Washington Avenue Information & Developments

[mhh222]

This was a good thread -- nice if we could get some new action here! So much new development to talk about on Washington. Here's some stuff to get this going:

1. The big apartment complex at Washington just west of Heights. Looks like it might not be that bad, design wise... Beats what was there anyway!

2. New strip center across Bonner from #1 above. Looks like their about ready to go vertical. The sign outside has a rendering... Again, not too bad as Houston strip centers go.

3. New strip center at Washington and Fowler. Disappointed at what appears to be close to the final product. Don't love the painted stucco, but let's see what the finished product looks like.

4. What about the old firehouse next to #3 above -- I hear that will be a restaurant/bar with rooftop patio, but haven't seen any recent news.

5. Same people that are doing #3 above are putting up the big one where Clark Motors used to be just southwest of #3 at Parker. This will be another urban retro looking place, not the typical Houston cookie cutter strip center. The site is totally cleared -- ready for some action.

6. The old art-deco center between Durham and Shepard is coming along as slowly as ever, but it looks like it will really be an improvement over the Hi/Lo & Eckerds combo that used to reside there. Nice blue tile, metallic lined awning, and looks like some real attention to detail with the work on Soma, the new restaurant on the West side of the building

7. Urban Realty has had a sign up about there new building at Reinerman forever, but no action here... Maybe they will tear down the old night club that hasn't seen any action in a couple of years? They also bought the old red brick auto repair building across the street -- for lease -- maybe someone will fix that up into a cool restaurant or shops?

8. The SW corner of Washington and Malone... Never got the eyeglass place the sign promised I think for Spring of 2007. 3/4 of this block is El Tiempo overflow parking -- they fixed it up as a lot. Hope there is some better development coming for this block.

9. Finally, about ready to go vertical too for the new Benjy's at Washington and Knox. They've laid the foundation and most of the parking lot. Can't wait to see how this one will turn out -- it's pretty close to my place!

Anyway, not all inclusive, but a start... Let's hear what you know/think about Washington development. Pix/renderings would be great too!

[tanith27]

Don't forget Beavers Ice House. I'm hearing a November opening, can anyone confirm?

[sowanome]

1. The big apartment complex at Washington just west of Heights. Looks like it might not be that bad, design wise... Beats what was there anyway!

2. New strip center across Bonner from #1 above. Looks like their about ready to go vertical. The sign outside has a rendering... Again, not too bad as Houston strip centers go.

I don't want to speak too fast, but the new apt. complex is looking pretty good and I hope the new strip center uses a similar structure. However, the strip center on Fowler and Washington is a HUGE DISSAPOINTMENT......... I agree that they screwed up the stucco color, But i will take that over what was there before! As far as updates I can tell you that the Memorial Hill apts. on scotland st. across from Cleveland Park will probably be an upscale apt. complex b/c it overlooks Memorial Dr. and has views of downtown and the med center. The upscale rental density just keeps adding up. Unfortunately, the cheapest rent will probably be $900! The Social is actually pretty nice inside and that the attention to detail that SOMA is bringing to that retail center will change Washington ave. and so will Benjy's. I'm loving it!!!

[shakespeare]

The name will be "The Drake."

Hey H-Town Girl,

Only thing I don't like is that $6.00 parking- lots of cars parking within the neighborhood: Sixth Ward along Silver and throughout the streets. I have a feeling the neighbors are not going to take to this well. They should get rid of the $6 parking fee, since they seem to have a great deal to park for their customers, rather then them going to park at Corkscrews or the streets in neighborhood. Not cool, because many houses don't have garages, so the people need their offstreet parking.

[shakespeare]

Washington Avenue morphing into restaurant row

Houston Business Journal - August 24, 2007

by Allison Wollam

Houston Business Journal

A series of high-end restaurants have begun clustering along Washington Avenue even as property values and retail rents continue to skyrocket above those in the more established Westheimer/Montrose area.

Chef Monica Pope, owner of T'afia restaurant in Midtown, is the latest restaurateur to announce she's ready to cook on Washington Avenue.

Pope and a group of investors are planning to open a new concept called Beaver's next month. The restaurant will be located at Sawyer and Washington Avenue, just south of the former Pig Stand restaurant.

Benjy's, the trendy West University-area restaurant at 2424 Dunstan, is also expanding to the area.

Benjy's is planning a two-story restaurant at 5922 Washington Ave. that will include a ground-level patio and second-floor lounge when it opens next June.

And another Rice Village-area tenant, Azuma Sushi & Robata Bar, will open an eatery on Washington Avenue in the Washington Square shopping center later this year.

Meanwhile, Catalan Food & Wine Bar, Cova Hand-Selected Wines, El Tiempo Cantina, Molina's Cantina, Max's Wine Dive and Cyclone Anaya's have all recently set up shop on the busy street.

Pope, a 15-year veteran of the local restaurant industry who formerly operated the now-shuttered Boulevard Bistro on Montrose, says she has seen different areas of town emerge as restaurant hotspots over the years. Now, it's Washington Avenue that is striking a chord with restaurant owners and diners.

"People are always looking for a new area with a buzz," she says. "It's starting to really look like a restaurant corridor."

The popularity of the Washington Avenue area is reflected in the still-rising rental rates, which reached $2.03 per square foot in the second quarter, up from $2 in the first quarter, according to research firm O'Connor & Associates. Meanwhile, rental rates in more high-profile Westheimer/Montrose area lagged behind, staying flat at $1.78 per square foot in the first and second quarters of this year.

Pope compares the new restaurant explosion along Washington Avenue to the Midtown area three years ago when she opened T'afia at 3701 Travis St.

"Once I saw that the Continental Club was surviving and Julia's Bistro was opening, I got the perception that I wasn't in no-man's land and that there was a nice pocket of activity going on in the (Midtown) area," she says.

Mark Hanna, owner of Houston-based restaurant and hospitality consulting firm Customer First, says early activity had restaurants flocking to the west end of Washington Avenue, but the trend is now spreading throughout the area.

"While there has been a lot of major residential development going on in the area, a lot of the properties right on Washington Avenue have remained quite affordable," he says.

Eager Beaver's

Washington Avenue's newest resident, Beaver's, is described by Pope as an "ice house with good Texas-style barbecue where people can come and hang out."

Jon Alford, who has previously manned the barbecue pits at Central Market and Demeris Barbecue, will serve as the pit master for what Pope calls "a grueling 24-hour-a-day process in the kitchen."

"We have a group of real estate veterans, restaurant owners and people with expertise in barbecue, so this is a group effort," she says.

Pope says she's been watching the area for about four years, and the concept came together when the location, a former bar, became available.

Just down the street, the new Benjy's will span 7,500 square feet, which is 50 percent larger than the original location near Rice Village. Owner Benjy Levit says he chose the Washington Avenue location because of the large amount of land he was able to acquire in the area.

The new restaurant, which went under construction about two weeks ago, will feature a party room that can accommodate up to 40 guests. Levit notes that the new eatery will be far enough away from the original Benjy's that it will serve an entirely different market.

"The demographics of the Washington Avenue area fit our target market," Levit says. "It's a densely populated area with a lot of young people who like to go out."

Washington Avenue Newcomers

RESTAURANT NAME

[shakespeare]

Correction on my earlier post on Dharma Cafe---They are open on Tue-Fri for lunch 11am-3pm and of course dinner hours. Great for the dowtown crowd and those that work nearby.

[Htowngirl]

Beaver's had a preview party this weekend... I wasn't able to go, did anyone else?

"OK, EAGER BEAVERS...

YOU'VE BEEN PATIENT LONG ENOUGH

Please stop by for a

PREVIEW PARTY OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, November 17th

7pm - 10pm

Complimentary Appetizers, "Front Porch" Cocktails & Real Ale Brews

This is an invitation-only event

please R.S.V.P to:

mail@beavershouston.com

2310 Decatur / 77007 (click on link below for map)

one block South of Washington Ave, on the corner of Sawyer & Decatur

(parking lot behind building)

BEAVER'S QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Get Your Tail In Here"

CHECK OUT THE MENU!! "

[hokieone]

Beaver's had a preview party this weekend... I wasn't able to go, did anyone else?

"OK, EAGER BEAVERS...

YOU'VE BEEN PATIENT LONG ENOUGH

Please stop by for a

PREVIEW PARTY OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, November 17th

7pm - 10pm

Complimentary Appetizers, "Front Porch" Cocktails & Real Ale Brews

This is an invitation-only event

please R.S.V.P to:

mail@beavershouston.com

2310 Decatur / 77007 (click on link below for map)

one block South of Washington Ave, on the corner of Sawyer & Decatur

(parking lot behind building)

BEAVER'S QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Get Your Tail In Here"

CHECK OUT THE MENU!! "

i went, it was pretty fun. great brisket and i liked the ribs. should be a good spot to get some food. not sure about the design of the space inside yet, but i'm sure she's still working it out. interesting menu - beaver balls anyone? the rebirth brass band even stopped by, which was cool.

[tanith27]

Okay, I'm bummed. I submitted my name for the Beavers Mailing List ages ago. Why did I not hear about this?!?!

[musicman]

Okay, I'm bummed. I submitted my name for the Beavers Mailing List ages ago. Why did I not hear about this?!?!

sounds like it was only for the IN crowd.

[RedScare]

sounds like it was only for the IN crowd.

Wait. A poster nicknamed "hokieone" is considered part of the IN crowd, yet a poster with a Stewie avatar is not?

What is this world coming to?

[hokieone]

Wait. A poster nicknamed "hokieone" is considered part of the IN crowd, yet a poster with a Stewie avatar is not?

What is this world coming to?

ha - Red, you're just a little envious of the success the Hokies are having this year - don't worry NC State might get better someday

[Zippy]

So when will light rail be sent down Washington? With all the restaurants and the town homes/apartments around there, it would seem that it's getting quite dense.

Just wondering.

[tanith27]

Not anytime soon. Metro has their near term plans already in place.

http://www.metrosolutions.org/go/doctype/1068/13056/

The rail thats currently there would make the most sense for a line up 290, but anything to that regard would have to be many years from now.

[RedScare]

ha - Red, you're just a little envious of the success the Hokies are having this year - don't worry NC State might get better someday

I'm not worried. Basketball season is starting.

[Serrano]

So when will light rail be sent down Washington? With all the restaurants and the town homes/apartments around there, it would seem that it's getting quite dense.

Just wondering.

I just drove on washington i couldn't believe how nice everything is looking. All of those new restaurants.

[Porchman]

Cosmos Cafe is closing. Their final show is tomorrow night.

From the HBJ:

"In an e-mail note to customers on Thursday, owner Pete Pallas said a combination of factors led to his decision, including his workload, not having enough customers willing to support live music, and the recent smoking ban introduced by the City of Houston."

[houstonartstudent]

just a little off topic...but I'm really pissed they redid the exhaust vent for the bread factory on washington and studemont...every time I'd drive by there I'd make myself look like an idiot by rolling down my window for a whiff. My friend told me they did it because residents at the apartments across the street were complaining...How can you complain about fresh bread 24/7?!?!?

[Markus]

just a little off topic...but I'm really pissed they redid the exhaust vent for the bread factory on washington and studemont...every time I'd drive by there I'd make myself look like an idiot by rolling down my window for a whiff. My friend told me they did it because residents at the apartments across the street were complaining...How can you complain about fresh bread 24/7?!?!?

That sks. I liked the smell also.

I used to live at 'the Estates' there and the smell never was prevalent around the complex unless it was morning....but of course those new(er) townhomes are alot closer.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I guess it's one thing to smell it on ocassion as you pass by and another thing to smell it for hours on end while living next to it.

[tmariar]

Cosmos Cafe is closing. Their final show is tomorrow night.

From the HBJ:

"In an e-mail note to customers on Thursday, owner Pete Pallas said a combination of factors led to his decision, including his workload, not having enough customers willing to support live music, and the recent smoking ban introduced by the City of Houston."

That's sad to hear. I was wondering what was up, as they've been closed the last few times I've tried to go there. I'm not surprised the smoking ban impacted them.

Cosmos had pretty good food - better than one might think from the roadhouse look. I especially liked their New-Mexican-style chili. I would only go there for food, though, and only when there wasn't a band playing. The restaurant/live-music venue combination is probably a little tricky to pull off.

[neal0411]

i live in the townhomes and it still smells like fresh baked bread all the time

[sowanome]

LOOK > ! Washington Avenue/Heights/Yale does it again........... This project is bordered by heights(east)/yale(west)/E.2nd street(north)/Railroad tracks(south) just north of the Social. They are going to demo an apt. building and some other stuff!!! Nothing major, I can't upload the file with pic's bc it's too big.? It's an Orr job...Not even on their website yet and thanks to them this area will blossom.

IM me for an email of the file if you want pics.

DEVELOPMENT SYNOPSIS:

RESTAURANT ♦ RETAIL ♦ OFFICE ♦ UPSCALE HOUSING

Edited December 13, 2007 by sowanome

[tanith27]

If it means those slum apartments are coming down, that alone is enough to get me excited. Just don't mess with Hickory Hollow.

[sowanome]

If it means those slum apartments are coming down, that alone is enough to get me excited. Just don't mess with Hickory Hollow.

I agree about the apartments, I just didn't want to say it and they really don't fit with the landscape of that street or the bridge on Heights BLVD. If driving south from I-10 on Heights BLVD you know exactly what I'm referring to, that streetscape has been such a waste and in the future it will finally serve it's purpose............. It's about time, I guess Cosmos should have tryed to stay open for a bit longer!

[RedScare]

I assume that this means the Sons of Herman Hall is No Mas?

Sons of Herman is 2 acres. The aprtment is 2 acres. Can you tell where the last acre is from your pics? I know that there is 1 acre next to the railroad tracks that was supposed to become condos (facing Heights). Did that become part of the 5 acre project?

[sowanome]

I assume that this means the Sons of Herman Hall is No Mas?

Sons of Herman is 2 acres. The aprtment is 2 acres. Can you tell where the last acre is from your pics? I know that there is 1 acre next to the railroad tracks that was supposed to become condos (facing Heights). Did that become part of the 5 acre project?

pm me with your email, i will forward the flyer to you.

[tanith27]

I agree about the apartments, I just didn't want to say it and they really don't fit with the landscape of that street or the bridge on Heights BLVD. If driving south from I-10 on Heights BLVD you know exactly what I'm referring to, that streetscape has been such a waste and in the future it will finally serve it's purpose............. It's about time, I guess Cosmos should have tryed to stay open for a bit longer!

I drove down Heights blvd last night and noticed they posted a sign up for this now. I also noticed a sign on the east side of Heights Blvd advertising a new loft complex right on the bayou. I cant recall the name as I drove by quickly while mentally picturing the slum apartments being razed. "Something" 20 Lofts I think was the name of it....

[Porchman]

I drove down Heights blvd last night and noticed they posted a sign up for this now. I also noticed a sign on the east side of Heights Blvd advertising a new loft complex right on the bayou. I cant recall the name as I drove by quickly while mentally picturing the slum apartments being razed. "Something" 20 Lofts I think was the name of it....

"Bridge 20 Lofts"

[sunsets]

How is it even possible to build that close to the bayou? How can they get insured? That's like the third different project that's had a sign up, so I wonder if it's actually going to be built.

I don't think those apartments are all that slum-like. They're pretty run-down, but far nicer than than the Skylane. Most of the inhabitants seem like decent sorts, if the people getting on the bus to go to work in the morning are any indication.

Now the Conoco station by the Art Car museum - that is a pit of despair.