cfewell22 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Today I noticed the empty lot at the corner of W. Alabama and Buffalo Speedway was being cleared. Over the past few weeks i have noticed survey crews and soil sample crews out there as well. Does anybody know what may be going up on that site? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 st john's campus expansion. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mab Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 http://www.sjs.org/Page/Campus-Expansion/The-Campus-Center-Project 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I am impressed with the effort they put into this. Looks like it will transport students back to Oxford England. I am surprised just how much money these schools have. This and the school that bought the Houston HS campus of Memorial... wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aarosurf Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Renderings from the link for the lazy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernz Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I don't think this is going in the plot referenced by cfewell22. This is going on the North side of Westheimer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestUdweller Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 (edited) Sad to see Blancos shut down. I was told the owner got a great rate on tuition for the kiddos. Edited January 31, 2014 by WestUdweller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skooljunkie Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I don't see Dumbledore's chair in that rendering. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I am surprised just how much money these schools have. This and the school that bought the Houston HS campus of Memorial... wow Private school tuition has surpassed tuition at many colleges. Tuition is currently almost $23K at St. John's, and almost $14K at St. Thomas. That said, there are a lot of deep-pocketed alumni donors at both schools without which these types of expansions would not be possible. St. Thomas hasn't yet raised the $60 million they'll have to pay HISD for the land next door to their existing campus, but as soon as their bid was accepted, emails to the alumni network announcing a new capital campaign to fund the purchase started going out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfewell22 Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 I thought this project was replacing the River Oaks Plant Store on Westheimer? Will this take up the entire block? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernz Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Again, the project on the renderings is on the North side of Westheimer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
por favor gracias Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I drove by today and noticed the land has been cleared, and all the animal bushes on Buffalo Speedway are gone too. Anyone have any info "as per" what's going on at this site? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 St. John's expansion. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
por favor gracias Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Ahh, I remember reading about that...didn't know that was the location. Thank you swtsig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 "as per" you're welcome! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Construction has officially kicked off:http://www.busbyway.com/2014/06/09/st-johns-school-breaks-ground-on-curtis-windham-designed-new-campus-center/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I may be wrong and I am not all that familiar with the St. John's of the Campus. But, the new construction on the "North Campus" seems to be a different project than the area Southwest of the Westheimer & Buffalo Spdwy, where River Oaks Plant House and Blanco's used to be. I don't recall seeing any of the future plans for the this expansion. Are there any? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I may be wrong and I am not all that familiar with the St. John's of the Campus. But, the new construction on the "North Campus" seems to be a different project than the area Southwest of the Westheimer & Buffalo Spdwy, where River Oaks Plant House and Blanco's used to be. I don't recall seeing any of the future plans for the this expansion. Are there any?I think you are correct. Last I saw, they did yet not have specific plans for the newly-acquired land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 They have plans. Last I heard it was going to be used for surface parking. Hurray! A garage may come at a later date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 They have plans. Last I heard it was going to be used for surface parking. Hurray! A garage may come at a later date. Parking and some temporary buildings during the north campus construction. They do not yet have long-term plans. They are working on a long-term master plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 From what I saw on their website some time ago they are currently looking for a firm to help develop a master plan. I don't think it will be surface parking (maybe for the new construction right now as sort of overflow). On the website it said that it was going to be some sort of learning center or something idk, but it for sure will not be surface parking or some one story building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Seems like a good place for a recap... St. John's purchased 13 acres on the west side of Buffalo Speedway between Westheimer and Alabama from the Taub family. The tract included the site of the River Oaks Plant House, the baseball field which SJS leased from the Taubs, and Blanco's. The school already had a plan in place to replace buildings on the north side of Westheimer when they purchased the Taub land. Those are the renderings shown above. While construction takes place on the north side of Westheimer, SJS will build a temporary parking lot on the River Oaks Plant House site to account for the places lost due to construction.. Part of what is being replaced is the school's cafeteria, and the school is currently using the former Blanco's kitchen to service the school. No word on whether the kids prefer the fried seafood platter with a Lone Star or red beans and rice with a Shiner. The west side of Buffalo, designated the "Taub Campus" will be developed as part of the school's long term strategic plan. Over the next 20 years, the school plans to increase its enrollment from 1250 to 1700. That land will be used to facilitate that expansion. Here is picture of the school's property and the new acquisition on the west side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Blanco's demolished for the expansion: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestUdweller Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Blanco's demolished for the expansion: Ugh, that makes me sick. So many good times there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 The old Blanco's country and western bar/club St John's campus has a dirt contractor doing work of the southern expansion of their campus. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 ^^^ anyone with knowledge.. regarding what they are constructing now....?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 There is a tower crane on the site. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 dup topics merged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Looks like ball fields and possibly a multi story parking garage to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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