21 New Developments From The Leader

[Heightsite]

THE BIG BOOM: Projects just scratch the surface of area growth

September 13, 2013

by Charlotte Aguilar

charlotte@theleadernews.com

We’re all about bringing you the latest news developments in your neighborhoods here at The Leader, but this week, our focus is about developments — literally.

There’s nothing weighty here about trends, forecasts, dollar figures. It’s all about what’s going in where and what might make the quality of your life a little more interesting in the next few weeks or months.

Most of what’s new involves food, some of it housing. That’s one of those chicken-or-egg questions that can never be answered authoritatively. Is it upscale housing and high-end, high-density development that’s driving great retail and restaurants options, or are growing retail and restaurant options helping to attract more interesting housing?

So here you go — 21 new locations in Leader communities. Feel free to email us with your additions at news@theleadernews.com, so we can report what you observe in your own neighborhood for us to pass along, and to do this wrap-up from time to time.

1. Sonic, 2720 Washington Ave. Washington Avenue has clubs and taverns that stay open into the wee hours and eateries that don’t, along with a smattering of food trucks. This recently opened Sonic, with drive-thru and drive-up service, is filling a niche for those interested in a quick order of Tots to offset their alcohol intake, according to accounts of long lines at the drive-thru, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.

2. Social Junkie, 2412 Washington Ave. Once the venerable Pig Stand, this location morphed into a trendy but troubled nightspot known as Sawyer Park, and on Monday of this week, reopened as Social Junkie, just in time for the Texans’ Monday Night Football thriller. The emphasis of the 3,000-square-foot facility is in on sports-watching, with 30 HDTVs on two floors and three bars, some with a view of downtown. Pig Stand aficionados wouldn’t know the old place.

3. Yale Street Market, between I-10 and Koehler on (where else?), Yale Street. The vast old San Jacinto Stone yard and a couple blocks of adjacent wood frame homes have been cleared, and construction is about to begin on this latest development brought in by the momentum of Walmart’s venture into Washington Heights. Key tenant is Sprouts Farmers Market, a healthy grocer that’s become a less pricey alternative to Whole Foods, and an LA Fitness and Guitar Center are also set. In fact, David Stukalin, who’s leasing the center, tells The Leader there’s only one vacancy remaining — and plenty of prospective takers.

4. Alta Heights Apartments, 145 Heights Blvd. A 256-unit luxury apartment development, in the pre-leasing phase, emphasizes walkability to the growing number of Washington Corridor lifestyle businesses, eateries and clubs. Units range from studios at $985 to two bedrooms at $1,955 a month.

5. Alexan Heights, Yale Street between 5th and 7th streets. One development has now become two — Trammell Crow Residential’s combined 700-plus upscale complex that’s large on convenience for prospective tenants — but which has galvanized opposition worried about the extra traffic that it will bring to increasingly congested Yale. Construction has yet to start as the developers wade through city regulations (yes, even without zoning, there are hurdles to be cleared).

6. Yucatan Taco Stand, 1001 Studewood. One of those seemingly snakebitten locations, the luxury site was Bedford first, then celeb chef Bryan Caswell’s Stella Sola, and appeared destined to become an Inner Loop outpost of another celebrity chef, steak and barbecue guru Ronnie Killen. But that never happened, and now this Latin-themed restaurant and bar, with a location already in the Woodlands, is aiming for an opening sometime in the fall.

7. Good Dog, 903 Studewood. Lots of folks were sad to see the Cajun specialties of the Big Mamou disappear from this quaint Heights bungalow. But Good Dog’s story is a warm-fuzzy one — a couple of nice, hardworking young people who’ve created one of Houston’s most popular food trucks (often a visitor at Buchanan’s Nursery and community events on weekends, building up local interest) and now ready to make a go of an actual restaurant. They’re also looking at a fall opening.

8. City Oven, 2802 White Oak Drive. When the parent company of the D’Amico’s family Italian restaurant and market at this site decided that concept wasn’t working, they shifted gears into what they do best and what’s working in the Heights these days — a casual eatery with atmosphere and plenty of craft beer choices that’s just opened. Take a look in our Hipstrict section to see what our Leader Eater thinks.

9. Coltivare, 3620 White Oak Drive. The folks who brought you Revival Market on Heights Boulevard, that mecca of locally sourced meats, produce and dairy, are slowly creating this Italian eatery. A main feature will be a vast produce and herb garden.

10. The ‘El’ Cantina, 602 Studewood. Ken Bridge has done Asian, pizza, modern diner and tavern concepts. Now he’s tackling classic Tex-Mex and paying homage to his favorite set of wheels, the El Camino. The site is an old gas station and a popular club called the Redi Room, which Bridge remembers fondly from his youth. No opening date set yet.

11. Village of the Heights, 1407 Studewood. A (by today’s standards) smallish supermarket that had served the neighborhood since the 1950s is making way for something the developers of Village of the Heights say is desperately needed in the community — housing for senior citizens. Leasing is underway for assisted living and memory care at the luxury facility, which is expected to open in about a year.

12. The old Harolds building, 350 W. 19th St. Torchy’s Tacos, an Austin transplant that’s become wildly successful at its two Houston locations, is opening at 7 a.m. Sept. 26 — and offering one free breakfast taco that day plus a chance to win free tacos for a year. Torchy’s has gotten the most buzz in this redevelopment of the classic Harolds men’s clothier building, but the Heights General Store seems tailor-made for the community, too. Opening “this fall,” it promises fresh, locally sourced products at a restaurant, coffee and juice bars and a market. And a third tenant has yet to be named. The Harolds script neon sign still remains.

13. Baptist Temple site, 230 W. 20th St. Braun Enterprises, who bought Harolds and owns the Yale Street Grill and Pharmacy building, recently bought and cleared the century-old part of the Baptist Temple from this location. The idea is for more retail and dining options at the site.

14. Fat Cat Creamery, 1901 N. Shepherd Drive. Ideally, the Fat Cat Creamery folks were hoping for a summer opening of their first free-standing location, but that didn’t happen due to construction issues with this makeover of an old Shepherd Drive building. In Houston, ice cream’s pretty much a year-round treat, and the Cats, as they call themselves, have built a solid following in local markets and restaurants.

15. Foreign Correspondents/Hunky Dory, 1819 Shepherd Drive. The team behind the successful Down House on Yale and D&T Drive Inn icehouse on Cavalcade are putting in a Thai restaurant (just announced) and a bar at this former used car lot. (See more in Nibbles in Hipstrict.)

16. Berryhill, 1201 W. 43rd St. You’ve gotta give Park Blair points for persistence. After buying a gas station in the booming Garden Oaks-Oak Forest area (known as GOOF, by some local wags), he’s gone through a series of challenges to own his second Berryhill’s, and he’s hoping to have it open by the first of the year. He promises it will exceed even his well-designed and popular 11th Street Berryhills, completely geared to the changing demographics. Stay tuned.

17. LA Fitness, 4412 N. Shepherd Drive. Is it any wonder, with all these restaurants and bars, that LA Fitness is finding desirable locations. This giant Garden Oaks location opened recently.

18. Cowboy Surfers/Surfing Cowboy, 3322 Ella Blvd. Lance Fegen of Liberty Kitchen and BRC Gastropub renown, says he still plans to open a local restaurant-craft beer joint at the site of two failed pizza places, right on Ella’s fast food restaurant row. No word on when, though.

19. Hughie’s Tavern and Grille, 1802 W. 18th St. This site was a DQ, then Queen Burger, and its owners have taken their cues from what’s popular in the area and their walking distance to hundreds of Lazybrook and Timbergrove neighborhoods to open a nice, wood paneled eatery and tavern. There are Vietnamese specialties, along with ghosts of menus past, including steak fingers and burgers, for an interesting mix, along with an array of craft beers.

20. Spaghetti Western, 1951 W. T.C. Jester. This Shepherd Drive favorite for 12 years is opening a second location any day now at a vacant former Tex-Mex joint in a Lazybrook strip center. It features pizzas, pastas, salads and sandwiches with a full bar and a wide selection of draft and bottled beers.

21. Tik Tok, 1412 W. 20th St. Rudyard’s British Pub has long been a hotspot on Waugh Drive. Now owner Leila Rodgers is planning for Tik Tok, at the edge of the Heights and Lazybrook, to open next summer with food, drink and live entertainment.

[toxtethogrady]

HBJ just listed a building permit for Alta Heights Koehler, which appears to be a new addition to the list. Location is 4040 Koehler Street. I haven't been able to find a rendering.