1114 Yale St.

[verklempt]

Anybody have any idea what is going on with the building on the southeast corner of 12th and Yale? It is across the street from the Heights Fire Station. It appears to have been in the past a commercial property. Now the windows are all boarded up and it looks to be in pretty bad condition. I can't find much information googling on my own.

[Ross]

Try searching for the current owner (available from hcad) on google, adding the search term wysk as well. The property address is 1144 Yale. Wysk provides information on corporations.

[verklempt]

It says that it is owned by 1144 Yale, LLC which is owned by a lawyer in Houston. Hmmm. 

[Ross]

If you dig further, you will find that the principals listed for that llc were married, and that the wife was the daughter of the previous owner. There's additional information if you dig further in Wysk, HCAD, and search on the names of the principals.

[Purpledevil]

Isn't this one still a shell of a building? It caught fire back in the 90's (HFD #14 was still open at the time) and ended up gutted. Can not for the life of me remember why it took so long to put out the fire, being directly across the street from the fire station. As I recall, it wasn't long afterwards that #14 rang its final bell and closed the doors.

[verklempt]

We peeked inside last night just to see what was in there. It's just old and decrepit, nothing really in there. Interesting that it was in a fire. 

 

I looked up the names of the owners. Both lawyers, the wife passed away about two years ago. The husband still owns real estate and other businesses in Houston. The building has a commercial component and garden apartments. 

 

It just looks like it could be an awesome project, but it's just sitting there not doing anything. 

[IronTiger]

Is this thread about the same building?

[verklempt]

No, I'm talking about this building:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nxtzef7v39o5c7m/Screenshot%202014-07-07%2008.50.16.png

[Angostura]

I recall looking into this a while ago. I think the red brick building in the middle was once a grocery store or pharmacy.

 

1144 Yale LLC owns the buildings on the corner and the vacant lot immediately south (6600 s.f.). The combined property tax valuations went up 50% this year.

 

I like the zero-foot setback, and think it makes an interesting site for commercial development. In any potential development, I'd guess the building with the pink wooden siding would be sacrificed for additional parking. A ground floor restaurant, for example, would need at least 40 off-street spaces to be permitted. 

[Purpledevil]

The red building in verklempt's pic is the one that burned back in the 90's. That is why it was repainted red and has the windows covered up. The interior of the red building was destroyed and the roof collapsed. Before the exterior "facelift" was done to it about 15 years ago, the window holes were wide open and you could see the sky. Prior to the fire, it was an old apartment house.

The actual corner building has the look of an old grocery store, but I don't remember it as such. That had to be before my time. IIRC, it housed a sewing machine sales and repair shop in the early 80's.

Edited July 7, 2014 by Purpledevil

[verklempt]

Very interesting! The one on the corner does not seem damaged, so it makes sense that the fire was in the middle building. On google earth it appears that the roof has been fixed. The building on the far left in my picture is a residence and people appear to be living in it. I wonder if they know anything about the adjacent buildings.

 

I get way ahead of myself with these things, but I always have dreams of renovating something like that into an office building or a mixed use residential/office space. I guess I can dream.

[verklempt]

I recall looking into this a while ago. I think the red brick building in the middle was once a grocery store or pharmacy.

 

1144 Yale LLC owns the buildings on the corner and the vacant lot immediately south (6600 s.f.). The combined property tax valuations went up 50% this year.

 

I like the zero-foot setback, and think it makes an interesting site for commercial development. In any potential development, I'd guess the building with the pink wooden siding would be sacrificed for additional parking. A ground floor restaurant, for example, would need at least 40 off-street spaces to be permitted. 

 

What would an office/residence parking requirements be? What else did you find out when you were looking into it? It seems like a great location.

[Texasota]

All three buildings are in the historic district so it's unlikely one could be demolished. The owner would get a 40% discount on parking requirements though.

[s3mh]

A year or two ago, people were getting tired of the owner failing to clean up graffiti.  I heard that there was some sort of probate issue over who controlled the property.  Seems like that has been resolved.  Someone has been pretty quick to paint over the graffiti. 

 

If residential real estate prices continue to climb, I would think that some sort of loft style residential condo development would do well there.  The parking minimums make it impossible to do anything commercial, other than minimal office space.

[Texasota]

I wonder if parking could be made to work for retail purposes. There is some room behind the buildings for a small lot, and there's the vacant lot across the street. Maybe a parking agreement could be made with the Houston Heights Association. (They own the fire station.) From a rough google measure it looks like the combined footprint of the three buildings is around 6500 sf. If we assume that's all taken up by restaurant space (at 10 spaces per 1000 sf), that comes out to 65 spaces. Since these are contributing buildings in a historic district, they would get a 40% discount resulting in 39 required spaces. They could also get a 10% discount for bike parking which would take them down to 33. (I think you can combine them like that; could be wrong though.)

 

I think there's probably room for around 16 spaces behind the buildings, so they would need to lease the remaining 17 from the Heights Association. 

 

Of course the second floor would also need *some* parking, but not nearly as much. I believe office space is 1.5 per 1000 sf and residential is 2 per unit, so thats another 10 or 6 spaces, bringing the total they would need to lease/share to 27 or 23. Maybe they could even lease spaces from the city's silly little park parking lot across the street.

[verklempt]

What would be involved in trying to make something a commercial and residential building? For example, the building on the right as an office space for the residents that are living in the building on the left. Are there very specific or strict laws about doing such a thing? 

[Texasota]

I think the only real issues are:

• parking
• fire separation
• access/egress

Fire separation could be an issue if you mix uses in the same building, but I think it would probably be fine if you put residential in the pink building and commercial in the other two. They're separated by a windowless brick wall and a windowless wood wall, which I *think* would be enough.

[Angostura]

What would be involved in trying to make something a commercial and residential building? For example, the building on the right as an office space for the residents that are living in the building on the left. Are there very specific or strict laws about doing such a thing? 

 

 

Aside from building codes, since Houston doesn't have zoning, there wouldn't be any issues preventing it.

 

In this particular case, the exterior renovation will have to pass muster with the HAHC, since these buildings are contributing structures in a Historic District.  Criteria are based on 33-241 of the Municipal Code, but as long as the footprint and elevation don't change, it shouldn't be difficult.

 

It may (or may not) be necessary to seek a variance to maintain the zero-foot setbacks. If required, a variance will almost certainly be granted.

[s3mh]

Someone has submitted an application for a COA with HAHC for this property.  Sounds like commercial use, but no details available on line yet.  Very nice to see this property finally get redeveloped.

[Angostura]

Details on the CoA application for this property are here.

 

Full restoration of the front facade, some modification to the rear facade, including external stairway to the 2nd floor. No tenant or use identified.

 

Looks like materials are being staged across the street next door to the fire station. Not sure if the re-surface of the parking lot across the street is related to this work.

[verklempt]

Glad to see something happening to this property. I have driven by a few times and seen signs on it -- one for a cleanup notice from the city and another laminated sheet describing the original purpose of the building (it was called Fraternal Hall). 

[Orang Bodoh]

One night my wife was walking by there and put her nose up against one of the windows of the wood sided building because she thought it was abandoned.  But then someone else stuck their nose up to the window from the other side!!!  Nearly scared her to death.

 

Since I can walk there in less than 5 minutes I am now starting to raise my hopes about the kind of retail / restaurant that will go in...

[s3mh]

Looking at the parking, I would think that it would be a challenge to do anything other than take-out.  But take-out would be nice to have across the street from the park and a few feet from the boulevard.  I suspect that a mix of boutique retail and office will go in.  Very nice renderings. 

[Angostura]

Looking at the parking, I would think that it would be a challenge to do anything other than take-out.  But take-out would be nice to have across the street from the park and a few feet from the boulevard.  I suspect that a mix of boutique retail and office will go in.  Very nice renderings. 

 

 

Agree. Floor plans didn't look entirely conducive to a restaurant set-up. More like furniture store, art gallery or other low-traffic retail.

[Avossos]

Projects like this are awesome. I love that we now have a historic corridor and buildings like this can be reused - from downtown's historic distric to Old 6th Ward, to High First Ward to Woodland Hieghts to Germantown to Norhill to Heights East / Heights West historic disctricts. So cool.

[heights_dood]

I grew up a block away from there back in the 1970's. The building was used as an apartment building. There used to be a 2 story house in the empty lot behind it. That house actually had a cellar! By the way the house across the street from it next to the parking lot/green space also has a cellar.

Anyway I don't think the building was originally built to be an apartment building so had have some other purpose. Also, the parking lot/green space across from Milroy park was a junk yard at 1 time.

Funny how many of the cars I saw junked there would now be considered classics. Then was converted to a body shop (with no junk yard on the side). 

[s3mh]

It looks like this project may finally get moving.  There is an application with HAHC to make some minor modifications to the previously approved plans.  I had heard a few months ago that the project had fallen apart, but it looks like it is showing signs of life now. 

 

Just up the street, the old bakery/food distributor on the SE corner of Yale and 14th is finally getting repurposed.  I have heard that some sort of bakery/coffee/sandwich shop with a retail element is going to go in.  The building has been cleaned out and new windows are already up. 

[Orang Bodoh]

Workers have been in there this week, filling up a dumpster with debris from inside.  Seems like this project is in motion.

 

I live quite close to there so I am hoping it ends up being some kind of retail or resto...

[Icemanhorns84]

The sign for the property on the corner of Yale & 12th st. (1144 Yale St) is up and here is the page for the real estate listing. 

http://www.encorerealtor.com/commercial/

[Angostura]

Listing only mentions the 2nd floor commercial space. Does that mean retail is already leased, or being leased by a different agent?

 

 

[Icemanhorns84]

The sign on Yale St. only mentioned 2nd floor space being available.  I do not know if the 1st floor is already leased, or being leased by a different agent?

[Icemanhorns84]

New photos.

[Avossos]

This is a great project

[Angostura]

On 8/30/2016 at 0:00 PM, Angostura said:

Listing only mentions the 2nd floor commercial space. Does that mean retail is already leased, or being leased by a different agent?

 

 

 

From here: "Ground floor pre-leased to a well established designer plumbing showroom."

[Orang Bodoh]

The wood framed building next door just got torn down. 

[Angostura]

They apparently made an attempt at rehabbing the structure, but uncovered some previous fire damage. CoA for demolition was approved in October.

 

Not sure what's planned for the footprint.

[Evil Developer]

i'll bet its going to be parking...but i hope i'm wrong.

[s3mh]

38 minutes ago, Evil Developer said:

i'll bet its going to be parking...but i hope i'm wrong.

 

It will be parking.  They tried to do something with the house, but gave up when they ran into too many structural issues.  The biggest problem was getting to the side of the building that was just a few inches from the main building.  They would have had to jack the house up, move it over a few feet and then move it back after it was done.