Sakowitz Department Store At 1111 Main St.

[ChannelTwoNews]

Younan Properties has purchased the garage and the office building behind it. Does this in any way affect the plans for the proposed store?

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...63&ana=e_du

[TheIndustry]

From an article on GlobeSt.com:

Younan also is looking into converting the first floor of the attached garage, totaling 25,000 sf, into retail space. He says the team is performing due diligence to determine if the estimated $2-million to $3-million conversion tab will be cost-effective in the long run.

http://www.globest.com/news/1047_1047/houston/166448-1.html

[HtownWxBoy]

I see their website now says "Winter 07/08" for an opening date... something tells me that's not going to happen.

[HtownWxBoy]

Website has been updated once again... now just says "coming soon".

[The Great Hizzy!]

You can't move in to an unrenovated building. Heh.

[Daniepwils]

I keep seeing fewer and fewer cars parked on the first floor, maybe that is something.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Hmm... I've not paid attention. That's a good point, though. I'll have to see if I can note a change in that area myself whenever I'm happening by.

[Daniepwils]

This morning I saw someone measuring the windows and such. (He looked to be in the construction field)

[ricco67]

This morning I saw someone measuring the windows and such. (He looked to be in the construction field)

I would certainly hope so.

If it was someone in the law (Red?) or a homeless guy, I'd be greatly concerned.

[HtownWxBoy]

This morning I saw someone measuring the windows and such. (He looked to be in the construction field)

Interesting... maybe something is finally going to happen!

[Vertigo58]

This morning I saw someone measuring the windows and such. (He looked to be in the construction field)

Very soon will become the site for very lavish events. Sounds way off but it's true. Can divulge later. There is at least one very grand deal that will be held there in about 2 months, so there must be plans for a reception & dance area. No joke.

[ricco67]

Very soon will become the site for very lavish events. Sounds way off but it's true. Can divulge later. There is at least one very grand deal that will be held there in about 2 months, so there must be plans for a reception & dance area. No joke.

Reception Hall and dancing? Throw that awesome parking ramp and you're talking a considerable amount of fun.

Imaging doing the Samba while cars zip up and down the ramp.

[Vertigo58]

Reception Hall and dancing? Throw that awesome parking ramp and you're talking a considerable amount of fun.

Imaging doing the Samba while cars zip up and down the ramp.

Anything is possible after a few Martini's!

It's possible it will be on the roof? All is know is AIA is having annual Gala Celebrating Architecture 2008 Window Shopping. Attire, cheeky vintage/black tie, live orchestra, valet parking , etc. Someone better get a hammering & nailing...it's this weekend! Yeoeee!

Strike up the band!

[The Great Hizzy!]

Y'all are nutty.

[HtownWxBoy]

Y'all are nutty.

[Lectro]

I read in this month's envy mag, that AA is going to be at 909 Texas (Rice Lofts). I cant remember if there are any open spaces at the Rice, does anyone know if one of the restaurants is closing?

[jayshoota]

I read in this month's envy mag, that AA is going to be at 909 Texas (Rice Lofts). I cant remember if there are any open spaces at the Rice, does anyone know if one of the restaurants is closing?

I saw that too. The AA website still says Main St. so who knows. I don't see the 909 Texas location as an ideal place.

[roadrunner]

They were doing work on this building today. Definitely some sort of event they were setting up for. Really strange. Is this a permanent thing? Or just for this weekend?

[HtownWxBoy]

I read in this month's envy mag, that AA is going to be at 909 Texas (Rice Lofts). I cant remember if there are any open spaces at the Rice, does anyone know if one of the restaurants is closing?

Interesting... the Main Street location would be better since it's right across from HP... but scattering retail around Downtown is also good.

[bach]

They were doing work on this building today. Definitely some sort of event they were setting up for. Really strange. Is this a permanent thing? Or just for this weekend?

It's a gala for RDA or something.

[bach]

It's a gala for RDA or something.

www.architectureweek.com/cgi-bin/calendar.cgi?id=18936

ArchitectureWeek Calendar

This design and building Events Calendar is provided by ArchitectureWeek.

AIA Houston Presents Celebrate Architecture 2008

Former Sakowitz Building

1111 Main Street Garage

Houston, TX, USA

The American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter, is pleased to announce the 2008 Celebrate Architecture Gala, benefiting the Houston Architecture Foundation, will be held in the historic 1951 Sakowitz Building. For one night only, the space, now known as 1111Main Garage, will evoke the glamour of the 1950s Houston Main Street shopping experience. It will include elements of the original interiors, as well as the trademark Sakowitz shop window vignettes, with live models showcasing authentic period fashions. Robert Sakowitz is expected to be in attendance. Partygoers will dine on a southern-inspired menu, groove to southwest soul sounds, and have the opportunity to bid on a range of high-end items through a silent auction. AIA Houston Firm of the Year and Young Architect of the Year honorees will also be announced. 7 PM - 12 AM.

April 26, 2008

[HtownWxBoy]

www.architectureweek.com/cgi-bin/calendar.cgi?id=18936

ArchitectureWeek Calendar

This design and building Events Calendar is provided by ArchitectureWeek.

AIA Houston Presents Celebrate Architecture 2008

Former Sakowitz Building

1111 Main Street Garage

Houston, TX, USA

The American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter, is pleased to announce the 2008 Celebrate Architecture Gala, benefiting the Houston Architecture Foundation, will be held in the historic 1951 Sakowitz Building. For one night only, the space, now known as 1111Main Garage, will evoke the glamour of the 1950s Houston Main Street shopping experience. It will include elements of the original interiors, as well as the trademark Sakowitz shop window vignettes, with live models showcasing authentic period fashions. Robert Sakowitz is expected to be in attendance. Partygoers will dine on a southern-inspired menu, groove to southwest soul sounds, and have the opportunity to bid on a range of high-end items through a silent auction. AIA Houston Firm of the Year and Young Architect of the Year honorees will also be announced. 7 PM - 12 AM.

April 26, 2008

So do you think 50 years from now when (hopefully) Main Street in Downtown Houston is filled with shops and people once again they will have a party to evoke the "glamour" of 1990s/2000s Main Street Houston when there were no shops or people and people had to have parties to evoke the glamour of 1950s Houston.... just wondering.

[Daniepwils]

I hope no one trips over the fecal debris that was left at that corner this morning.... very gross!

[Reefmonkey]

I was just thinking about Sakowitz, what a great store it was in its day. Mostly we went to either the downtown Sakowitz or the Post Oak one, but I remember there was even a scaled-down Sakowitz in the Northwest suburbs, at FM 1960 and Champions Forest Drive. It's now a Sun and Ski Sports.

Growing up as little kid in just a bit of the late 70s and then the early 80s, I remember my mom taking us to Sakowitz to buy us our "sunday best" clothes. Mostly what we liked was going to the lunch room afterwards, and the meals they had for kids. They brought baskets of cheddar cheese straws and sweet orange rolls, and for kids there were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut into the shape of animals with raisins for eyes, as well as a great vegetable soup. It was also one of the few places my mom would let us drink chocolate milk (Luby's being the other, and she would let us buy it once a week with our lunch at school).

When the Post Oak store finally went out of business, they had a huge going-out-of-business sale, sometime when I was in junior high. Everything was for sale, even back office equipment, fixtures, displays, etc. My mom bought a huge wardrobe like the one in "The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe".

If anyone has any pictures of the interior of either the downtown or Post Oak Sakowitz, or any old lunch room menus or other memorabilia they could post, that would be great!

I read an interesting book on the Sakowitz family: "Blood Rich: When Oil Billions, High Fashion, and Royal Intimacies Are Not Enough" by Jane Wolf. Utimately the book focuses on Oscar and Lynn Wyatt's feud and lawsuit against Lynn's brother Robert, but the first several chapters give great indepth historical background on the Sakowitz family and stores, going all the way back to the original Sakowitz brothers who emigrated from Russia and started a small department store in Galveston, later moving it to Houston just after the 1900 hurricane. It has some good pictures; I'll try to scan and post them this week.

[rsb320]

No pics, but I remember the store across Westheimer from Neiman's. It was white painted brick with (like) Greek Revival columns in front. For some reason, I remember something red on the interior. Was the carpet red?

[isuredid]

Here is an external of Sakowitz Post Oak store:

[rps324]

I remember shopping at the one at Champions Village and Post Oak. Once or twice downtown. I don't recall shopping at the one at Town & Country, but there was one there, and there was one at Gulfgate too.

[Alpha]

I remember shopping at the one at Champions Village and Post Oak. Once or twice downtown. I don't recall shopping at the one at Town & Country, but there was one there, and there was one at Gulfgate too.

I worked at Sakowitz Town & Country from the day it opened, in November of 1967, until 1972. The store was really pretty inside - the Spanish style that was popular then. The problem with Town & Country, was that it could never "match up" to the Post Oak store. People would go to Post Oak to buy stuff, and come to Town & Country to return them. I used to be cashier in the shoe dept. and it made my manager furious when we would get PO's returns.

[Vertigo58]

I worked at Sakowitz Town & Country from the day it opened, in November of 1967, until 1972. The store was really pretty inside - the Spanish style that was popular then. The problem with Town & Country, was that it could never "match up" to the Post Oak store. People would go to Post Oak to buy stuff, and come to Town & Country to return them. I used to be cashier in the shoe dept. and it made my manager furious when we would get PO's returns.

It would be great if you started a topic solely based on Town & Countries early days! When I was a kid we always would see TV commercials and radio talking about T & C mall. Thats when the city was much smaller so the mall seemed like miles and miles away to most of us.

[NenaE]

The book Houston - A History of a Giant (Authors Jim Hutton, Jim Henderson) (1976), states that Sakowitz's *downtown store opened in 1951, a Sakowitz Shop opened in the Shamrock Hotel (1953), Sakowitz Gulfgate in 1956, Post Oak in 1959, expanded 1970, Town & Co. Village 1967...Sakowitz Stella Link Fabric Shop 1972... . Sakowitz claims many firsts, including "establishing the first Yves St. Laurent Boutique in America, launching Emilio Pucci menswear,...".

*See my Correction edit below post.