14th St. Fiesta Will Be An Old Folks Home

[J008]

Ughh... I will really miss this fiesta, as nice as some of the new grocery stores are, Fiesta has 90% of what I want, is usually cheaper, and always faster.

Edit: on another note. I posted the words "old folks" and now there is a romney add on the bottom.

http://blog.chron.co...ts-fiesta-mart/

Edited August 21, 2012 by J008

[mcook2002]

boo

Edited August 21, 2012 by mcook2002

[LTAWACS]

They should make it some sort of art bar...

[RedScare]

I think we can all give two thumbs down to this idea.

[Pleak]

I think we can all give two thumbs down to this idea.

The art bar or the old folks home?

[fwki]

OMG! 24/7 ambulance sirens up and down Studewood. And as soon as the dogs calm down, here comes the next code blue to continue the endless cycle.

[SilverJK]

They will be keeping all the original signage, and changing the "F" to "S"

[RedScare]

The art bar or the old folks home?

Old folk.

[Fortune]

Thats disappointing for the heights could have been a nice mixed use development.

[RedScare]

Thats disappointing for the heights could have been a nice mixed use development.

Well, actually, it Will be mixed use. You can use your wheelchair OR your walker.

[barracuda]

This is sad, I walk and bike to this store regularly. I'll miss the store employees, who seem genuinely friendly and *gasp* say hello and smile when you check out. Kroger could learn a lesson in employee and customer satisfaction, which would be nice now that they have the Heights surrounded.

[Ross]

There's still the fiesta on Shepherd and 23rd.

[JJxvi]

ugh

[callisthenes]

Hip Replacements: Houston Heights Not Just for Hipsters Anymore!

Too bad. It’s a great local store, friendly people and decent selection of stuff. In addition to a meeting place for local oldsters, they gave part-time and summer jobs to local kids too.

The demographics of aging Boomers will drive more of this type of development in and around the Heights.

[west20th]

Well, actually, it Will be mixed use. You can use your wheelchair OR your walker.

....or their scooter. Wonder if there will be any trouble with the scooter gang at 20th and Heights?

[s3mh]

I really wish that someone could have taken over the Fiesta and made a go of it at that site as a grocery store. HEB could have done well with a smaller store concept. A lot of people are sick of Kroger and would make a b-line to a new HEB in the neighborhood, even if it wasn't the usual 60-75k sq ft HEB. Maybe HEB is waiting for Fiesta to go under and sell off the W. 23rd store.

On the other hand, an assisted living home might be a pretty good thing for the neighborhood. The company that bought the property does upscale assisted living centers that look more like regular apartments/condos and do not have the institutional look of so many assisted living facilities. 14th and Studewood is a bit of an island for a commercial/retail center and is better suited for residential. As long as they stick with the plan to do 4 stories, it won't be out of scale for the neighborhood. I would think that W. 19th would be a much better location (haven't they been trying to sell the Baptist Temple for years?), but I am sure they will have a van to drive residents up to 19th and down to Kroger and Target to shop. If my parents ever lost their marbles and needed assisted living, it would be a great to have a nice place right in the neighborhood for them.

[j_cuevas713]

Well I guess I'm not against nor for this development, as long as it doesn't look like a spawling complex. Sorry Heights folks bout the news. And I hope the Fiesta in Midtown gets bought out as well, hate seeing a Fiesta sign flashing with our skyline in the background off 59. Tacky.

[fwki]

....If my parents ever lost their marbles and needed assisted living, it would be a great to have a nice place right in the neighborhood for them.

Private equity-developed nursing homes are becoming a "big thing", but statiscally patient care suffers compared to non-profits. For-profit institutions are more accountable for patient liabilities when the property owner/developer also clearly owns the operating company (due to exposure of capital assets). So I would be most interested in the business structure before depositing my parents at the corner of 14th and Studewood.

[largeTEXAS]

I hope the Fiesta in Midtown gets bought out as well, hate seeing a Fiesta sign flashing with our skyline in the background off 59. Tacky.

Them fightin' words!

[callisthenes]

As long as they stick with the plan to do 4 stories, it won't be out of scale for the neighborhood.

The neighborhood scale now includes the Studewood/11th condos, so does that increase the number of stories that are considered in scale?

Reads like it will be a box with Craftsman decor and accountrements:

"The property, which will be built in the Craftsman style to blend in with the neighborhood, will be about 80 units, including 20 independent living, 40 assisted living, and 20 memory care units."

[fwki]

Doing some arithmetic, I figure this thing is going to cost $10-15MM all-in. That is roughly based on 80 units at 800 s.f. each over four floors, basically a 16,000 s.f. footprint with a $2MM land cost and $140/sf construction cost. How are 80 old folks/couples going to pay for that on top of the high operating cost of assisted living? I know on a lease basis these homes can cost a tenant upwards of $15,000/month. I do not think it works unless a prospective tenant owns his bungalow outright and has a real nice pension. So the plan could be to fleece the Heights old-timers on their homestead, flip it for a profit then squeeze Medicaid, Medicare and the pensions to run the place and payback the bank for turning the Fiesta into a future haunted mansion. I wonder if they are hiring.

[heights_yankee]

I'm "eh." I hate to lose the Fiesta. I shop there for odds and ends, but not usually for my grocery list. However, I am really sad for people like my elderly neighbors who walk there for their groceries. There are a lot of elderly and low income that depend on having groceries within walking distance and they will be less independent now. Ironic.

[RedScare]

The property, which will be built in the Craftsman style to blend in with the neighborhood, will be about 80 units, including 20 independent living, 40 assisted living, and 20 memory care units.

So...anyone care to opine what an 80 bedroom Craftsman would look like? If they design it to blend in with the neighborhood, does that mean it will be single story in front, with a 4 story camelback in the rear?

[heights_yankee]

I was picturing giant, 2 story, tapered columns.

[SilverJK]

Maybe there will be a pudding and juice bar for all the "artificial hip- sters" moving in...

I'm also curious what a 4 story bungalow would look like.... I'm seeing a 4story bungalow totem pole in my mind... obviously that will not be what is built. I hope that they don't need all the extra parking Fiesta had and can sell that parcel of land between the bungalows, or turn it into some green space (Bocce and shuffle board!)

[houstonray]

Drove by tonight to pick up some things and it's officially closed up and dark. I'm sure demolition will come pretty soon, as soon as the store is emptied (unless it already is?). Farewell little Fiesta.

[Aviel009]

I actually liked that Little Fiesta - I hate to see it go...

[SilverJK]

that fiesta has been my go to place for the impending zombie invasion for years. Barred glass doors with metal garage doors, that is pretty dang secure, not to mention the supplies. The security was exposed slightly though after that person crashed their car through the wall so easiliy to get in to the pharmacy. (as long as zombies didn't learn to drive it would have still been good).

I wonder if they are going to move all the buggies to other locations, or perhaps just evenly distribute them throughout the neighborhood? (Fiesta is known for picking up their buggies I know)

[houstonray]

Yep, definitely missing it already. They had a pretty awesome wine selection (in recent months/years) too. Great place to just run in on the way home. I'll miss that about it. And the music was the best freakin overhead mix I've ever heard in a store. I would have bought a CD of it, ha.

[Eggplant]

This is the first rendering I've seen. It's hard to imagine how something this size would fit into the existing space, and it's hard to see how the design is "in the Craftsman style to blend in with the neighborhood."

What am I missing?

[RedScare]

Yep, definitely missing it already. They had a pretty awesome wine selection (in recent months/years) too. Great place to just run in on the way home. I'll miss that about it. And the music was the best freakin overhead mix I've ever heard in a store. I would have bought a CD of it, ha.

I'll miss it a little. However, the new Kroger is only a few blocks further for me, and the parking and layout of the Stidewood Kroger is very easy...much better than the Shepherd Kroger. And, the customer base is much better looking at the Studewood Kroger. The grumpy Heights residents don't go there. It is already my favorite grocery store.

[s3mh]

Fiesta has pretty much let its stores inside the loop fall apart while looking to the burbs for their market. With a little investment and some imagination, that W14th store could have been packed with shoppers. But Fiesta decided that inside the loop was not their market. It is too bad because it is now 3 Krogers (practically 4 if you count River Oaks) v. a tired HEB on 18th, another neglected Fiesta on Shep, Walmart and Whole Foods. The lack of competition from HEB, primarily, is not good for the neighborhood. And there are very few, if any, opportunities for a new store to go in anywhere in the Greater Heights. I won't miss Fiesta on W14th that much. It was about 20 years past when it should have been upgraded/renovated. But, I will miss the opportunity for some competition to the Kroger saturation.

[SilverJK]

I loved that Fiesta, and everytime I went there the parking lot would be fairly full and their would be plenty of people inside. I think the profit margins are simply higher in the burbs and that is where they are going with their stores. To valuable dirt sitting under this one. As far as Kroger goes... I will take the Kroger on studewood or 11th over HEB anyday. I used to go to HEB all the time, but the past 2-3 years their selection has got continually worse (HEB Brand duplicates of everything don't equal more choices), their prices aren't as good as they were, and their produce is downright pathetic (the new walmart has better). My experiences have been with the bunker hill and the west alabama one.

[Angostura]

[...]It is too bad because it is now 3 Krogers (practically 4 if you count River Oaks) v. a tired HEB on 18th, another neglected Fiesta on Shep, Walmart and Whole Foods. The lack of competition from HEB, primarily, is not good for the neighborhood. And there are very few, if any, opportunities for a new store to go in anywhere in the Greater Heights. [...]

...not to mention the Kroger on 43rd. Since they've basically missed the boat in the Heights, HEB would be wise to build something in the GO/OF area sooner rather than later.

I realize the rumors of a Central Market/HEB replacing the Sears on Shepherd were unfounded, but they'd probably do well there.

[TGM]

I've been told by the staff at Trader Joes that they are looking at opening 15 stores in Houston. One would think/hope that the Heights would be ideal for a TJ'S. That Fiesta may have been too large, but who knows.

[heights_yankee]

I've been told by the staff at Trader Joes that they are looking at opening 15 stores in Houston. One would think/hope that the Heights would be ideal for a TJ'S. That Fiesta may have been too large, but who knows.

But can you really do all your grocery shopping at Trader Joes? I haven't been to the Houston store yet, but from what I remember in Lake Tahoe (my only TJs experience) it was more convenience foods and dry goods, but not meat, produce and basics.

[Angostura]

But can you really do all your grocery shopping at Trader Joes? I haven't been to the Houston store yet, but from what I remember in Lake Tahoe (my only TJs experience) it was more convenience foods and dry goods, but not meat, produce and basics.

They do carry meat and produce, but, yes, in general they carry many fewer PLU's than a typical grocery store.

Also, if they come to the Heights, it will almost certainly need to be outside the dry area, since they do a brisk beer and wine trade.

[TGM]

TJ's is pretty good if you are entertaining and want to serve a variety of appetizers that taste okay without breaking the bank. Then again you could always go with Spec's in Midtown, but that would require going to Midtown.

[innerloop]

Also, if they come to the Heights, it will almost certainly need to be outside the dry area, since they do a brisk beer and wine trade.

I suggest the old Eckerd's location at Studewood and 20th/Cavalcade. Modern building, decent parking lot and it's wet.

Plus, they could catch all of the people on their way home from the two bars we're supposedly getting in the area.

[fwki]

That "5-points" intersection is crying for development. It would be great to have something to balance all the activity on the south end of Studewood. Decent restaurants come and go further north on Main, and an anchor would stabilize the commercial potential. There's a block-sized residential development just underway at 23rd and Main, accelerating the recent trend in that northeast quadrant.

[s3mh]

I suggest the old Eckerd's location at Studewood and 20th/Cavalcade. Modern building, decent parking lot and it's wet.

Plus, they could catch all of the people on their way home from the two bars we're supposedly getting in the area.

I thought exactly the same thing. However, it seems that Trader Joes prefers to be in or very close to existing strip mall developments. Even though they would probably print money if they took over that location, I have a feeling that it would be too far outside their corporate box when it comes to chosing locations.

[heights]

Did anyone else receive the "Save $25 on any $50 purchase" Fiesta coupon this week? I decided to check out the Fiesta on N. Shepherd as it has been at least 15 years since I've been in there. I was surprised to see that many items were more expensive than at Kroger. Furthermore, the selection was not as good as at Kroger (but this is understandable as it is a much smaller store).

One item that I did find was angel hair pasta nests, which Kroger stopped carrying several years ago. Unless I get another $25/$50 coupon, that will probably be the only thing that takes me back to Fiesta.

Edited January 19, 2013 by heights

[RedScare]

Fiesta has always been more expensive than Kroger. I only went there for convenience, and only for a few items. For real grocery shopping, I always go to Kroger. And, HEB is not really cheaper either. Only on a few items. What I have found is that some people have used their anti-Kroger bias to convince themselves that HEB is better. I haven't seen it, even though I'll shop at either.

[TGM]

In the past I always would find Fiesta to be cheaper on produce items, but more expensive on everything else. I stopped buying produce there because no matter what Fiesta location I would visit there would always be a serious issue with flies in the produce section. I never experienced this at Kroger, HEB, or Randall's. The occasional fly or bug is normal, but at Fiesta I was expecting to hear Charlton Heston to yell "Let my people go" at any minute.

Edited January 21, 2013 by TGM

[heights]

For those that haven't been by 14th/Studewood recently, the lot has been cleared -- Fiesta building completely gone.

[s3mh]

http://www.bridgewood.us/property-detail.html

 

It is a pretty crude computer generated rendering, but it is pretty disapointing.  Looks like an updated urban version of Century Village.  And the "Village of the Heights" just reminds me of "Village of the Damned". 

[HoustonMidtown]

Some more info/pics here:

 

http://swamplot.com/assisting-the-living-in-the-heights/2013-05-28/#more-62742

 

 

[J008]

http://www.bridgewood.us/property-detail.html

 

It is a pretty crude computer generated rendering, but it is pretty disapointing.  Looks like an updated urban version of Century Village.  And the "Village of the Heights" just reminds me of "Village of the Damned". 

 

Wow this is depressing.  The initial press release implied some craftsman style village, now the rendering literally has an ambulance out front.

[RedScare]

Wow this is depressing.  The initial press release implied some craftsman style village, now the rendering literally has an ambulance out front.

 

If you do not expect old folks homes to look like Craftsman bungalows, you'll find that you don't get depressed when they end up looking like old folks homes.

[s3mh]

If you do not expect old folks homes to look like Craftsman bungalows, you'll find that you don't get depressed when they end up looking like old folks homes.

 

The developers were the ones who put the idea of it having craftsman inspired architecture in the media.  But even if they had not, this is a complete dud compared to the other finished projects on their website.