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WestMont: Mixed-Use Development Coming To Montrose


groovehouse

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Spec's is coming to Montrose!! Montrose and Westheimer next to Half Price Books in the shopping center on the corner to be exact. The space has stood empty for a while. Recently I walked past the unoccupied location and noticed a wall of coolers had been installed, my first thought was grocery store, but today on my way home, a sign company had plastered a paper layout on the wall so that they could install the electrical part of a new sign, I drove by slowly and barely made out the name of the infamous Rabbit's home!! Spec's Liquor Warehouse.

Let's get our drinks on Montrose!

:)

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It is my hope that they will push their food selection as opposed to their spirits and beer. The other specs is close enough where spirits and wines should be to take care of that. However, a high end deli would suit the community quite well.

Ricco

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Our neighbor says that it will be a Copperfield Liquor store, not Spec's. Are you sure it's Spec's?

I'm almost positive the sign said Spec's. It was an outline drawing of the sign, I was on Westheimer, but I'm pretty sure I could make out S-P-E-C on the first part, didn't look much like C-O-P-P-E-R

found this in another forum

It was originally a Copperfield, but Spec's changed it once the deal went through. I wouldn't get too excited though -- word is the selection is going to suck, and they will go for the $20 and less wines. Why, I have no idea.
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If this is so, it probably spells doom for that liquor store that opened last year at Commonwealth & Westheimer. Probably won't do Fairway (on Fairview) much good, either...

At any rate, Spec's seems like a good neighbor. They treat their employees well, and therefore the employees treat the customers well. I think they'll be a welcome addition.

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Well, they would be total fools if they don't include at least a moderately sized deli.

The area is ripe for one like that. While Krogers has a good selection, there needs to be more of a selection than what Randall's and Kroger's has to offer.

Ricco

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  • 6 years later...

I think there was another thread on here about this somewhere but I couldn't find it so I started a new one. I noticed Schlotzky's Deli in the strip center on Montrose and Westheimer is now closed. That just leaves Speck's, Half Price Books, and the Chinese place I think.

Somebody told me once that the owner was not renewing leases because there were plans to redevelop the site but there are "for lease" signs in the windows which leads me to believe that might not be the case.

With all the activity on Westheimer (El Reyal, Hay Merchant, Underbelly, whatever Mary's and Ruggles are being tuned into, Uchi, etc), it sure would be nice to have something cool on this corner instead of a mostly empty ugly old strip center.

I know the building has some historical value but to me it's just an eyesore now, and I'd rather see something on the site that doesn't have a huge parking lot in front so that it could match the vibe of the surrounding businesses.

Anyways, I think this corner has a lot of potential (and I can walk to it in about 10 minutes from my place which is a plus), so I wanted to see what people on here thought about what might happen with it in the future.

Here's a random photo of this photo from 2006 when I first walked by there on foot after moving to Houston and before I had a car. :) I almost forgot there used to be a Blockbuster there.

westheimer2.jpg

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Papa John's is still there. This really is a large piece of land considering parking lots both in the front and back, nix the Jack in the Box. I hope someone has a vision for this property as well as the old Skybar/Cody's building. Oh, the possibilities.

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Yeah so much potential. I'd also be interested to hear what's going on with the Skybar building. I noticed they have an actual security guard sitting at the front entrance which isn't something you often see with abandoned buildings in Houston. That building is already setup for street level retail and seems like it could make some nice offices or lofts, but I've heard it wasn't well maintained over the years. Maybe that needs a new thread though.

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Wish the "powers that be" would consider moving moving 1/2 price books into that old house next door to Katz's-- i think it would be a cool place filled with bookshelves. .lots of nooks to read in. . . it's a great ole house. .I'd settle for any business really. . . . . . . I'm always afraid that instead of renovating, those woeful houses will get torn down like the one by Indika.

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  • 3 months later...

I really hope they go for mixed use, and something that's at least 6 stories. Given the organic transformation that's already well underway in Montrose, this block is a golden opportunity to turn this neighborhood into an urban jewel of the US.

Whatever they decide, it's got to have both retail and residential!!

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Another case of lowered expectations, but don't care as long as it's at least 4 stories lots of parking. That building is one of the biggest eyesores in town. Bleh.

Especially if it's all retail and restaurant/bar, they could do something really smart to promote lower westheimer business and alleviate strain on residential streets with the right approach to parking. Sell weekly and monthly parking permits. People who work in the area can get a discount. Frequent visitors to the bars and restaurants in the can buy in advance at a discount. And otherwise use a premium scale; highest rates for by-the-hour on Fri/Sat nites, etc.

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I don't care if it's mixed use. Just have shops directly facing the sidewalk and stick the parking in back. That would make all difference in the world to the streetscape. A strip center with a parking lot in front will ruin the character forever.

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Don't expect anything soon. But hopefully the purchase and the potential future of this site will cause some actions nearby.

http://www.chron.com...p#photo-3108757

"It is clearly a mixed-use center that has a significant amount of retail in it," said Wm. Roger Gregory, executive vice president and chief financial officer forPM Realty Group, which purchased the property this month for an undisclosed amount.

But that's the future. Today, Gregory said, there's no firm plan.

The company is studying what to do with the nearly 3-acre property...

The 44,194-square-foot property is encumbered by leases for at least another five years, and Gregory said the company can hold it that long if it needs to.

Edited by lockmat
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  • 2 weeks later...
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any updates on this one?

 

When Kirk Baxter made his presentation to Neartown about the proposed Memorial, he said he had spoken to new owners of the property about the posibility of putting the Memorial to Mary's on the SE corner of Waugh and Westheimer so the glass would reflect the the renovated building that was formally Mary's. He went on to say the owners of the property had told him they are planning a 6 story mixed use project. He told us the owners seemed to favor his proposal.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • The title was changed to WestMont: Mixed-Use Development Coming To Montrose

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