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House Of Glass At 3319 Louisiana St.


CrockpotandGravel

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This thread was originally created September 28, 2019. I'm reposting / reupping this because this post and other content from me are no longer available on the forum due to a mod removing my account and its content in "error".  An archive link is coming soon.



3319 Louisiana Street in Midtown, Houston. This is on the corner of Louisiana and Francis St.


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Aerial view

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Street view from December 2018


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View on Francis St

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This was originally posted  September 28, 2019 in the previous thread for 3319 Louisiana St. It's being reposted / reupped since the original thread and other content from me were removed. 





3319 Louisiana St in Midtown Houston previously housed House of Glass until 2013.

The property has been on and off the market for sale & lease since 2014.


Various listings posted to Loopnet:



https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/18803229/3319-Louisiana-Street-Houston-TX/

https://www.loopnet.com/listing/3319-louisiana-st-houston-tx/11758538/

https://www.loopnet.com/listing/3319-louisiana-st-houston-tx/11746491/



From the listings:

Total Size: 11,200 sqft
Year Constructed: 1969
Building Class: C


 

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This was originally posted  September 28, 2019 in the previous thread for 3319 Louisiana St. It's being reposted / reupped since the original thread and other content from me were removed. 



 

A variance request for 3319 Louisiana was submitted recently to the city of Houston Planning Commission.

The owner of the Midtown Houston property is requesting a variance to allow structural renovations to an existing building within the required 10’ building lines along Louisiana Street & Francis Street. 

The two-story building will be repurposed into a restaurant. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture is designing the project.




Here are the details from the variance request:


Specific Variance is being sought and extent of variance:

To allow a portion of the existing building that encroaches into the required building line to be reconstructed in a way that replaces the structural elements of the encroachment; To allow an existing building in the visibility triangle

 
Chapter 42 Reference:
42-155 The building line requirement for a tract used or to be used for other than single-family residential purposes  adjacent to a street that is a collector street or local street that is not an alley shall be ten feet unless otherwise required or authorized by this chapter. 42 -161 The building line for property adjacent to two intersecting streets shall not
encroach into any visibility triangle, the triangular area adjacent to the intersection of any street established by measuring a distance of 15 feet from the point of intersection of two streets along the right-of-way of each of the intersecting streets and connecting the ends of each measured distance, to assure adequate visibility sight lines for vehicular traffic approaching the intersection. The maximum height of the visibility triangle shall be 20 feet as measured vertically from the ground. 
 


 

(1b) Strict application would make this project infeasible due to the existence of unusual physical characteristics that affect the property in question, or would create an impractical development or one  otherwise contrary to sound public policy;

This is the site of a two-story retail building that was constructed in 1969. Like many old buildings in the Midtown, it is built  very close to the property line. Along Louisiana Street, the building is approximately 1.1’ from the property line and 12’9” from the back of curb. The ordinance required setback is 10’ on Louisiana. Along Francis Street, the building is approximately 0.8’ from the property line and 11’11” from the back of curb. The ordinance required building line is 10’ on Francis Street. The developer wishes to adaptively reuse this building for an attractive new restaurant. The developer is proposing some changes to the building in order to improve the experience a pedestrian has with the building. The developer is also modernizing the look of the building in an interesting way. This includes adding extra windows by removing portions of the existing façade. In addition, a perforated screen along portions of each frontage of the building will be added in order to make the walk more interesting for pedestrians and prevent any blank walls along the building perimeter. In order to accommodate the new entry at the corner of Francis and Louisiana, the existing structural corner  column will need to be removed and relocated, which can be seen on the elevations provided. A variance for the visibility triangle at the corner of Louisiana and Francis will also be needed. Since the opposing traffic will be coming from the south and Louisiana is a one way street, the visibility triangle is not needed. This building has been here for 50 years with no visibility problems. 



(2) The circumstances supporting the granting of the variance are not the result of a hardship created or imposed by the applicant; 

This building was built well before the city’s first development ordinance was passed. It has been used for retail since it was constructed and was designed as such. Since the developer wishes to us it as a restaurant, adding more windows and an attractive entry at the corner is prudent considering what we know about activating the street and protecting pedestrian safety through the use of added glazing along both frontages. 


 
(4) The granting of the variance will not be injurious to the public health, safety or welfare;

Enhancing the pedestrian realm will encourage walkability thus promoting health, safety and welfare. Reusing this  building instead of letting it sit vacant will also get more eyes on the street, which makes this already heavily traveled area safer for everyone. 


 
(5) Economic hardship is not the sole justification of the variance.

The justification  of the variance is allowing this vacant building to be remodeled in a way that allows for the new user to  properly utilize the building for a restaurant. Removing part of the façade and replacing with windows will allow natural light to enter and enhance the restaurant experience, while also getting more eyes on the street, which enhances pedestrian safety. 



 

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This was originally posted  September 28, 2019 in the previous thread for 3319 Louisiana St. It's being reposted / reupped since the original thread and other content from me were removed. 




Included in the variance request documents for 3319 Louisiana, a site plan for the adaptive reuse of this two-story building in Midtown, Houston.

The two-story building will be repurposed into a restaurant. Michael Hsu Office of Architecture is designing the project.


This was submitted recently to the city of Houston Planning Commission. It will go before the commission in October.




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(direct link to full size, non-compressed image)



 

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This was in the previous thread for 3319 Louisiana St. It's being reposted / reupped since the original thread and other content from me were removed. 
 




Originally posted by Crockpotandgravel, September 30, 2019 in the thread for 3319 Louisiana St.



 

  On 9/30/2019 at 1:03 AM, Urbannizer said:

Michael Hsu is listed as the architect, so this should be good. (-:




It should be!

I haven't disliked any Michael Hsu designed buildings yet. 

I love these few blocks of Midtown. The buildings I think were intentionally designed to give a feel of New Orleans. So, I can't wait to see how the finished look will turn out. 




 

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  • The title was changed to 3319 Louisiana St.
  • The title was changed to House Of Glass At 3319 Louisiana St.

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