Cesar Cazares Mansion At 5006 Fulton St.

[rps324]

Has anyone else seen that McMansion going in on the edge of Lindale Park facing Fulton? It is a huge house, it looks about 7000 square feet on a track that runs the full length of the block, facing Fulton. What's up with that? Has anyone else seen this? It is between Cavalcade and 610.

[jgs1419]

I've seen it. I bet the first floor would go 7.000ft2. I don't know the whole story but I bet it's a good one.

[Guest danax]

7000 sq ft first floor? You sure it's going to be a house? That's ridiculous. Has someone decided that Fulton will be the next Millionaire's Row?

[lindaledmb]

Yep.. I have seen it.. I couldn't figure out what the hell it was gonna be. I live in Lindale Park and my neighbor talked to the auto shop next to it and said it definitely is going to be a home. The only reason I could think of is its going up because the rail is supposed to go up Fulton. Any ideas?

[jm1fd]

Yep.. I have seen it.. I couldn't figure out what the hell it was gonna be.  I live in Lindale Park and my neighbor talked to the auto shop next to it and said it definitely is going to be a home.  The only reason I could think of is its going up because the rail is supposed to go up Fulton.  Any ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL. I figured it would be a funeral home....too big and too wierd of a location to be a house.....also as I recall its placed on the lot such that it will have no backyard.

[lindaledmb]

HA! That's exactly what I was telling everyone I thought it was.. a funeral home!

Apparently not. STRANGE place for a home.. especially one that big. Oh well.. maybe it'll be good for the property value.

I already posted this in another section, but anybody know the details on the Hardy extension?

[Guest danax]

I already posted this in another section, but anybody know the details on the Hardy extension?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is a thread here somewhere where we talked about it. I went to the public meeting a few months back and they showed the 3 main proposals; all involved the new viaduct/toll road to cut across the same basic corridor at above grade. The preservationists et al want it to bypass the neighborhood and make Elysian connect to DT with an at-grade boulevard.

You probably know all this already and I haven't heard of any decisions.

[Guest danax]

I checked online here. A single family home construction permit has been pulled for 5006 Fulton. Other than that, the 6900 block has a couple of commercial construction permits. It also says no deed restrictions.?

[rps324]

I did find out the owners live in a house now that is on Milwaukee and Fulton. A newer construction red brick faux Georgian. Apparently it is not grand enough. Apparently this is UPPER Fulton now

[Subdude]

Yep.. I have seen it.. I couldn't figure out what the hell it was gonna be.  I live in Lindale Park and my neighbor talked to the auto shop next to it and said it definitely is going to be a home.  The only reason I could think of is its going up because the rail is supposed to go up Fulton.  Any ideas?

Hey, welcome member #500!

[eketrioter]

Gentleman (Mr Ceasar?) is indeed building a SFH....bought 8 lots between Fulton/Joyce/(Sue?) and had to have them replatted into one lot so that he wouldn't violate building line restrictions. There was a "replatting notice" posted 1Q 04 and a public meeting held by Houston City Planning.

I looked into this last year because I had hoped to build on a lot near nearby, but the platted 25' building line setback made it impractical. All the adjacent buildings were 5' off the street, but I would have still had to jump through the hoops of public hearings, surveys, etc, so I gave up and bought elsewhere.

Lindale Park deed restrictions wouldn't impact a SFH. The shouldn't impact a business, either, since they were never properly ratified (required % of people did not sign them by 1980 cutoff date). They were neverthless recorded with the city, which makes the issue cloudy. If a business wanted to build in Lindale Park, they would first need a building permit, which wouldn't be issued unless the deed restrictions were declared unenforcable by a judge, which would require paying a lawyer and filing a suit. While time consuming (and not cheap), this should be sucessful since the facts would be on the business' side. At least that's what the lawyer I consulted on the issue said.

Details of Metrorail route can be found in a 7-MB *.pdf file available at www.north-hardy.org. This information was presented at the last public meeting (26 June 04)....I've heard nothing since. I would recommend sending an email to Lucas Wall at the Chronicle (traffic@chron.com) and have him press Metro for an update....I did this a few months ago and got a "will let you know" response.

It would be nice if instead of McMansions, there were medium-rise condos or something going up.....the supporting commercial development would be nice. I suppose McMansion residents won't need to take the train....maybe the "consultants" will re-route it again to keep themselves on the payroll.

[emirate25]

Hi everybody...I've noticed that you guys were talking about a McMansion on Fulton and Calvacade intersection. Well let me tell you this, that house is small compare to a "true" MANSION that is almost fully built on GULF BANK ( the house is located between Airline and Hardy Toll Road).

If any of you guys want to see this montrous house, please go see it and tell me what you think. Let me give you an idea on how big of house this is....the house that is found on the Fulton and Calvacade intersection (Lindale Park) is the size of the "guest house" found on the premises of this HUGE MANSION located on Gulf Bank. Again this house is found between Airline and Hardy Toll Road on Gulf Bank.

Go check it out!

[nmainguy]

These oddly placed McMansions are not that rare. A local Sunset Heights sheetrock king has erected a 4 story colonial on the corner of E. 26th and Cortlandt. He has extended his compound westward to Aurora to illegally cover the alley. Over this he has built a tennis court, pool, basketball court, putt-putt- course and a pool house larger than most homes in Sunset. He extended his front courtyard over the ROW on E. 26th and it took me 6 months of complaints to my city council member to have him remove the brick wall that stopped the sidewalk. I havn't seen the Lindale property yet but I'm thinking a short hop on my bike may be in order tomorrow.

[sevfiv]

These oddly placed McMansions are not that rare. A local Sunset Heights sheetrock king has erected a 4 story colonial on the corner of E. 26th and Cortlandt. He has extended his compound westward to Aurora to illegally cover the alley. Over this he has built a tennis court, pool, basketball court, putt-putt- course and a pool house larger than most homes in Sunset. He extended his front courtyard over the ROW on E. 26th and it took me 6 months of complaints to my city council member to have him remove the brick wall that stopped the sidewalk. I havn't seen the Lindale property yet but I'm thinking a short hop on my bike may be in order tomorrow.

ooh, i think that's the house that had the mini-mercedes for the kid

[nmainguy]

ooh, i think that's the house that had the mini-mercedes for the kid

egg-zactly...but you clearly missed the mini-hummer as well

[Guest danax]

These homes seem to be part of a small sub-genre within the larger McMansion family, and are likely popping up in all Hispanically diverse large cities in the US. "Ethno-McMansions", "McResidencia" or Pimp My House maybe?

I am guessing that most are built by prosperous immigrants, likely, as in N. Main's example (I still assuming here) by construction industry types. I'm also assuming most are "immigrant" built because they usually are in Hispanic neighborhoods and there seems to be little regard for constructing something that is obviously an "over-improvement" for the neighborhood, which might not be a problem if you are planning on living there yourself, in other words, the owners might not be too knowledgeable about American real estate.

Here's one in still-humble Magnolia Park on the East End. Surrounded by beat-up bungalows, this one looks like a Miami Mafia pad to me. I like the little square windows on the left side, probably built into a steel-lined wall and designed for easy machine-gun access in case of a big raid. It started out for lease, now it's for sale. I wonder if the seller realized when he built it that an appraiser will be very hard-pressed to find anything comparable around there which will limit it's worth.

While these homes seem to be ill-placed initially, they could be looked at as possible trend-setters and fine examples of Houston's free-for-all development environment and diverse population. But for now, they still seem like even more pompous versions of the American McMansion.

But so be it. Houston is all about change.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

These homes seem to be part of a small sub-genre within the larger McMansion family, and are likely popping up in all Hispanically diverse large cities in the US. "Ethno-McMansions", "McResidencia" or Pimp My House maybe?

I am guessing that most are built by prosperous immigrants, likely, as in N. Main's example (I still assuming here) by construction industry types. I'm also assuming most are "immigrant" built because they usually are in Hispanic neighborhoods and there seems to be little regard for constructing something that is obviously an "over-improvement" for the neighborhood, which might not be a problem if you are planning on living there yourself, in other words, the owners might not be too knowledgeable about American real estate.

Here's one in still-humble Magnolia Park on the East End. Surrounded by beat-up bungalows, this one looks like a Miami Mafia pad to me. I like the little square windows on the left side, probably built into a steel-lined wall and designed for easy machine-gun access in case of a big raid. It started out for lease, now it's for sale. I wonder if the seller realized when he built it that an appraiser will be very hard-pressed to find anything comparable around there which will limit it's worth.

While these homes seem to be ill-placed initially, they could be looked at as possible trend-setters and fine examples of Houston's free-for-all development environment and diverse population. But for now, they still seem like even more pompous versions of the American McMansion.

But so be it. Houston is all about change.

I dont know about the immigrant thing, but theres definetly a trend here. In mostly black and hispanic dominated areas, large numbers of well to do black and hispanic Americans are choosing to build in areas that they have grown up in as kids as opposed to going into other established areas. The wealth of the city of Houston is no longer held by a white majority, it is more diverse and wide spread and i think thats a good thing Some people are making the decision to build in and beautify areas they know and can do it on a VERY large scale for a lot less money, atleast initially Of course once the building really starts, the cost will rise :)

[nmainguy]

I am guessing that most are built by prosperous immigrants, likely, as in N. Main's example (I still assuming here) by construction industry types.

The house I referenced on E. 26th is actually a quite attractive house and would fit in in River Oaks. It's not tacky in the least-just severly misplaced. I don't know if the owner is an immigrant but I do know he has invested an incredible amount of money on a property he can never hope to recoup from. Maybe he plans to stay forever-if so, great. I just wish the city would reclaim the alley he has so blatantly stolen.

[emirate25]

Oh I've seen the house on 26th and Courtland and is small compare to the house on Gulf Bank.

[editor]

I think you may be on to something with the ethnic thing. I remember seeing something similar in Juarez -- Huge mansions in the middle of regular housing. Maybe it's a Mexican thing and I wouldn't understand.

[emirate25]

I finally have pictures of the Mansion on Fulton.

[sevfiv]

oh gawd-y

[emirate25]

oh gawd-y

Yeah, it covers the whole end of a block.

[Guest danax]

oh gawd-y

It is a bit ugly and tasteless. Plain at best. With the stucco it resembles the common McMansion. The pillars make the front look like some kind of saber-toothed tiger. The front fountain really seals it's fate as pompous.

I really don't think I'm being knee-jerk negative but maybe I am to a degree. I'm sure the Victorian mansions were ridiculed too.

[dbigtex56]

Didn't blow a lot of money on landscaping, did they?

I've pondered over what architectural style this falls into, and I'm pretty much convinced that it's Texas Wacky-Ass. This is the epitome of what Houstonians fear that outsiders think we build here.

[gwilson]

I really don't understand why builders create such large PLAIN homes. Do you really think you will last long building 6,000+ sf homes at $150 a foot? Style, layout and appeal sell homes, not square footage.

7,000 is the smallest of the homes I'm working on, and every one of them has intuitive and creative layouts and finishes. It helps that we work with an amazingly talented architect.

[TheNiche]

I really don't understand why builders create such large PLAIN homes. Do you really think you will last long building 6,000+ sf homes at $150 a foot? Style, layout and appeal sell homes, not square footage.

7,000 is the smallest of the homes I'm working on, and every one of them has intuitive and creative layouts and finishes. It helps that we work with an amazingly talented architect.

It wasn't a speculative product; developers didn't build it. The future owner most likely did.

Also, I sincerely doubt that the cost was $150psf if the interior buildout was commensurate with the exterior. Hell, even the McMansions in Bellaire typically don't go higher than about $105psf.

If you don't mind my asking, what parts of town does your firm typically build in?

[gwilson]

Even if the owners designed it, the builder should have piped up and done their job by advising their client on the mistakes they were making. It is possible they did this and the clients were just dead set, but who knows.

$150 a foot is very cheap. We build closer to $300 (or more depending on spec or contract), but considering materials and finishes we use, it makes sense.

We build all over town. Primarily the Woodlands right now though. We are starting some 15 new projects in the next few months ranging from Rivercrest (Westheimer & Gessner super estate area), Afton Oaks, Bellaire, Magnolia, Memorial, etc.

[TheNiche]

Even if the owners designed it, the builder should have piped up and done their job by advising their client on the mistakes they were making. It is possible they did this and the clients were just dead set, but who knows.

$150 a foot is very cheap. We build closer to $300 (or more depending on spec or contract), but considering materials and finishes we use, it makes sense.

We build all over town. Primarily the Woodlands right now though. We are starting some 15 new projects in the next few months ranging from Rivercrest (Westheimer & Gessner super estate area), Afton Oaks, Bellaire, Magnolia, Memorial, etc.

Well I think your kind of finishes outclass the structure and its location. Do you know what's around this particular home?

[texas911]

That's a lot of roof.