Settegast Estate Building At 242-256 West Gray Ave.

[Htowngirl]

There's a really neat art-deco-type property on West Gray near Taft that I think has some potential. It's about 6 or 8 units that run along West Gray with maroon doors with circular windows in them. Currently, there is a metal fence encompassing the property, making it look like there might be some plans for it. There's also built-in parallel parking in front of it.

It would be really cool as a group of bars/restaurants or maybe boutique stores.

Anyone know what it used to be? I haven't seen a For Sale sign on it, so I was wondering if anyone knew of any plans?

[MidtownCoog]

Sombody here has a scoop, becuase I remember reading about it on the old board.

[bachanon]

randall davis had control of the property and had plans for it; however, it seems that HISD has/had plans to condemn it. i may be off a bit. from what i remember randall davis had already spent some dough updating the building. i don't know who currently holds interest in the building.

[20sGirl]

There's a really neat art-deco-type property on West Gray near Taft that I think has some potential.  It's about 6 or 8 units that run along West Gray with maroon doors with circular windows in them.  Currently, there is a metal fence encompassing the property, making it look like there might be some plans for it.  There's also built-in parallel parking in front of it.

It would be really cool as a group of bars/restaurants or maybe boutique stores. 

Anyone know what it used to be?  I haven't seen a For Sale sign on it, so I was wondering if anyone knew of any plans?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is this the building?

Check ghpa.org under Endangered Buildings. "Current plans call for the Settegast Estate Building to be demolished for parking when the new school is completed."

I don't know how up-to-date this info is but it would be a real loss to demolish this for yet another parking lot. What is it with this city and it's love of the automobile?

[dbigtex56]

Projects such as this lend credence to those who say HISD has too much power, too much money, and a lack of accountability - on a few different levels.

Rather than using all that money to condemn land and buildings and maintain parking lots, why not use it for incentives for people to carpool or use public transportation? Of course we need schools - and what better place to showcase smart development?

[MidtownCoog]

What about the guy who recently fought HISD? Wish I could find a link.

Rumor is to keep an eye on the HISD property in Timber Grove Manner. Right now it's basically a nature preserve. Really cool.

They once tried to make it a bus depot, and now they are up to some dirty tricks again.

[WestGrayGuy]

As a neighbor of this building, I am afraid that it has been a victim of graffiti in the last week or two. This building was renovated by Randall Davis a few years ago and has lasted ever since with no graffiti. I was wondering when the tag artists would target this great building. Unfortunately it now has a Swastika and what I am guessing is the gang name of "Pelon" on it.

I am actually very upset with the plans for this building. HISD will use it for offices while building the new HSPVA. Afterwards it will become a parking lot.

Just what is needed, a viable storefront torn down to make room for a parking lot.

[Htowngirl]

Lots of history in this little building:

(more from GHPA)

Settegast Estate Building

200 block of West Gray Ave.

Greater Houston Preservation Alliance representatives have met with Houston Independent School District staff members to discuss options for preserving the 1938 Settegast Estate Building in the 200 block of West Gray. Although the Art Deco structure was restored in the 1990s, the building could be demolished when HISD completes the new High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. HISD took the Settegast property by eminent domain and intends to use the building as a construction office for the HSPVA project. Current plans call for the Settegast Estate Building to be demolished for parking when the new school is completed.

Streamlined detailing and oversized porthole windows distinguish the structure, which was designed by Moore & Lloyd, the firm of noted Houston architect Harvin C. Moore. The building's fluted, stepped turret is visible from Montrose Boulevard and marks the pivot point where West Gray enters the Freedmen's Town National Register Historic District. The building contains eight storefronts and was the home of Houston's Orange Crush bottling plant from the end of the Depression to the early 1950s. A ghost sign promoting the soft drink is faintly visible on an exterior wall.

Work on the seven-acre school site, which is on the edge of the Freedmen's Town district, has generated substantial preservation concerns. HISD has been criticized for demolishing historic houses and removing original brick streets. The most recent controversy resulted from a researcher's discovery of archival evidence suggesting the property contains Civil War-era graves of Union soldiers. At the urging of state Senator Rodney Ellis, HISD Superintendent Kaye Stripling has agreed to appoint a community advisory commission to deal with the historic preservation issues

[KinkaidAlum]

And this is why Houston is so damn frustrating.

They have already torn down homes and ripped up brick streets and now they want to tear down a historical building with tons of character and potential? And for surface parking?

This building is built up to the sidewalk and has great windows. With the area around it gentrifying rapidly, I could see some small independent stores opening up here like you see on lower Westheimer connecting well to the restaurants in the area.

Additionally, why in the hell would HISD want to put HSPVA here? It's current location in deep Montrose seems a better fit. AND, if they had to move, aren't there hundreds of vacant lots and surface parking lots just begging to be developed all around the area?

Hey, here's an idea HISD... place the HSPVA in midtown near the Ensemble Theatre and light rail. Hell, be proactive and build another theatre for high school and local theatre troop use. There's tons of vacant land and the location would certainly beat this lame-assed site.

[Houston19514]

^

Agreed. There is spot suggested for the HSPVA in the Main Street Master Plan. It would be nice if the various entities (like HISD) could get together and support one anothers' plans. I must say, though, that their current intended site is a whole lot better than the prior site they were attempting. I forget where it was, exactly, but I believe it was a wooded site quite a bit further out, possibly even outside the loop.

[largeTEXAS]

HSPVA should build its facility downtown. I went to high school there and would have loved being surrounded by the music venues, galleries, and theater facilities. The school has so many talented students and teachers; it would be a great addition to any neighborhood, especially a place like downtown.

[ssullivan]

HSPVA should build its facility downtown. I went to high school there and would have loved being surrounded by the music venues, galleries, and theater facilities. The school has so many talented students and teachers; it would be a great addition to any neighborhood, especially a place like downtown.

I work regularly with two choir directors that are both on faculty at HSPVA, and I must say that out of all the directors I've worked with in my life, they are two of the very best, and also two of the most enjoyable musicians to work with. I've attended recitals by some of their students and am always impressed with the talent of the students and quality of the musical performances. We've also had orchestras made of of HSPVA students work with my church choir on special events at Christmas several times in the past and if you closed your eyes you'd never know the wonderful orchestral accompaniment was coming from a bunch of 14-18 year olds!

I do think a Midtown or even Downtown location for the new facility would be ideal. They do need a new building badly; where they are now is way too small. But the current location for the new school is not that great.

[Htowngirl]

Well, looks like they're actually going to start doing something with this land. Also looks like the school is scheduled to start being built in a year-ish.

Excavation to start on HISD site

Civil War-era cemetery could be unearthed in dig

April 12, 2005, 6:13AM

By THOM MARSHALL

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Long-awaited archaeological excavations on the Fourth Ward site where the Houston Independent School District wants to build a two-school campus could begin by this summer under a plan detailed at a public meeting Monday.

See link for rest of story.

[Lowbrow]

Ut Oh! better cut that story back to a snippet.

[Trophy Property]

Well, looks like they're actually going to start doing something with this land.  Also looks like the school is scheduled to start being built in a year-ish.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Concering the original question of this post. The small tract at SW corner of Gray and Taft is being built on. It was an old Fish market or fast food joint. The building was demo'd about 6 months ago and the slab is about to be poured on a new building. It will be a 4-5k SF building and according to the sign out front it is going to be a Cleaners.

Directly across Gray at the NW corner is an old dillapadated shack that looks ready to be taken away any day now. There is a sign that mentions something about cheap beer. I would assume that corner will eventually be a small retail site or maybe even townhouses.

Further East on Gray is the building on the HISD property. Its fate has been discussed already.

[WestGrayGuy]

I can not tell you how excited I am that the Southwest corner of West Gray and Taft will become a cleaners.....

(HUGE SARCASM)

There is a cleaners less than 3 blocks away.

[Trophy Property]

I can not tell you how excited I am that the Southwest corner of West Gray and Taft will become a cleaners.....

(HUGE SARCASM)

There is a cleaners less than 3 blocks away.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was hoping for something a little more needed as well. I am still pushing for a big ole Chick Fil A in Midtown or at least somewhere inside the loop. A Dairy Queen could rock too.

[The Voice of University Oaks]

Since I attended both Gregory-Lincoln and HSPVA, I've been following this story pretty closely. I don't inherently see a problem with HISD's desire to combine its fine arts magnet middle school (Gregory-Lincoln) and its fine arts magnet high school (HSPVA) into one big fine arts uber-campus. And I certainly agree that both schools need new facilities: the current Gregory-Lincoln campus is an ugly and delapidated concrete monstrosity and the current HSPVA facility is hopelessly overcrowded.

However, why do they have to build it on the edge of Fourth Ward? Aside from community opposition and archaeological concerns (that have been referenced in the aforementioned Chronicle article as well as a recent Houston Press article), wouldn't it make more sense to put the new school in a more prominent and accessible location (such as Midtown, as suggested by the Main Street Master Plan)? I'd be interested in hearing "the story behind the story" from the HISD facilities planners.

[kjb434]

There is a Dairy-Queen in the loop! It is on 18th street just west of TC Jester.

[WestGrayGuy]

4th ward land < midtown land = new HSPVA at West Dallas and Taft

[Astro]

I can not tell you how excited I am that the Southwest corner of West Gray and Taft will become a cleaners.....

(HUGE SARCASM)

There is a cleaners less than 3 blocks away.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's one only 3-4 blocks away on either side of this location down West Gray. One at W. Gray & Crocker, and one on W. Gray around Gillette.

Further over in Midtown it seems that every new strip center there has one. There's one next to the Subway at Bagby & McIlhenny, there's one at McGowen & Smith, and one 2 blocks away at McGowen and Louisiana. I think there's one in the Post Midtown development as well, and probably several more in the area that I'm not aware of.

[MidtownCoog]

Don't forget the one across from BMW.

I actually read the Albanian mafia is running these as money laundering operations.

[midtown_resident]

Don't forget the one across from BMW.

I actually read the Albanian mafia is running these as money laundering operations.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where did you read this?

[MidtownCoog]

I am just pulling your leg.

Seriously, though. What's is the deal with all the cleaners?

They are taking over!

But Alpine cleaners across from BMW is the one we use. The couple who runs it are great people.

[torvald]

4th ward land < midtown land = new HSPVA at West Dallas and Taft

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

just wondering with all of the archaeological and other concerns... noticed some folks there (where the row houses used to be next to gregory-lincoln) about 2 weeks ago, looking at the property and the next day they mowed the tall grass. this morning they just delivered a backhoe inside the chainlink fence. does this mean there has been some progress one way or the other?

[ldogg]

the original plan for HSPVA was to put it in Timbergrove Manor... the HOA shot that down successfully.... the neighborhood doesn't plan on letting HISD build anything there anytime soon... they will fight tooth and nail to keep their unofficial woodland park..

[torvald]

the original plan for HSPVA was to put it in Timbergrove Manor... the HOA shot that down successfully.... the neighborhood doesn't plan on letting HISD build anything there anytime soon... they will fight tooth and nail to keep their unofficial woodland park..

ok. so now they have more heavy equipment and hard hat guys out there and have set out port-johns further out in the field. they have dug up around the track at gregory-lincoln and i am wondering if this is an effort to discern the grave or no grave issue or are they just flat out starting to build? sorry to pest but this issue irritates me so...

[TJones]

As a neighbor of this building, I am afraid that it has been a victim of graffiti in the last week or two. This building was renovated by Randall Davis a few years ago and has lasted ever since with no graffiti. I was wondering when the tag artists would target this great building. Unfortunately it now has a Swastika and what I am guessing is the gang name of "Pelon" on it.

I am actually very upset with the plans for this building. HISD will use it for offices while building the new HSPVA. Afterwards it will become a parking lot.

Just what is needed, a viable storefront torn down to make room for a parking lot.

Well, "pelon" means "BALD !". I don't think it is a gang, but maybe a gang member or maybe the graffiti artist's name.

[TJones]

Well, boys and girls I just found out a little more about what's going on there at Taft and West Gray. Right now, they are very carefully doing an archeological dig. They are looking for an old Black cemetary, that was supposedly moved years ago, but some are claiming it wasn't actually moved and only the gravestones were.

[torvald]

Well, boys and girls I just found out a little more about what's going on there at Taft and West Gray. Right now, they are very carefully doing an archeological dig. They are looking for an old Black cemetary, that was supposedly moved years ago, but some are claiming it wasn't actually moved and only the gravestones were.

wow. glad it is that and not full scale construction prep starting... who's responsible for the dig? do they take volunteers for that sort of thing? would do gruntwork, paperwork, bake cookies even for the fellas/gals... ? really hope they figure it out. demolishing the houses is already terrible.