Abandoned Buildings In Downtown

[Jax]

I don't know why, but these two abandoned buildings caught my eye last time I was downtown. I like the one on the right a lot, it seems like a great place to be renovated. The one on the left looks like its in terrible shape.

I was just wondering if anybody knows the history of these buildings, how long they have been abandoned, and whether you think they might be renovated some day, or torn down. Anybody want to make a prediction on how much longer they will sit abandoned?

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/gallery/1192674551/gallery_3613_6_100225.jpg

[musicman]

where's the abandoned building on the right?

[Jax]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the red one with the green roof is abandoned, as well as the decrepit beige one.

[sevfiv]

That's the southwest corner of Fannin and Prairie - there is a thread around here with what the corner building used to be...of course I can't remember right now

[musicman]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the red one with the green roof is abandoned, as well as the decrepit beige one.

it was in worse shape previously but has been slowly restored over past few yrs. yes it is unoccupied but i wouldn't say it is abandoned. owners are still trying to get too much in rent which has resulted in the unoccupied buildings.

[RedScare]

That's the northeast corner of Fannin and Prairie - there is a thread around here with what the corner building used to be...of course I can't remember right now

Actually, sev, it is the southwest corner. Those buildings have been on the market for years. The beige one was asking about $1.7 million for awhile. Rumor from a (now unreliable) source was that it had remediation issues. No idea on the red and green one. It has a very old notice of auction still posted on it, that either never occurred, or did not meet minimum bid.

My bet is that both eventually get renovated.

That's the southwest corner of Fannin and Prairie - there is a thread around here with what the corner building used to be...of course I can't remember right now

I see what you did there.

Edited January 15, 2008 by RedScare

[sevfiv]

haha! i fixed it before you posted

i was looking at the map upside down!

[RedScare]

Yeah, and you didn't even leave "edit" fingerprints like us non-mods do.

[liammclaren]

I would love to buy the beige building, renovate it and convert it, and live there.

[KinkaidAlum]

Without knowing anything about the beige building, I would think those windows alone would make for a kick-ass loft conversion. A true loft. What a novel idea in Houston!

[liammclaren]

I would think those windows alone would make for a kick-ass loft conversion.

exactly what i was thinking....

another shot--

Edited January 15, 2008 by liammclaren

[Houston19514]

exactly what i was thinking....

another shot--

Yea, I've always thought the exact same thing about that building. But even with all the change in my change jar, I haven't been able to come up with the seven figure asking price, let alone the rehab costs ;-)

[The Great Hizzy!]

I think that's the problem with the property. Its size allows for only a limited number of units to be converted. And given its location and the asking price, a developer probably isn't going to take it on just to list 10 or 12 luxury residential units if the location doesn't seem to favor it. Maybe I'm wrong but I'm thinking that that might be the problem.

I've always thought that office lofts with some ground floor retail would work better but the dynamic may be the same.

Does anyone known the square footage of the building?

[sevfiv]

~25,000 square feet maybe?

If this is officially 500 Fannin St.

[RedScare]

30,000 square feet (including the basement).

[Jax]

I like the random tree growing on the roof (you can see it in the upper left corner but its easier to see in person). I wonder how it got up there and what the growing medium is. Is there a pot of soil up there?

[Subdude]

It's the Wilson Building.

[sevfiv]

Yeah, that's it! It originally housed Wilson Stationery and Printing.

Here is the HAIF thread i mentioned above:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=1480

[Jax]

i wouldn't say it is abandoned

I guess what I meant was the front entrance was boarded up (I confirmed this when I drove by today). Such a shame for a nice building like that. Some day...

[jfre81]

Here's an interior shot, kinda.

Anyone know how long this has been abandoned?

[NenaE]

http://www.houstondeco.org/1930s/wilson.html

Note the detail pic, beautiful.

I always like to know who built it...check out the sevfiv link, more great pics & info.

Can't believe no one has turned this into lofts yet...hope it happens.

The red brick bldg. next door had a cafe on the bottom floor.

[Kyo-Kun]

Hi everyone, I have a strange curiosity in the older buildings in Houston. Most of my life I have lived in the suburbs of Houston and I can remember school fieldtrips to different places in this most wonderful city. I have been living a decent distance from Houston these past few years. Yet my heart yearns to return. I am very interested in learning about the abandoned buildings in Houston and the surrounding areas.

I have many ideas and goals in my life and I am looking for the perfect location to start a restoration project. I would love to take one of these old buildings and restore it and help it live throughout history. The first order of business is to get a list of which buildings are abandoned or foreclosed etc. My second order of business is to find out about the history of the buildings. The third order of business is to find out the condition of the building. The final order of business is to take action if I am able.

I can make no promises to the fulfillment of the project but I do wish to help historic Houston remain forever in our hearts.

Since I currently live so far away I would love your help in finding out about these buildings.

[FilioScotia]

Hi everyone, I have a strange curiosity in the older buildings in Houston. Most of my life I have lived in the suburbs of Houston and I can remember school fieldtrips to different places in this most wonderful city. I have been living a decent distance from Houston these past few years. Yet my heart yearns to return. I am very interested in learning about the abandoned buildings in Houston and the surrounding areas.

I have many ideas and goals in my life and I am looking for the perfect location to start a restoration project. I would love to take one of these old buildings and restore it and help it live throughout history. The first order of business is to get a list of which buildings are abandoned or foreclosed etc. My second order of business is to find out about the history of the buildings. The third order of business is to find out the condition of the building. The final order of business is to take action if I am able.

I can make no promises to the fulfillment of the project but I do wish to help historic Houston remain forever in our hearts.

Since I currently live so far away I would love your help in finding out about these buildings.

A local preservation group called Historic Houston is devoted to the very things you say you want to do. Here's their website, and I think the group's Director Lynn Edmundson would be very interested in meeting you and working with you.

http://www.historichouston.org/home.html

You should also contact the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance. Here's their website:

http://www.ghpa.org/

Good luck.

Edited June 12, 2011 by FilioScotia

[sevfiv]

Do you have any more criteria to narrow down some buildings? I don't know the numbers but the older building stock in need of restoration is huge here. If you don't mind answering, how far away are you from Houston? How would this be funded?

[marmer]

If you wanted to throw a reasonable amount of money at something that you could more or less live in right away and is unique to Houston, Charile Fondow's house on Wichita Street could use some love. The biggest obstacle to preservation around here is not neglect and abandonment but rising land value and redevelopment. That and the fact that most smaller seriously historic houses are obsolete by modern living standards and it takes a special kind of homeowner to live there. If you want to spend less than that you are going to have to look in some reasonably poor neighborhoods where redevelopment hasn't taken off. If I wanted to start from junk and turn it into something really nice, I'd probably look in Eastwood and the Old Sixth Ward areas first. And the Almeda Road area just north of Riverside.

[Kyo-Kun]

I recently foundout about charlies lovley home it is beautiful yet unique. Not quite the project that im looking for. Im looking for a office like building with no more than 7 stories with a ton of sq footage. The final project would be to make a mixed use building the bottom few floors would be dedicated to a civic center like area. A large ball room and a few large meeting rooms the few floors above that would be short term rental residence. Almost like an inn or hotel. And finaly the top floor or floors would be permanent residence. Like an apartment or two. My initial concern is finding the right place for dream to come true.

I apologize for my spelling i am on my mobile phone and do not have the aid of my beloved spellcheck.

If you wanted to throw a reasonable amount of money at something that you could more or less live in right away and is unique to Houston, Charile Fondow's house on Wichita Street could use some love. The biggest obstacle to preservation around here is not neglect and abandonment but rising land value and redevelopment. That and the fact that most smaller seriously historic houses are obsolete by modern living standards and it takes a special kind of homeowner to live there. If you want to spend less than that you are going to have to look in some reasonably poor neighborhoods where redevelopment hasn't taken off. If I wanted to start from junk and turn it into something really nice, I'd probably look in Eastwood and the Old Sixth Ward areas first. And the Almeda Road area just north of Riverside.

[Kyo-Kun]

Do you have any more criteria to narrow down some buildings? I don't know the numbers but the older building stock in need of restoration is huge here. If you don't mind answering, how far away are you from Houston? How would this be funded?

I am currently living in Idaho. In my opinion this is much too far from houston. I am looking to move back to the houston area in the next couple of years. As far as how i intend to pay for the building i will be using privetly collected funds loans and grants.

[silverartfox]

I am currently living in Idaho. In my opinion this is much too far from houston. I am looking to move back to the houston area in the next couple of years. As far as how i intend to pay for the building i will be using privetly collected funds loans and grants.

Since your move back to Houston is a couple of years in the future, it would be best to wait until you're actually living here to locate a historic building and funds to renovate it. Finding that special building is the easy part; funding the project is another story.

Right now, a group of influential citizens is struggling to keep a hundred-year-old Mission Revival style school building in Houston's East End from being sold, demolished and replaced by a fast-food restaurant. Hopes are high, but without cash in hand...

[Subdude]

The Melrose topic got me to wondering what was the fate of major buildings downtown that stood vacant for a substantial period of time?  Here's my quick list.  Please add others I might have missed.

 

Demolished

West Building

Ben Milam Hotel

Gibraltar Savings Building

San Jacinto Building

Savoy Apartments

Sheraton-Lincoln

Sterling Building/Texas Tower

William Penn Hotel

 

Renovated

Humble Building

Old Shell building

Rice Hotel

Savoy Hotel

Texas State Hotel

Whitehall Hotel

World Trade Center

 

Still Vacant

Battlesteins

Holiday Inn

Melrose Building

Americana Building

 

Parking Garage

Sakowitz

 

 

So overall our preservation efforts haven't been as dire as most would suppose, although I would have greatly loved to have seen the Sheraton-Liincoln saved. 

 

 

[Avossos]

I get so sad when I see older buildings go. If you look closely at the Melrose building, I think this has alot of potential. Think BLVD place's lines, simplicity, modernity, etc. Renovate that building and put some cool lights on it, and it becomes a great condo tower or even offices (if they are needed).