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The Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects, Houston passed the following Position Statement at its regular meeting on April 10, 2007.

The statement will be presented to the Mayor and City Council tomorrow, April 17, by AIA Houston member Peter Boudreaux, AIA, of Curry Boudreaux Architects.

AIA Houston

POSITION STATEMENT

April 10, 2007

RE: The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation Site Lease / Potential Sale

The American Institute of Architects, Houston does not support the sale and demolition of the buildings of the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation located at 3550 West Dallas.

The Center and the City of Houston are in disagreement over the validity of the site lease, where the Center's architecturally significant facilities are located. Invalidation of the lease may result not only in the destruction of the homes of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities but also the demolition of these historically important works of Houston architecture, which anchor a visible site in heart of the city. The current buildings and prominent site comprise first-class urban design and environmentally propitious use of open land, both concepts AIA Houston supports in general.

The Center buildings are important examples of the architectural trend called the New Brutalism. They occupy a significant place in the history of Houston architecture, particularly in the wake of the recent demolition of the Houston Independent School District Headquarters on Richmond Avenue. The New Brutalism was a modernist architectural movement inspired by the work of Le Corbusier that flourished internationally from the 1950s to the 1970s. New Brutalist buildings usually are formed with striking repetitive angular geometries and are often constructed of rough, unadorned poured concrete.

Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry designed the Center for the Retarded (1966), as it was originally called. The Cullen Residence Hall (1978) is the work of S.I. Morris & Associates. These architects are significant in Houston's history and these particular buildings are especially important because they represent a high standard of design in service to a community that has been traditionally under served. The buildings are in good condition and will serve their function for a significantly long future. Together Barnstone & Aubry designed several brilliant Houston buildings such as Rothko Chapel (1971); Guinan Hall, Univ. of St. Thomas (1971); Media Center, Rice University (1970); and 3811 Del Monte (1969). Both architects individually are also well-known for their work. S.I. Morris headed a string of firms (including Morris*Aubry), the successor of which is Morris Architects. The full body of Morris work touches almost all of segments of Houston architecture from the Astrodome (1965) to award-winning skyscrapers, to public buildings such as the Central Library (1975) to small houses.

Transactional costs for the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation to build a new facility will take away from monies and services that this special needs population urgently requires. The Center for the Retarded, a non-profit organization, invested $7 million (1960's dollars) in the buildings, which probably cannot be recouped (in today's dollars). The $26 million estimated sale price of the land would fund only a portion of the needs for a new facility of comparable size and quality. The cost of comparable new facilities would mirror the inflation rate of the land and construction cost. Loss of this site and its buildings would entail a substantial net loss to the Center and adversely affect its ability to maintain its present level of service.

Therefore, because of the outstanding architectural significance of this campus, the Board of Directors of AIA Houston recommends that the City of Houston renew its lease with the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation so that the Center may remain in its current location and continue to provide essential services to the citizens of Harris County.

 

Hanover Square

 

hanover-construction.jpg

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looks like the Mayor may be going after yet another facility with a long term lease.

The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation isn't the only nonprofit that faces an uncertain future because of a 99-year lease the city now says is invalid.

Next door, the Center for Hearing and Speech shares a building with the Harris County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority on city property leased for 99 years in 1965. The building sits on a prime 3-acre tract at the corner of West Dallas and Shepherd.

Renee Davis, executive director of the center that teaches deaf children to speak without using sign language, said she has not been contacted by the city, but she worries that her facility could face the same scrutiny as the neighboring center for the mentally retarded.

Mayor Bill White said he hopes the meetings will produce a fair policy that the city also can apply to other nonprofits such as the Center for Hearing and Speech.

White said he wants to develop a uniform policy to reduce the risk of lawsuits against the city claiming the leases are not valid, which could disrupt the nonprofits' operations.

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  • 11 years later...

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/10/11/city-of-houston-harris-county-to-sell-land-near.html

 

Quote

 


An entity associated with Houston-based Hanover Co. is expected to buy an inner-Loop tract of land for a new project.

 

The Houston City Council recently approved a deal to sell about 4.54 acres at 3540 W. Dallas St. to the apartment developer. The property is south of Buffalo Bayou near the small Autry Park and South Shepherd Drive. According to a City Council agenda item, Hanover R.S. Limited Partnership will pay $30.6 million for the land, and the city will split the proceeds evenly with Harris County.

 

 

30317107667_7017622f0d_h.jpg3540WDallas by Darius Fontenette, on Flickr

 

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20 minutes ago, Urbannizer said:

That's a shade under 200,000 square feet of land.  The bulk of Hanover's apartments in Houston are highrises, although I think one of the Rice Village property is a wrap.  I wonder if we'll see a highrise/wrap pairing given the size of this parcel.

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Excellent site, not far from the Light

House for the Blind. The view of 

Downtown is spectacular and

Hanover projects are equally

magnificent. The highrises lining

Buffalo Bayou are creating a 

Houston version of Central Park.

Centrally located in equal distances

from Downtown to the Uptown

District,as well Montrose and the

Heights. Its a winner for Hanover.

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They have been bullish on Houston for a while now, and have quite a portfolio of quality projects to show for their efforts. With multi projects in Uptown, West U., Upper Kirby, and  Montrose.  I hope they eventually get involved in Midtown and downtown. 

I'd like to see them develop a super tall mixed use in downtown.

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Surely this won’t be a wrap at almost $7 mil an acre, right? This is VERY close to my house. I hope it’s something good.

 

I should be able to provide construction pics anytime. If it’s taller than about 7 stories I’ll be able to see it from my couch.

Edited by jgriff
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  • 2 months later...

There are several different parcels of land and organizations in the area North of West Dallas and West of Tirrel. 3540 West Dallas fronts West Dallas and has been sold to Hanover. The plot at the corner of West Dallas and Shepherd has been sold for a new apartment development also. The plot referenced in the first post on this thread faces Allen Parkway, it is behind the Hanover property. I’ve heard that it was damaged in Harvey and has been for sale but haven’t heard that it has sold. 

 

I havent looked at the variance sign closely but I assumed it was in reference to the Hanover plot. 

 

Edited by jgriff
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4 hours ago, jgriff said:

A variance request sign went up this morning on the site.

 

I’m confused. The same sign is down the street at W Dallas & Shepherd. Same application numbers.

 

What does Buffalo Bayou have to do with this Hanover? Maybe it’ll be callled Hanover Buffalo Bayou?

 

The site address for this is 3540 and The Center’s address is 3550. Guess they’re as one now. This project will be amazing!

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37 minutes ago, jgriff said:

There are several different parcels of land and organizations in the area North of West Dallas and West of Tirrel. 3540 West Dallas fronts West Dallas and has been sold to Hanover. The plot at the corner of West Dallas and Shepherd has been sold for a new apartment development also. The plot referenced in the first post on this thread faces Allen Parkway, it is behind the Hanover property. I’ve heard that it was damaged in Harvey and has been for sale but haven’t heard that it has sold. 

 

I havent looked at the variance sign closely but I assumed it was in reference to the Hanover plot. 

 

 

Thanks!

 

I’ll post a photo of the variance sign so you can know more. After looking myself, it seems like it's for the Hanover Buffalo Bayou project. 

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37 minutes ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

 

I’m confused. The same sign is down the street at W Dallas & Shepherd. Same application numbers.

 

What does Buffalo Bayou have to do with this Hanover? Maybe it’ll be callled Hanover Buffalo Bayou?

 

The site address for this is 3540 and The Center’s address is 3550. Guess they’re as one now. This project will be amazing!

 

Im confused too. The apartments on the corner of West Dallas and Shepherd are supposed to be called Alta West Dallas.  I’m just glad there’s finally some movement on this area.

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