University of St. Thomas Campus Developments

[torvald]

they do clean it up but yea the graffiti on the store front just past st thomas has yet to be cleaned. its been there since 2004.

the bum traffic through the area is awesome because of the covenant house down the way on yoakum and hawthorne. st thomas as I have experienced does not really have that much of vagrancy problems because of ust's security force. although, this statuary is at the corner of montrose and alabama hopefully it will remain unscathed.

unfortunately, it is different graffiti, yet has been constant since 2004.

i just made the connection that the monument will be

at the same corner as the bum pee corner i mentioned.

Edited September 18, 2006 by torvald

[Earlydays]

great school or greatest school?

I have to say that I got a great education at UST and really enjoyed the "small school" atmosphere.

Hard to beat when famous artists of the 1960's like Claes Oldenburg, Willem de Kooning, etc. showed up on campus....or you were sitting in Welder Hall next to Michelangelo Antonioni talking about Italian films.....

Class of 1968

[infinite_jim]

one of the better projects by philip johnson...

"Spencer Street" is often right w/r/t architecture at large

edit: as far as it being a good school is concerned, i'm thinkin it's a bunch of kids playin on their parents dime

Edited October 7, 2006 by infinite_jim

[sttombiz]

yes st thomas has grown on me. I love being a student and not a number to the administration.

my points still stand though. we need to stop enrolling everybody who applies. merit would be a start.

that post office building on richmond and graustark needs to be captured by the st thomas endowment and revitalized into a new gym, architectural studies, math studies, and a whole lot more. but we should not tear it down (even though renovations would likely cost more) the building is one of a kind. 1925 I believe was the year it was built.

campus involvement needs to be priority no 1 at ust. the speakers and events we have had in this year alone (Aug-present) have been incredible. there has been a stellar academia enrichment this year and it is showing on campus.

what else needs to be done?

ust alums need to start getting involved in the school they graduated from (job opportunities, internships, mentors, and of course the ubiquitous monetary donations)

[texas911]

I seriously doubt UST has an open admissions policy. sttombiz, you're not painting UST in a very good picture. Let me guess you're a frosh?

[VicMan]

One of my friends from last year is at St. Thomas.

[bkjones98]

Does anyone know what is being built at Alabama and Montrose? I looked on the Linbeck and STU website but could not find an answer.

They have torn down the brick fence on the corner and have put up scaffolding. The base of the structure is cinderblocks.

[UrbaNerd]

If I remember correctly, it is one of Philip Johnson's last projects before he died; a Cross monument addition to the University.

[native_Houstonian]

UST

Here is a little write up on the UST website.

[dbigtex56]

Existing thread here.

[Guest andriasfault]

One of my friends from last year is at St. Thomas.

UST does have a business program. I got my MBA there doing night school. My experience was good but not perfect.

All schools have pros and cons but at the end of the day what really matters is if you had good instructors, if you applied yourself, and whether or not a degree from said insititute will help you get a good paying job.

[Ralo]

well...I'm not in 7th grade but I wish I were (man those were some great times!). you need to lighten up though. I'm sorry you didnt go to st thomas. I know you wish you did, but you didnt. dont take it out on me. gosh!

st thomas = awesome

yeah, whatever.

Edited March 16, 2007 by Ralo

[Guest danax]

Bizjournal article. (paid subscribers only).

"The University of St. Thomas has made an unprecedented purchase to ensure future expansion.

On Feb. 1 the school bought two Montrose-area office buildings and a long-time retail site where the popular Black Labrador Pub has operated for the past 21 years.

The seller was a partnership led by John Hansen of John Hansen Investment Builder, a veteran Houston developer who constructed the office buildings and renovated the retail site dating back to 1945.

It is the largest such acquisition in the university's 60-year history, and the first time St. Thomas has purchased commercial property. The institution is spread over a portion of 19 blocks and bought the adjacent properties in anticipation of future growth. "

The rest of the article says that they bought a 5 story and a 4 story building and plan to use them for faculty, administration and classrooms. They'll honor the existing leases and move in slowly as the leases expire. The Black Labrador is expected to pour beer for another 5-7 years, according to a university official.

[gnu]

Bizjournal article. (paid subscribers only).

"The University of St. Thomas has made an unprecedented purchase to ensure future expansion.

On Feb. 1 the school bought two Montrose-area office buildings and a long-time retail site where the popular Black Labrador Pub has operated for the past 21 years.

The seller was a partnership led by John Hansen of John Hansen Investment Builder, a veteran Houston developer who constructed the office buildings and renovated the retail site dating back to 1945.

It is the largest such acquisition in the university's 60-year history, and the first time St. Thomas has purchased commercial property. The institution is spread over a portion of 19 blocks and bought the adjacent properties in anticipation of future growth. "

The rest of the article says that they bought a 5 story and a 4 story building and plan to use them for faculty, administation and classrooms. They'll honor the existing leases and move in slowly as the leases expire. The Black Labrador is expected to pour beer for another 5-7 years, according to a university official.

Too bad, if they eventually turn it all into university offices and/or get rid of the black lab. That is one of the nicest pedestrian friendly commercial fronts in Houston. The developers did a great job of incorporating a nice treed streetscape while still providing front parking. When you sit outside at the black lab you feel you could be somewhere else other than Houston.

It was originally a building of the Central Church of Christ (designed by William Ward Watkin). The old church sanctuary is used as the Houston Public Library branch next door. The buildings were converted in the 80's. I think there is an article on it in a very old issue of Cite.

Edited March 1, 2007 by gnu

[luzr]

Bizjournal article. (paid subscribers only).

"The University of St. Thomas has made an unprecedented purchase to ensure future expansion.

On Feb. 1 the school bought two Montrose-area office buildings and a long-time retail site where the popular Black Labrador Pub has operated for the past 21 years.

The seller was a partnership led by John Hansen of John Hansen Investment Builder, a veteran Houston developer who constructed the office buildings and renovated the retail site dating back to 1945.

It is the largest such acquisition in the university's 60-year history, and the first time St. Thomas has purchased commercial property. The institution is spread over a portion of 19 blocks and bought the adjacent properties in anticipation of future growth. "

The rest of the article says that they bought a 5 story and a 4 story building and plan to use them for faculty, administation and classrooms. They'll honor the existing leases and move in slowly as the leases expire. The Black Labrador is expected to pour beer for another 5-7 years, according to a university official.

....Hmmm, I've always wanted to grab a cold one @ the Black Lab, so guess I need to get over there sometime in the near future!

[ricco67]

Do you think they're going to demolish the building totally, or perhaps use it for some other purpose?

I hope they just don't decide to build an entire wall around this thing. That'll be a major bummer.

[musicman]

i wonder what the library's fate will be?

[jtmbin]

i wonder what the library's fate will be?

The library will remain for as long as HPL chooses to use the facility to provide library services from the building. If HPL ever decides to discontinue using the former church building as a library, control/ownership of the facility reverts to the owner - now UST.

[VicMan]

The library will remain for as long as HPL chooses to use the facility to provide library services from the building. If HPL ever decides to discontinue using the former church building as a library, control/ownership of the facility reverts to the owner - now UST.

HPL should not leave the building, then.

I don't see why HPL would want to - Montrose is adding more residents and the Eleanor K. Freed Branch is a nice hangout for Houston's inner city urban crowd.

Now, I do not miss the old Looscan Branch in River Oaks.

[musicman]

Eleanor K. Freed Branch is a nice hangout for Houston's inner city urban crowd.

vs the inner city non-urban crowd?

[Houston19514]

Too bad, if they eventually turn it all into university offices and/or get rid of the black lab. That is one of the nicest pedestrian friendly commercial fronts in Houston. The developers did a great job of incorporating a nice treed streetscape while still providing front parking. When you sit outside at the black lab you feel you could be somewhere else other than Houston.

I TOTALLY agree. I'm pleased to see St. Thomas prospering and growing, but MAN, that black lab complex with the library adjoining, is one of the nicest spots on Montrose. I hope St. Thomas can be encouraged to leave the retail there permanently. The presence of that retail (and particularly the Black Lab itself) also adds to the campus life and ambience. Perhaps they could just add to the parking structure in behind...

[North End]

I live adjacent to the Menil and walk through UST to the Black Labrador almost every week so this article caught my attention. I read the Chronicle article and the only thing I heard, or read, is that UST will keep the retail that is already there since "both are collegial". Both meaning Kraftsmen and Black Lab.

Edited March 1, 2007 by North End

[Mr. Chenevert]

That goes against what the Chronicle article stated. Sorry I dont have a link. But it said that the retail that currently is in the strip is very campus oriented, and would stay. They would only take the office space for classroom use.

[mkultra25]

That goes against what the Chronicle article stated. Sorry I dont have a link. But it said that the retail that currently is in the strip is very campus oriented, and would stay. They would only take the office space for classroom use.

Here's the Chron article:

St. Thomas snaps up prime real estate

[Seeker]

Here's the Chron article:

St. Thomas snaps up prime real estate

[Seeker]

The other side of this story is that John Hanson, the seller, will move across the street to the new building he is having constructed, and probably many of the tenants from the two office building sold to the University will follow him. Plus he is the owner of the Black Lab, it's his restaurant. The building across the street, will have that beautiful house as the front. I understand he wanted to put a restaurant in that house. I wonder if he will paid rent to the University, assuming he keeps the Black Lab, or maybe he would move it across the street.

I understand he is looking to build something else as well on the east side of Montrose Bvld.

Now since the Library is staying as long as it wants to, it will keep that complex, always open to the public. Mr. Hanson I understand gave the sanutary to the city of Houston to use, deeded it over to them. My hat goes off to him! Thanks John.

[sidegate]

i heard they were going to keep the current retail there, incl black lab. I sure hope so....

[ssullivan]

No matter what happens with the retail tenants down the road, I hope that St. Thomas keeps the buildings and trees as is, and doesn't wall off that development from Montrose. It's such an attractive building that it would be a huge loss to the neighborhood to see it destroyed.

[texas911]

They better not close the Black Lab. I was going to UST when they first opened and had lots of friends work there, and the ice cream shop next door that was called Straws. Its a great place to hang out. It would be a crime to close it down. In fact, some other developer should just copy the recipe because its as some have said, a great pedestrian friendly place, with the maturing oaks and all. I don't think Hanson is the original owner. Through the years the place has changed. It was in the begnining, a very very pro-british place, very authentic.

[woolie]

It's not much of a research university, it's off my radar. I think an honest assessment should recognize UH for being a good school that provides plenty of opportunities for people of all backgrounds at reasonable cost. Rice is excellent as well, if somewhat insular.