Highrise Tower Posted December 29, 2022 Share Posted December 29, 2022 I was researching the developer of the Westbury neighborhood of Houston. It looks like Ira Berne was the developer of the residential subdivision in Southwest Houston. Julian Keither also helped Ira Berne with the Westbury Company. (formally known as Berne Company?) Ira Berne also developed the Westbury Square Shopping Center as well. In the magazine House & Home dated February 1958 there was a small detail of the Westbury neighborhood. Westbury is the most active subdivision in Houston's growing southwest. Photo shows a portion of the first section, where 20 builders have erected houses. The finished development will have 5,000 lots. Most houses here sell for $16,000 to $35,000. His wife, Geral Berne, obituary mentions they lived at the Lamar Tower at 2929 Buffalo Speedway. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/houstonchronicle/name/geral-berne-obituary?id=20774692 A truepeoplesearch result also mentioned Ira Berne lived at 2929 Buffalo Speedway: 2929 Buffalo Speedway #2004 Houston, TX 77098 Harris County (Apr 1993 - Mar 2015) From the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated August 13, 1958: Westbury Will Be Site Of 1959 Home Builders Parade Of Homes The display of new homes, 1959 style, will be on 35 lots on Warm Springs in Westbury Section 3, adjacent to Parkwest. Julian Keither, of the Westbury Company, said homes on display will include both those of the type being constructed in Parkwest and in Westbury- Westbury addition is being developed by Ira Berne. Started early in 1955, the subdivision now has 1600 homes, and consists of Westbury, Parkwest, and Westbury South. Eventually the developers expect 4800 homes will be built on the 1700 acres included in the addition. The subdivision has two elementary school sites, one of which will be ready for this fall, and a senior high school site at Chimney Rock and Luddington. The new junior high school for the South Post Oak area is located adjacent to Westbury. There are also plans for a 50 acre shopping center to be known as Westbury Square at Bellfort and Chimney Rock. From houstonhistorymagazine.org: As the city’s boom continued through the 1950s and 1960s, other developers followed the same formula. In the mid-1950s Ira Berne’s Westbury Corporation developed the large Westbury neighborhood at the end of South Main. Covering three square miles and containing 5,000 homes. Consistent with the social conformity of the 1950s, all of Westbury’s homes were ranch house designs, but they featured a remarkable amount of stylistic diversity. If you can afford $125 or more a month Your family belongs in this picture.. Just picture your family in these wonderful surroundings... full of the warm satisfaction and pride your first fine home inspires. If you're looking for your first time home, and want to invest shrewdly, we suggest you visit Westbury. Take a leisurely look through the homes...walk through Westbury Square with its fine shops, restaurants and class fountain...drive through the miles of beautifully landscaped boulevards compare it with any community you've ever seen! We're sure you'll agree with the thousands of families who have looked...compared...and bought more homes in Westbury than anywhere else in Houston. So, if you're looking for a home...$17,000 to $52,500... drive out today! We're open from 9 'till 7 seven days a week. If you want any information before coming out call us at PA 3-2600. Westbury Post Oak Road at Willowbend Blvd. A Berne Company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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