Houston Retail Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Construction set for redevelopment of landmark hospital A ceremonial construction kick-off event is scheduled for Sept. 23, marking the transformation of the old Jefferson Davis Hospital into loft-styled homes for artists. City and civic officials are scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. at 1101 Elder St. in honor of the Jefferson Davis Artist Lofts. Slated to speak are Houston Mayor Bill White; Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia; and H. Joe Nelson III, president of the Houston Endowment Inc. The Houston Endowment is the single largest contributor to the development project, which is being called a first-of-its-kind in Houston. The 34 residential units -- to be finished in mid 2005 -- will include studio work space for resident artists and a place for them to live. The former hospital, which originally opened in 1924 in the Fifth Ward, stood vacant for nearly three decades before the re-development. The Jefferson Davis Artist Lofts are being developed by Artspace Projects of Minneapolis, a non-profit real estate developer for the arts. Avenue Community Development Corp., a local non-profit developer of affordable housing, is also involved in the project. Numerous funding sources were required to make the project happen. Financing was provided by Apollo Housing Capital, the City of Houston, Harris County, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Southwest Bank of Texas, Texas Department of Housing and Community Development, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Major funding for the project also was provided by the Brown Foundation, Cameron Foundation, FannieMae Foundation, Fayez Sarofim & Co., Fondren Foundation, Houston Endowment Inc., McGovern Fund, Rockwell Fund, St. Paul Travelers Foundation, Strake Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Susan Vaughan Foundation, Washington Mutual Foundation and Wortham Foundation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 Excellent news, thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midtown_resident Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 H_R...it's good to see you back...Thanks for the data on all these projects... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
77017 Posted October 22, 2004 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Now has a new roof. Ooh. Ahh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 They are actually planning to turn the whole thing into a low cost housing project for an artist group! The whole building is currently under renovation. A very facinating place to go if you can get in! Though not much to see now that the place has been completly gutted.Here is a link to some of the current photo'sA similar topic about the Hospital with Pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Id be afraid to live there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20sGirl Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Id be afraid to live there. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Who knows- maybe once there is life there again, the "activity" will lessen or cease altogether. It will be nice to see this beautiful building restored to a happy place. Maybe it will even out some of the suffering that happened there in previous years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 They are actually planning to turn the whole thing into a low cost housing project for an artist group! The whole building is currently under renovation. A very facinating place to go if you can get in! Though not much to see now that the place has been completly gutted.Here is a link to some of the current photo'sA similar topic about the Hospital with PicturesIt's great to see a project like this where they not only save a landmark building but help to establish an artist community seed group which could spill over into the neighborhood and add some color and counterpoint to the inevitable townhousing of that area. Jeff Davis Artist Lofts Here's some more info.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 I am very happy that this old building is being renovated. For some reason it always bothers me when I see an abandoned building just sitting there doing nothing. Maybe this will help add to a growing trend in the revitalization of downtown. Though personally I feel that this building would make a much better museum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted November 16, 2004 Share Posted November 16, 2004 you know, it would make a nice space for a museum, but it would be rather difficult to get to, but it would redevelop that particular area. Ricco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Many Places in Houston are hard to get to but never stopped anyone. That place would have made a wonderful Museum for the Medical District or the Fire Department since it is right there anyway. It will also make a wonderful housing development. I guess the fact that it is so close to the freeway is what really bothers me about this place. I just picture kids playing in the very contaminated soil and getting sick and then a major lawsuit and all kinds of stuff. I am probably just getting ahead of myself though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 A “low cost housing project for an artist group”. Jeeze-Louise, how silly can you get. If they can’t afford a place to live, then why don’t they go out and get a real job???OK, OK, that’s just my personal opinion. As long as no government funds are provided, they can do what they want with it. In fact, I am glad to see someone get some use out of that old, venerated building. I have always loved that building, and I would like to have seen it refurbished years ago. I remember when Cenikor was there, but the Jeff Davis I knew was the one on Allen Parkway. I guess what bothers me is that this proposed venture just might produce an “artist” who will besmirch the City with sculptures like those gawd-ugly bright yellow tree trunks. That wasn’t art. It was just a way to draw attention to some artist’s crapulence!<{POST_SNAPBACK}>For the lazy but curious, a definition of 'crapulence':Excessive indulgence; intemperance.And I too am curious as to whom qualifies as an artist. Is formal education required, or forbidden? And must I get something pierced? I make my own greeting cards...will that get me a reduction in rent?Pragmatically (oh, look it up yourself), I'm glad that something is being done to preserve this building. Put a roof on it and sort out the finances later.And btw. I like those yellow tree trunks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 For the lazy but curious, a definition of 'crapulence':Excessive indulgence; intemperance. You mean I made up a real word??? I guess somebody liked those yellow trees because there were enough of them around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 For the lazy but curious, a definition of 'crapulence':Excessive indulgence; intemperance.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm amazed that that is a "real" word. It does roll off the tongue nicely though. Anyone do this year's Art Crawl? I and my 12 year old son and his buddy did and they used a shortened version of that word to describe 95% of what they saw. I didn't want to be negative and cynical but I had to agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dthunter Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Any word on the progress of the renovation of the old Jefferson Davis Hospital? I know there have been previous posts on this topic. I drove by the other day at night it looked like there were some units that were almost done. I know many people are skeptical about this building, but I am very interested! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 i think it is coming along nicely...i wonder when the move-in dates are...http://www.avenuecdc.org/jeffdavis.aspedit - elderstreet_property Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirzania Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Or even ArtSpace, if you don't want to open a PDF. They have a bunch of other nifty historical properties listed on their properties page from around the country. It's pretty cool. (Of course, there aren't any in KY, where there are tons of old tobacco warehouses just dying to be artists' lofts.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirzania Posted August 10, 2005 Share Posted August 10, 2005 Ok, so I did a bit more snooping around. If you're really really fanatical about reading applications to the Texas Department of Housing And Community Affairs, this is the Jefferson Davis / Elder Street Artists Lofts Application.It got all the nitty-gritty details including the breakdown of what kind of apartments they'll have: 5 Efficiencies, 15 One-Bedroom, 10 Two-Bedroom, and 5 Three-Bedroom units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Otto Mation) Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Patrick Feller has added a photo to the pool: Jefferson Davis Hospital, dedicated in 1924, was built on the site of the 1840 Houston City Cemetery. It spent many years vacant, but recently became the Elder Street Artist Lofts. Click here to view this photo at the HAIF Photo Pool on Flickr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Otto Mation) Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Patrick Feller has added a photo to the pool: 1101 Elder Street Built 1924 Currently Elder Street Artists ofts View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWah Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 So nine years later has there been any additional info on the status of the lofts. Any additional poltergeist events we should be aware of? The latest GoogleEarth street views show that area around the lofts hasn't improved much. The graves out front in the cement border are filled with large bushes now. I wonder if they ever moved those bodies. In looking around the web, I came across this listing for an art crawl there this Saturday. Is anyone going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonMidtown Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 The building right by the lofts, that burnt down a few years ago, has finally been torn down....foundation for something new is being poured Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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