights on White Oak call for a 244-space automated parking garage across the street — where Fitzgerald’s used to be. Easy Park could not be reached for comment about Fitzgerald’s.

Easy Park purchases, finances and builds automated parking garages for densely populated neighborhoods, universities, mixed-use developments and other uses, according to its website. It works independently or in conjunction with established developers, depending on the project.

It’s unclear whether other developers are involved in South Heights on White Oak or if Easy Park is acting alone.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/05/13/historic-heights-music-venue-demolition-begins.html

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted May 28, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.



The building last known as Fitzgerald's at 2706 White Oak Dr in the Heights, Houston.

Photos of the demolition process.


******************
The Fitzgerald's lot is not becoming a parking garage but some kind of development, maybe residential based on rumors (posted above). For more on the automated parking garage going in at  2714 White Oak Dr, next to Fitzgerald's  (thread about that here). The automated parking garage was previously planned for the site of 2912 White Oak Dr or 2920 White Oak Dr  (more about the previous planned location in the thread here).
****************



From Instagram last week:


















https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxvw5FbpCOD/

 

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted May 28, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.




The building last known as Fitzgerald's at 2706 White Oak Dr in the Heights, Houston is rubble. 

Another photo of the demolition process, this one showing the building demolished.


******************
The Fitzgerald's lot is not becoming a parking garage but some kind of development, maybe residential based on rumors (posted above). For more on the automated parking garage going in at  2714 White Oak Dr, next to Fitzgerald's  (thread about that here). The automated parking garage was previously planned for the site of 2912 White Oak Dr or 2920 White Oak Dr  (more about the previous planned location in the thread here).
****************



From Reddit Houston this weekend:





 

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted May 28, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.




From ABC 13 Houston or KTRK Eyewitness News on Fitzgerald's at 2706 White Oak Dr in the Heights.

This is from their Friday evening report. There was another report yesterday, but ABC 13 Houston has not posted the video and transcript online. ABC 13 Houston has a habit of not posting all the news reported on air to their website. And that practice is pointless because they're a news station.



From the report (video is in the link):


Jon Garner, a local street artist, told ABC13 Eyewitness News that he plans to use the torn down wood from Thursday's demolition of Fitzgerald's for his future art pieces.

Garner posted about the demolition on his social media accounts saying, in part, "As a lifelong Houstonian and member of the local arts community, this venue holds a lot of memories for me."

The artist says the pieces he plans to make will portray the musicians, artist and rebels that graced the venue.

"Over the coming weeks, Artboy will be curating the hardwood floors, stairs, stages, and walls that held Fitzgerald's together, and will be using these historic canvases to create works of art that will be made available to the public," Garner posted.

https://abc13.com/society/local-artist-transforming-pieces-of-iconic-music-building-into-art/5314427/


 

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted May 29, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.



 

From Community Impact:

 

While the tear down of the longtime punk rock venue Fitzgerald’s has been underway since early May, permits officially were logged this week along with the demolition of two adjacent residential properties on E. 6th 1/2 Street and another facing Studewood Street.
 

The properties are owned by a holding company associated with EasyPark LLC, a firm that specializes in automated parking garages.


https://communityimpact.com/houston/heights-river-oaks-montrose/city-county/2019/05/27/demo-monday-fitzgeralds-rethink-coworking-space-and-more-houston-demolition-permit-activity-may-20-24/

 

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted July 5, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.




Here's more on the new development at  2706  White Oak Dr in the Heights, Houston. This is the former Fitzgerald's building. The development also includes two lots behind Fitzgerald's on E. 6th 1/2 St.

The development is from Easy Park in Chicago.

This comes from their other company Verde, which is their retail and apartment arm.


 

Just to the east of our planned garage, we purchased the former Fitzgerald’s concert venue and property. Given the site’s history and visibility, many Houstonians we meet ask about our plans for this nearly one acre site. Please stay tuned. We seek a development program sensitive to the rich history of the location and interesting given that this corner of White Oak and Studemont acts as a southeastern gateway to the Heights.


https://verdecommunities.com/retail/



 

[CrockpotandGravel]

Originally posted July 5, 2019 in this thread before all of my content were removed from the entire forum earlier this month. Reposting this throws off the flow of the thread (i.e. out of order),  still, it may be helpful for visitors to see what was previously discussed or shared before. I wasn't  able to retrieve  everything I contributed to this forum, but I'm reposting what I do have.




More on the new development at  2706  White Oak Dr in the Heights, Houston. This is the former Fitzgerald's building. The development also includes two lots behind Fitzgerald's on E. 6th 1/2 St.

This comes from their other company Verde, which is their retail and apartment arm.



Fitzgerald's at White Oak:
 

• Building Type: A new mixed use development project is being considered.
   
• Stories:  The project is planned as a multi-story structure.
   
• Year Built: The site has been in operation just over 100 years.  Sara Fitzgerald owned and ran her Fitzgerald’s concert venue on the site for 40 years.
   
• Year Renovated: We plan a new structure for the location in or after 2019, to include a retail operation at the street level of at least 7,500 square feet and possibly also a rooftop lounge.

 

We were privileged to have the opportunity to purchase the nearly one acre land site previously owned by Sara Fitzgerald, who managed the Fitzgerald’s concert and nightclub operations at the corner of White Oak and Studemont in Houston’s Heights neighborhood. Since our purchase in the summer of 2018, numerous friends and colleagues called to tell us about how often they attended concerts at Fitzgerald’s over the years.
 

We are planning to design and build a mixed use project for the site. We hope this will include retail and multi-family residential uses, and perhaps a street level or rooftop lounge which, perhaps in a modest way, is an homage to the history of the Fitzgerald’s site.

 

https://verdecommunities.com/commercial-projects/801-congress-second-floor-houston-tx-77002/


 

Edited October 24, 2019 by CrockpotandGravel