The Salvation Army's Harbor Light Center

[Triton]

It appears that the Salvation Army complex at 2407 N Main is boarded up and shut down for good. The site has a for sale sign in the front. Had no clue this was happening but it's actually a really big deal for development in the area now that this is gone. Constant drug problems in the area and people using the restroom in people's yards all the time. (These were constant conversations in the Superneighborhood meetings). Does anyone have anymore details about this?

 

Only found this article:

 

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Salvation-Army-Houston-to-shutter-one-shelter-13431720.php

 

Eventually, I hope to move this topic to a new subforum.

[Triton]

Would not be shocked at all if this was a major multi-family development. The area is changing, you have direct access to downtown, and it's slowly becoming a hip area with WOMH and the other bars.

[thedistrict84]

4 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

This is the site of the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center in Near Northside. Is that the right neighborhood?

 

I think that would be correct. As I understand it, “Near Northside” is a blanket term for the area east of I-45, north of the UP railroad that runs through Hardy Yards, west of the BNSF line that runs parallel to Hardy and Elysian, and south of 610. It covers a large area that includes several distinct neighborhoods, similar to the “East End.”

[Moderators]

4 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

Thanks for the explainer. I appreciate it. 

There so many neighborhood names I'm unfamiliar with. My friend's dad not too long ago schooled me on the name of his neighborhood. I called it Rice Military, but he said it was another name that I can't recall. 

People are territorial about their neighborhoods. I didn't want to offend anyone living there by referring to this area as some place else.

 

Camp Logan tends to interchange with Rice Military.

[ZBombadill]

Received this letter in the mail. The "for sale" sign is gone in front of the building. It appears this structure will be used as their headquarters in the region and include a renovation / demolition of various structures in the complex. Chron and ABC13 state the site will be under construction starting in September, with plans to open under a new vision in September 2023.

Edited December 6, 2022 by ZBombadill

[jessicau]

Thank God it will not shelter and feed homeless because right now N. Main and Fulton are full of homeless. I understand also the neighborhood does not feel safe if they were to do that again.

[Texasota]

Maybe don't mention God when celebrating that people *aren't* being fed and sheltered.

[Triton]

On 12/27/2022 at 3:08 PM, jessicau said:

Thank God it will not shelter and feed homeless because right now N. Main and Fulton are full of homeless. I understand also the neighborhood does not feel safe if they were to do that again.

Are or are not full of homeless people? I haven't seen any large clusters on N Main in years.

It's hard to say this but it's the honest truth, since the Salvation Army has left, the area has drastically changed. It definitely used to feel unsafe walking to the light rail at Quitman and I certainly see more concert goers and residents taking it now. I once saw the couple with a baby in the stroller being seriously harassed by a homeless person right at that corner.

That being said, we need to take care of our homeless, and community after community are rejecting future projects. I still to this day will never forget shortly after the 2016 election how people used Josue Flores' death as a way to block a project near UH-D from going forward because they said more of their children would be murdered by homeless people.

Whatever does come into this development, the city needs to find some solution to the clusters of people that gathered around here when the Salvation Army was in full operation here. It was quite often people there would pee and poop in people's yards, constant serious drug and alcohol use, and I even had a guy sleeping in his underwear on my front porch and I had to tell my family to get back into the house because the guy was angry and threatening. (I saw him days later in the Target parking lot still in his underwear).

I think that's why a lot of residents here, even lower income ones that require some sort of assistance themselves, do not look forward to the Salvation Army coming back here. 

 

[jessicau]

Hi @TritonI moved to the Northside recently. I realize there were more homeless, but I still see some along the train route especially by the McDonald’s and maybe that is Fulton. There are homeless along Main when I’m driving up from Hogan. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by jessicau
Name

[Triton]

3 hours ago, jessicau said:

Hi @TritonI moved to the Northside recently. I realize there were more homeless, but I still see some along the train route especially by the McDonald’s and maybe that is Fulton. There are homeless along Main when I’m driving up from Hogan. 

Ah yes, there are still many at that McDonald's on Fulton and Boundary.

[Amlaham]

 

[Dewey]

1 hour ago, Amlaham said:

 

I saw the plans for this floating around a while ago. Pretty sure this is going to be the new area command for the TSA, so corporate offices, plus a chapel/meeting hall and perhaps a cafe where the community can come or people in need can begin intake and receive services. I do not believe this will be a shelter. 

[southerncrj]

Timely post!

Indeed, The Salvation Army is planning to move its Area Command to the fully renovated building that used to be a men's shelter, which closed after the murder of Josue Flores as mentioned above.

What I think is news and that I found very recently is that TSA also bought the property at 501 Quitman St. This is a 16,500 sqft where Bible Days Church is currently located. The lot is mostly empty, and what I heard from a neighbor (unconfirmed, so take it with a grain of salt) is that apparently the current church building will be preserved (future use unclear, but not a shelter), while the rest of the lot will be used mostly as parking for the employees of the Area Command once the N. Main building reopens. 

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[southerncrj]

Paradigm's website has some of the renderings for the 2407 N. Main building. Certainly a major improvement, but nothing particularly exciting, as it'd be reasonable to expecthttps://www.paradigmconstruction-tx.com/project/the-salvation-army/:

[southerncrj]

Aaaaand it's gone...

Demo work has started and the metallic structure at the corner of Keene and Morris is already gone. I guess this is "Bldg. C" in the permits @hindesky posted above.

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 6/12/2023 at 9:42 AM, southerncrj said:

Paradigm's website has some of the renderings for the 2407 N. Main building. Certainly a major improvement, but nothing particularly exciting, as it'd be reasonable to expecthttps://www.paradigmconstruction-tx.com/project/the-salvation-army/:

@southerncrj Thanks for finding this and posting.

[j_cuevas713]

Very nice! 

[Houston19514]

Where is the Area Command currently located?

[ATH]

On 6/19/2023 at 11:20 AM, Houston19514 said:

Where is the Area Command currently located?

They are downtown at 1500 Austin.  This building will be sold once the Main Street property is completed.

[ZBombadill]

Some pictures of the site from today:

[hindesky]

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[hindesky]