Oak Forest Shopping Center At 1352 W. 43rd St.

[MarthaG]

Finally they are going to tear down the strip shopping center on W. 43rd at Ella and re-build. This center has been mostly vacant and an eyesore for many years.

Word is tenants just found out last week that they have to be out by March. Owner says it will be a year before new center is ready for move in. This leaves the few tenants there in a fix.

Radio Shack is moving inventory to their W 34th St. location. The 99 cent store has reduced prices to 89 cents (hurry in for your big savings). Hallmark is probably getting the hardest hit. They have been in this center for at least 20 years and had the nicest spot. They are hoping to relocate in N. Shephard.

I feel bad for the business owners but I am thrilled that they are finally doing something. Maybe we can get some good retail to come into the hood.

[native_Houstonian]

Finally they are going to tear down the strip shopping center on W. 43rd at Ella and re-build. This center has been mostly vacant and an eyesore for many years.

Word is tenants just found out last week that they have to be out by March. Owner says it will be a year before new center is ready for move in. This leaves the few tenants there in a fix.

Radio Shack is moving inventory to their W 34th St. location. The 99 cent store has reduced prices to 89 cents (hurry in for your big savings). Hallmark is probably getting the hardest hit. They have been in this center for at least 20 years and had the nicest spot. They are hoping to relocate in N. Shephard.

I feel bad for the business owners but I am thrilled that they are finally doing something. Maybe we can get some good retail to come into the hood.

This is the part of the center just East of Kroger, right? Any idea what they hope to put in there?

[Orikal]

This is the part of the center just East of Kroger, right? Any idea what they hope to put in there?

Alright! I'll be anxious to see what's going in.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Speaking of Oak Forest, I hope that every main thoroughfare in that quadrant of the city is rehabilitated to mimick both 43rd between Ella and Oak Forest Blvd. as well as Shepherd from 610 to about Pinemont. Good concrete. Reliable even.

How old is the current Oak Forest shopping center? Looks like a 60s development.

[nmainguy]

If you can grab a copy of the Leader, there was a front page article about the new center.

That shopping center has been there as long as I can remember-I'm 53.

It looks like there might be a restaurant or two in the new center.

My wishfull thinking would be for them to build it out to the street with parking in the back-for a change!

It would also be a good fit in case Palais Royal wanted more space.

native_Houstonian: This is the part of the center just East of Kroger, right?

Yes. The original grocery store was Weingartens which was about the size of Kroger's produce dept.

[native_Houstonian]

If you can grab a copy of the Leader, there was a front page article about the new center.

That shopping center has been there as long as I can remember-I'm 53.

It looks like there might be a restaurant or two in the new center.

My wishfull thinking would be for them to build it out to the street with parking in the back-for a change!

It would also be a good fit in case Palais Royal wanted more space.

Yes. The original grocery store was Weingartens which was about the size of Kroger's produce dept.

Any new news on this? Does anyone know what is going in here or across the street where they tore down the old bank?

[bobh]

I remember the old Weingartens. I liked the grill/diner that was on the west side of the store. While my folks would shop I would watch them make the donuts. For some reason I liked to watch them drop, fry as they floated in a circle, get flipped to do the other side and then scooped out to drain. We shopped the nursery everyspring that was on the corner of Oak Forest and 43rd. Most of the groceries came from the Minimax store that was where the Eckerds is now at. I can't remember the name of the little ice cream shop that was next door to the Minimax. It was directly on the right side of the Minimax where the sidewalk makes the 90 degree turn. Of course I was 5 or 6 then. For some reason I think the ame had "Village" in it. The biggest treat though was when we had some extra money. We would go to SS Kreske's across the street and get hamburgers to take home. There were quite a few businesses that called that center home. There was the Western Auto to the left of the Minimax, a bowling alley was there to the left (I believe) of where the Hallmark is now. It stayed vacant for quite a while and then the Gordon's jewelers took that space. Probably my favorite place though was the Midgit Market. It was between the Dominos and the Red Wing store on Ella and 43rd. We used to run to the big chest that they sold the drinks out of and jam our hands into the ice. Dr. Pepper was 10 cents a bottle with a 3 cent deposit. We bought ice there in brown paper bags that were filled while we waited.

Ahhhhhh......i can almost see it all again.

[nmainguy]

I remember the old Weingartens. I liked the grill/diner that was on the west side of the store. While my folks would shop I would watch them make the donuts. For some reason I liked to watch them drop, fry as they floated in a circle, get flipped to do the other side and then scooped out to drain. We shopped the nursery everyspring that was on the corner of Oak Forest and 43rd. Most of the groceries came from the Minimax store that was where the Eckerds is now at. I can't remember the name of the little ice cream shop that was next door to the Minimax. It was directly on the right side of the Minimax where the sidewalk makes the 90 degree turn. Of course I was 5 or 6 then. For some reason I think the ame had "Village" in it. The biggest treat though was when we had some extra money. We would go to SS Kreske's across the street and get hamburgers to take home. There were quite a few businesses that called that center home. There was the Western Auto to the left of the Minimax, a bowling alley was there to the left (I believe) of where the Hallmark is now. It stayed vacant for quite a while and then the Gordon's jewelers took that space. Probably my favorite place though was the Midgit Market. It was between the Dominos and the Red Wing store on Ella and 43rd. We used to run to the big chest that they sold the drinks out of and jam our hands into the ice. Dr. Pepper was 10 cents a bottle with a 3 cent deposit. We bought ice there in brown paper bags that were filled while we waited.

Ahhhhhh......i can almost see it all again.

How old are you?

[MarthaG]

How old are you?

Much younger than you ... he graduated Waltrip in 75. Hope you know I'm just givin you a hard time.

And you are right, it would be great if Palais Royal moved into the new strip and got somemore room, but somehow I doubt that will happen.

Change of subject...are you going to the Get together tomorrow at Berryhill? I'm going to try and make it.

Bob, your memory is so different (or better) than mine. I do not remember the ice cream shop or the bowling alley, or the grill at Weingartens.

Update: the shopping center is really starting to come down now. The fronts are all of the buildings (except Eckards) and some of the dividing walls are gone.

I'm getting anxious to see what the new place is going to look like...

[bobh]

Hi all.

Yep I'm still a "youngster" at heart.

I recall the bowling alley and the ice cream shop because they were new things to me. A neighbor when we lived on w43rd took my sister and I to the ice cream shop where we had our fist Sundaes. The bowling alley we went to once because my dad's cousin's wife wanted my mom to join the ladies league. My mom wasn't interested in bowling though. The grill in the Wiengartens was just to the left when you came in through the west side entrance. Matter fact that is right where the do-nut fryer was.

I recall the Midgit Market a lot not only because of the soda chest and getting ice in the brown sacks but the guy that worked there (we called him Mac) had a cottontail rabbit in the back. Another item I just remembered is the area behind that row of stores. Up until I got out of first grade or began second there was a open ditch that went from behind the Oak Forest bank to maybe halfway to Althea. Ionly went up about as far as Lamonte and then cut through a backyard to get home. It was quite deep and always had water in it. I remember trying to scoop minnows out of it. My mom did not like me going down into it but it was more fun for a little kid to do that than walk along 43rd.

Of course I can recall w43rd being two lanes. I recall the city limit sign at Shepherd and Pinemont. I could bring up Tiny Tim's Toys that used to be about where the HPD storefront is now. That's where I bought my Hot Wheels and some of my plastic model kits. Do y'all remember Oak Forest Elementary had an oyster shell parking area on the 43rd side of the building? It was enough to get the cars off of 43rd. How about when the brick pond in front of Oak Forest was not choked with weeds and still had gold fish in it?

I don't know why I can remember these things about these places. Maybe it is because I did'nt have a care in the world way back then. I bet if I get a chance to kick back and relax and let my mind go back I can recall a few other things. Here's one I just remembered. On the corner of Oak Forest and 43rd where the bank is now. There used to be a Mobil gas station. Embedded in the curb at that corner was a brass surveyors mark. Speaking of gas stations there were four. The Mobil with a Gulf on the Theater Suburbia corner. On Ella where the Taxaco is there was a Sinclar station. The Exxon has always been there. If I remember right it was run by a guy named Whiddon. I could also say where the UTotem and the 7-11 used to be.

Maybe it is because I was 5 when we moved to Garden Oaks and everything was new to me. Maybe it is how kids today relate to malls. This was where we shopped and spent a fair part of our lives.

bob

[native_Houstonian]

I drove by yesterday and saw that the building was almost completely demolished. Do we know what's going in there yet?

[MarthaG]

The sign out front says "Shops of Oak Forest" .

I just hope they get some good tenants. Wouldn't an Ice Cream shop be great? I'm really hoping a good restaurant takes a spot. My dream would be la'Madeline. But that is most unlikely.

If you could pick , who would you want to be there?

I was sitting in the drive thru line at Kroger Pharmacy a few days ago and the huge crane was taking out chunks of Eckards. It's a weird feeling to watch it come down. Like when they knocked down Kroger after building the new one.

bob h, you're right..we did spend a lot of time at that shopping center. Heck, I still do. Most weekends I never venture out of Oak Forest.

[native_Houstonian]

From Ms. Nancy Sarnoff's column in Sunday's Houston Chronicle:

Updating shopping center

The new owners of an aging shopping center in Oak Forest are demolishing the property and building a newer one to better suit the image of this up-and-coming area.

Wellington Development Co. bought the property at the northwest corner of Ella and 34th earlier this year and has signed letters of intent with retailers to fill about half of the space.

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by editor
Edited due to copyright. Remember to summarize and link. Don't copy and paste.

[MarthaG]

Great info. Only thing is the location is Ella and 43rd. But it's obvious that it's the same shopping center.

My wishfull thinking would be for them to build it out to the street with parking in the back-for a change!

I can not visualize this. Can you give me an example (another shopping center) that is built this way?

How would the traffic flow from the Kroger parking area to the new parking area if the parking is in the back.

[nmainguy]

Great info. Only thing is the location is Ella and 43rd. But it's obvious that it's the same shopping center.

I can not visualize this. Can you give me an example (another shopping center) that is built this way?

How would the traffic flow from the Kroger parking area to the new parking area if the parking is in the back.

I can't give you a specfic example but I could see the traffic flowing on the old alley ROW to Ella. I'm assuming they are not attaching to Kroger because of th Rx drive through...???

[nx99]

I've heard second-hand that Starbucks has signed on for the new development. Rumor is that the holdup had something to do with a possible Kroger expansion across property lines that Weingarten has nixed.

[jm1fd]

I've heard second-hand that Starbucks has signed on for the new development. Rumor is that the holdup had something to do with a possible Kroger expansion across property lines that Weingarten has nixed.

Yeah...that's the same story somebody posted on the Oak Forest boards...

[Heights2Bastrop]

I spent many an hour there at Talley

[Peg]

The bulldozers are rollin'!! I can almost smell Starbucks picking my pocket...

[musicman]

looks like the center is having a few crime problems. robbers are following elderly home and robbing them. 13 interviewed a lady who was a victim who felt grateful to be alive. when HPD was questioned, they admited at least 6 more cases have been reported. watch out!

[Peppermint]

I was told today that Starbucks is confirmed and will begin construction shortly. Also, the Page Partners website shows Berryhill as a pending tenant. It will be good to have a new dining option or two in the area. Hopefully more tenants will commit since Starbucks has committed already and things might start moving along.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Peppermint

[Boognish]

Well the Starbucks finally opened and it appears the center is making some progress. I checked Page Partners website last week and it looks like there are a few other tenants that have signed leases in the center. Of course, they will be building a free standing Washington Mutual between Kroger and Starbucks. Other confirmed leases are Massage Envy and a nail salon.

According to the center's marketing flyer, they are in negotiations with a restaurant for the end-cap space closest to Ella. Let's hope it's something good. They claim to be in negotiations with a wine bar for the oposite end-cap space near Kroger. I am pretty excited about that, lets hope it works out.

I just hope they don't put any more dollar stores in the center, there are already two across the street. I am hoping this will be a little more high-end.

[NenaE]

Isn't there a Sears store around there, like the one on South Main? Art Deco style...originally.

[jm1fd]

Isn't there a Sears store around there, like the one on South Main? Art Deco style...originally.

Yes. On Shepherd near 43rd. The combination SEARS sign and bus stop out front is the best part.

[Boognish]

Anybody know what is going in at the southwest corner of 34th and Shepherd? A foundation has been poured, but there are no signs. There was an old gas station before, but it doesn't look like it is going to be. I am sure it will be a bank branch of some sort.

[jm1fd]

Anybody know what is going in at the southwest corner of 34th and Shepherd? A foundation has been poured, but there are no signs. There was an old gas station before, but it doesn't look like it is going to be. I am sure it will be a bank branch of some sort.

Rumor on the Garden Oaks mailing list is that it will be a bank branch....Washington Mutual I think they said...I can't remember for sure...all those big banks just run together in my head.

Edited May 15, 2008 by jm1fd

[Boognish]

Washington Mutual

Hmmm...I know they are putting a free standing WAMU branch in the shopping center at 43rd & Ella. Seems silly that they would be building another WAMU branch at 34th & Shepherd (I guess if they are in fact building 2 new branches less than 2 miles from each other, they have done their research and the think they will make money, in which case it would not be silly for them). I hope this is not the case, though it would not suprise me.

If it has to be a bank branch, I wish it was going to be a Bank of America. I hate having to go to the other side of the freeway to the drive-thru branch on Hackett Dr.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is going to be a Chic-fil-a, though I know it won't be. I just like to think that it will be.

[NewMND]

Have there been any rumors as to what the restaurant might be?

Edited May 17, 2008 by NewMND

[jm1fd]

Have there been any rumors as to what the restaurant might be?

I heard la Madeleine...

[shaernurse]

Anybody know what's up with foodland on ella @ judiway? Looks like it was boarded up and the sign was taken down as of sunday. Maybe a facelift or closed for good?