marmer Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Here's a pic from Live Local. You can clearly see the trees, the lawns between the units, the parking areas, and the little window bays for ventilation. Wish they'd fix it up rather than tearing it down. marmer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Here's a pic from Live Local. You can clearly see the trees, the lawns between the units, the parking areas, and the little window bays for ventilation. Wish they'd fix it up rather than tearing it down.marmeragreed...if only the current (irresponsible) owner would sell to someone who'd buy to rehab (yeah right) or come in to some money for major rehab on his own (not likely). does anyone know about how much they are rented for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 looking at the tax record, it's owned by "commerce equities, inc." who appears to be an apartment developer? (http://recenter.tamu.edu/news/recon033106.html) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 looking at the tax record, it's owned by "commerce equities, inc." who appears to be an apartment developer? (http://recenter.tamu.edu/news/recon033106.html)Yes. They did Bayou on the Bend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double L Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 I think parking should be in the back so they can maximize pedestrian traffic from the mixed use development. If the locals don't want a high rise then go midrise but if the majority doesn't have a problem with it, it's fine to go high-rise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxDave Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 I always admired these apartment's mid century style - despite their rundown condition.I guess you cannot stop progress, but I hope that what is built here is as architesturally significant and fits well into the neighborhood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 the residents don't want a highrise. they are pretty active in that area. they went up against Trammel Crowe to prevent them putting a back entrance into the neighborhood on that new apartment complex on Westheimer just east of Shepherd. the area's changing - a lot more single families are moving back and owning property in the area, as opposed to absentee landlords. since they are invested in the area, they care more about what happens in terms of construction, both for esthetic reasons, but also to protect their investment. people like peter brown and sue lovell sit on the city council now. projects of this type plonked right in the middle of older neighborhoods are going to come under a lot more scrutiny.interesting that it has finally been sold.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabasushi Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Merged and retitled topics.Ahh -- thanks. I was wondering why I couldn't find this topic in the first place. :-) Anyway, thanks to everyone who answered my question. It did look like a nice area with trees and all (as long as you don't pay attention to the rundown conditions of the buildings). Too bad developers don't build apartment complexes like that anymore.As for a midrise (or a highrise, for that matter)...personally, I think that would have been a terrible idea. Based on my personal observation, the few new midrise apartment/condo buildings in the Inner Loop that I saw or passed by don't seem to be doing very well. There's that Trement Tower place (not sure if I got the name right but it's late at night and I'm too lazy to look up) that has been mostly empty. Also, in the past year, I lived near the two new midrise buildings at Gramercy and Kirby, and though they have been trying to sell for many months, I could see that the parking garages under the buildings were still mostly empty. If you ask me, it's probably because they have too much competition from new townhouses -- why live in a cramped condo with the same shortcomings as with a rented apartment when you could live in a townhouse with more space and an attached garage? Besides, condos usually are notoriously bad investments, especially in areas with high property taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 and with large apartment/condo developments going up at richmond & dunlavy, as well as at westheimer and shepherd, that area is going to be heavily oversubscribed as far as apartments/condos go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 this is secondhand, but apparently since the complex was listed as one of Texas Most Endangered Places, a couple of developers have expressed interest in restoring most, if not all of the complex, but the developer has refused to entertain their advances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naples Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 looking at the tax record, it's owned by "commerce equities, inc." who appears to be an apartment developer? (http://recenter.tamu.edu/news/recon033106.html)Yes Commerce Equities, Inc. is a development company that carries a rep for being Green Friendly, they were the 2006 Houston Arbor Award recipient, "Save the Trees", for commercial construction of Bayou on the Bend on Memorial Drive. That project is beautiful because they saved the trees, and designed around the trees so that the development incorporates all the beautiful fauna of Buffalo Bayou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 that's admirable, but a highrise still won't fly no matter how many trees are saved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieEric Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 that's admirable, but a highrise still won't fly no matter how many trees are savedI guess my question is - who is going to fight a midrise in that location? I live right around there and have yet to see signs of an organized neighborhood. Then again, I only moved in a few months ago... I'm no apartment market guru, but wouldn't the construction of all the apartments in the area further delay work at Wilshire? They are currently building some right across Richmond from there... Given the decrepit state of some of the single and multi-family homes around there, I have a hard time believing there is currently enough demand for the areaI certainly wouldn't mind some sort of development if it'll make the city wake up and fix up some of the infrastructure in the area. I live on Branard and it is one pot-holed piece of crap in some sections, and Driscoll is another beast of a road right by the Chocolate Bar... But does anyone think we'll actually see some sort of work at Wilshire in the next couple of years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 winlow place and mandell place (both deed restricted SDs north of alabama) are very active, WP in particular. with the help of lanier middle school they faced down trammel crowe at city hall and forced them to withdraw plans to put a rear entrance into the westheimer apts (under construction) that would spew traffic out right into winlow place. lots of attorneys live and own properties in that area, and they by their nature are active and involved in local issues.i don't think a midrise (3-4 stories) would be a bad thing but a highrise will definitely get residents' backs up. with the messed up traffic control patterns that already exist in the area another 400+ cars at peak hours will bring things to a complete standstill. there are two schools in the immediate vicinty.nancy sarnoff at the chronicle has been in touch with dilick (apparently he'll talk to her but no-one else) and plans are forthcoming in the summer. I agree that the area seems to be oversubscribed with apts/condos so maybe that will encourage the developer to scale down his plans.and yes, south of alabama/north of richmond in that area does need to get some attention from the City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieEric Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 Wow, just looked at the tax bill for Wilshire Village:http://www.hcad.org/records/details.asp?ta...t=0441850000002Quite an increase this past year! Must be a heck of a tax bill...but I guess there's still a wait and see game going on here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieEric Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 nancy sarnoff at the chronicle has been in touch with dilick (apparently he'll talk to her but no-one else) and plans are forthcoming in the summer. I agree that the area seems to be oversubscribed with apts/condos so maybe that will encourage the developer to scale down his plans.Is this project dead? Just curious as to whether anyone's heard anything... The waiting game continues, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 All very quiet. There were supposed to be plans released this summer but none were forthcoming. I heard the current tenants have been allowed to stay and a even a couple of new ones have been signed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREASER Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I have a good friend that lives here and the plans do seem to be on hold. Rumors were flying about owners health, but seems to be ok. They were told they at some point they would have to move fairly quickly. He also says the neighborhood is getting worse..not sure how that could be though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieEric Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 I have a good friend that lives here and the plans do seem to be on hold. Rumors were flying about owners health, but seems to be ok. They were told they at some point they would have to move fairly quickly. He also says the neighborhood is getting worse..not sure how that could be though.I've only lived in the area for a year, so not familiar with the area's past, but I definitely have a hard time believing anything has gotten worse...crime, maybe? I was seeing quite a bit of tagging for a while there, but it seems to have died down - aside from that, they're building a new complex across the way on Richmond, and my street in particular seems to be picking up for tear downs/new townhouses despite Houston's apparent townhome glut. Then again, that could be viewed as "worse" by some.. I have a feeling that the area has seen a lot less change than many over the last decade or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Man Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 I have always wanted to see the interior of some of those apartments. Judging by their exteriors, I imagine that they are completely original inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 I have a good friend who lives in an upstairs corner unit. We always go in the back door, which opens into a good-sized kitchen - could be eat-in with a small table. Built-in ironing board cabinet like in my childhood home on Castle Court. Kitchen opens into large front room with gas firelogs that he uses as his photography studio. Small "hub" hallway with a phone nook (I LOVE those!), coat closet, two bedrooms with good-sized closets (one is walk-in) and the bathroom. All fixtures original excepting what has been updated out of necessity over the years. Window unit A/C, of course, but he hardly turns them on once it starts getting cool because of the angles of the casement windows. The larger bedroom is the all-purpose company room, and with the two corner windows open, the cross-ventelation is perfect. He's lived there for years with no big problems or safety concerns. Refurbishment would be a major undertaking cosmetically, to say the least - not many people want their retro charm without central air, dishwashers and granite countertops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 He's lived there for years with no big problems or safety concerns. Refurbishment would be a major undertaking cosmetically, to say the least - not many people want their retro charm without central air, dishwashers and granite countertops. please ask to take some interior pictures one of these days...so someone has something on record before who knows what Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 ISTR hardwood floors? But that was twenty years ago or more. We were visiting a single mom and her teen-age daughter; it seemed like the nicest apartment I'd ever seen. As far as I know they felt safe there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Yep, hardwood floors except for the kitchen & bathroom. The bathroom has that neat black & white tile; tiny pieces in a repeating pattern. I have that as well in Oak Forest and I'll be darned if I'm going to cover it or replace it like people keep asking me if I'll ever do. Sent my buddy an e-mail regarding interior photos. He's retired, but frequently has to make sudden trips to Arkansas to deal with situations regarding his elderly mother, so I'll either hear back almost immediately or in a week or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 At one point I lived in a 1940s-vintage apartment, and except for the lack of central air it was one of the nicest apartments I've ever had. It also had the small "hub" hallway, full kitchen, fold-down ironing board, front and rear entrances, only four units per building and custom woodwork. Since it was built before AC, the living room and bedroom both had windows on two sides, so you could always get a cross-breeze. That kept it cooler than you would expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 At one point I lived in a 1940s-vintage apartment, and except for the lack of central air it was one of the nicest apartments I've ever had. It also had the small "hub" hallway, full kitchen, fold-down ironing board, front and rear entrances, only four units per building and custom woodwork. Since it was built before AC, the living room and bedroom both had windows on two sides, so you could always get a cross-breeze. That kept it cooler than you would expect.i lived in a 1940s era apartment in montrose (six-plex) and it was neat, though the owner lived in New York and didn't keep things up so well. it was better built (well, maybe on par with the concrete place in santa rosa) and more interesting than anywhere else i have lived in houston (and that's a lot of places...lol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted September 19, 2007 Share Posted September 19, 2007 My friend will be back in town next Friday and will be delighted to send pictures. In his words, the place isn't the Huntingdon, but it's certainly in better shape than a lot of the crack-den apartment complexes no one is doing anything about, and a number of people live there and love it. Who knows? The 1940's 4-plex I lived in at 4009 Greeley across from HSPVA had stucco falling off the exterior in huge chunks by the time I left, and none of the windows would stay closed at the top, unless they were painted shut. It was eventually sold to someone who spent the money to fix it up, and it looked pretty nice the last time I saw it. I can promise the owner is getting a lot more than the $200 a month I paid for the "best" apartment. Of course, a big complex is a totally different scope from a 4-plex, but Greeley was in much worse shape than what I've seen of Wilshire Village. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 i had the opportunity to go in a couple of units last week. wow these apartments are GREAT! GREAT art deco features and huge rooms. i would mention the prices however the owner is a little eclectic and only wants good tenants. he only lets quality people in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted November 26, 2007 Share Posted November 26, 2007 one can only hope that the controversy over the Ashby highrise will either scale down or cause to be abandoned the highrise project slated for this location. what a treat it would be to see this complex restored. won't happen of course, but it's still a nice thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieEric Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 one can only hope that the controversy over the Ashby highrise will either scale down or cause to be abandoned the highrise project slated for this location. what a treat it would be to see this complex restored. won't happen of course, but it's still a nice thought...Was searching for any updates on this property - which of course there were none - but ran across some photos online:linkIs 2+ years since the announcement of this project enough time to call it officially dead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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