Highrise Tower

Any memories of the 1959 strip center located at 4122 Willowbend Blvd? It appears the strip center was 18,600 square feet. The strip center contained the following retail businesses that I know of. I'm sure there were others in its 50 year life span before it was demolished. Carolyn’s Bar at 10711 Craighead Dr. Fruit of the Spirit Community Church. Premier Banquet Hall. The strip center was owned (and developed?) by LeRoy Melcher of Melcher Investments.

I wonder what such a large tract of land off the side of Highway 288 would be used for? I'm thinking a mixed-use development primarily focused on residential. Maybe a new subdivision or townhome farm? To support the new homes there will be small shopping centers and other retail developments? Or, given the industrial developments surrounding the site, maybe another industrial business park?

What's the story here? Recently, a "sold" sticker was placed over the sign. I'm not sure if it's vandalism or if the property was actually sold.

Storm water permit was pulled yesterday. Hydro International 4' First Defense High Capacity (FD-4).

I was reading the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated October 18, 1967 and came across an overlooked Hines development. Electric Living Center Will Give Many Answers To Homeowners The Electric Living Center, a new facility to serve as a consumer information center on all phases of electrical usage in the home, is being built by Houston Lighting & Power Company. The all-electric Center will be located on a 1.12-acre tract fronting on the east side of the West Loop (Highway 610) between San Felipe and Westheimer. Its proximity to the Southwest Freeway and Post Oak Interchange will make it easily reached from all parts of Houston. It is being built to HL&PCO specifications by Gerald D. Hines Interests and will be the second building completed in the Smith Office Park complex. Architects are Neuhaus & Taylor, consulting engineers, Chenault & Brady. General contractor is Harvey Construction Company. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls will form the 50-foot front and two 100-foot sides of the building, which will be heated and cooled by two electric heat pumps. Exposed structural material will be bush hammered concrete. The appliance display area will be in the front (west end) of Center. The general public will be able to inquire here about electric cooking, heating and air conditioning, home and garden lighting, kitchen design and arrangement, proper home wiring and the use of small appliances. The two electric kitchens--- One on the stage of the auditorium and the other at the rear of the building. --- Will be used for cooking demonstrations to groups meeting in the center. A luminous ceiling will light both the auditorium and display area. The ceiling’s light intensity will be controlled by a dimmer switch making infinite variations possible between zero- and 200-foot candles.

I was browsing the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated December 9, 1959 and came across an advertsiment for Brittain's Broiler Burger located at 5216 Bellaire Blvd. at Old Richmond Rd. A Self Service Restaurant featuring South Texas' First and Finest Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers.... "See 'em Broiling Over Real Charcoal" I assume this was the 2nd location of Brittain's Broiler Burger? I was trying to find an ad for the original location in Westbury at Westbury Square. I believe this was a Houston chain with individually owned restaurants? There were locations in Westbury, Bellaire, Gulfton, Telephone Road, and Memorial City? I believe they were originally owned and operated by C.L. Brittain.

One Discovery Way: Helix Park going fast! Two Discovery Way: Collaborative Building: Mixed-Use Garage:

Levit Green Boulevard. wow!!

Going fast!!

The parking wall is amazingly big.

Love these things.

I was browsing a Houston technology & media website and came across an ad for TMC's Ecosystem including the TMC BioPort. Very cool! Hopefully the ad will help spread the word about this game-changing development. TMC|Texas Medical Center The Most Comprehensive Life Science Ecosystem TMC|Medical Campus TMC|Innovation Factory TMC|Helix Park TMC|BioPort tmc.edu's website was redesigned as well. Awaiting an official TMC BioPort tab/section. https://www.tmc.edu/

The rendering signage for the proposed Medical Village mixed-use development has been removed. The sign was there for 12 years! I wonder if someone bought the land? Or, after 12-years they finally decided to remove the failed project sign? Extremely high value land. Hoping something tall and substantial gets built here.

Looks like the PAPC warehouse was Hines first industrial project. Found this snippet in the Hines 2021 Industrial & Logistics United States brochure. Pan American Petroleum Company (Pan American Petroleum Corporation) The first project Hines developed was a warehouse in Houston, Texas. That was 1957. Today, Hines is one of the largest, most respected real estate organizations in the world, with extensive experience in investments across all property types. We bring our lessons learned and best-practice experiences to each and every project, to benefit and add value for our clients and partners. On April 15, 1964 The University of Texas document contained an RFQ/RFI that had the company portfolio of Golemon and Rolfe, Architects located at 5100 Travis Street. Within their portfolio they have listed: Hines Warehouse Building Houston, Texas, completed in 1957 - construction cost $200,000. I can only imagine that both of the 1957 dates specified above are the same PAPC project. Now, in the original post, the architect Burdette Keeland did an addition to the PAPC project, that is dated 1962. The addition looks like an office building. Might have been another warehouse though.

Does anyone know anything about this project? I wonder the exact location? Maybe it has since been demolished for housing? The article was half cut in half so I cannot read the top half, maybe giving more information. Found in the scrapbook of Barbara Jordan's Activities, January - December 1977. Company based in Atlanta and operates a Houston branch office as an affiliate of North American Van Lines. The Houston project is based on an agreement negotiated by Mike Hill, a broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial Brokerage Co. Twenty-four companies are now occupying distribution, office, light manufacturing and service space in Northwest Industrial Park, a 197-acre development started in 1967 by the Hines Industrial Corp. subsidiary of the Houston-based Gerald D. Hines Interests.

I never knew Hines bought an industrial business park in Southeast Houston. Hines Acquires Underwood Distribution Center - Rebrands as Independence Logistics Park 2.2 million-square-foot rail served park in Port of Houston kicks off new development https://www.hines.com/news/hines-acquires-underwood-distribution-center-rebrands-as-independence-logistics-park (HOUSTON) – Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that it has acquired the Underwood Distribution Center, a Class A industrial park located in the heart of the Southeast submarket near the Port of Houston in LaPorte, Texas, from BlackRock. Financials on the deal were not disclosed. The project consists of a five-building logistics park and 2.2 million square feet, plus three development parcels. Hines’ first addition to the development will be Building 6, capable of a 167,000-square-foot front-load distribution building with delivery slated for the fourth quarter of 2017. Hines Managing Director Charlie Meyer added, “With Pinto Business Park in the north, Beltway Southwest in the southwest and now Independence Logistics Park in the southeast, we are happy with our continued growth in Houston.”

The Hines business parks are overlooked for some reason. They've actually been developing a lot within the past decade. Hines Launches 150-Acre Business Park in Katy, TX https://www.hines.com/news/hines-launches-150-acre-business-park-in-katy-tx (HOUSTON) – Hines, the international real estate firm, has entered into an exclusive joint venture with Katy Partners, LTD to develop a 150-acre land parcel in Katy, Texas, into the newest Hines business park, named Pintail Crossing. With frontage on Interstate 10, the Class A, master-planned business park is located at the northwest corner of Interstate 10 and Igloo Road between the Amazon and Igloo distribution centers.

Came across a smaller business park on Hines website earlier this week. Beltway Southwest Business Park https://www.hines.com/properties/beltway-southwest-business-park-houston In 2015, Hines acquired approximately 75 acres of land in southwest Houston located at the northeast corner of Beltway 8 and Fort Bend Toll Road to develop Beltway Southwest Business Park, a Class A, master-planned business park capable of accommodating approximately 950,000 square feet of light manufacturing and distribution space.

I noticed this on Hines website the other day. I never knew about this! https://www.hines.com/properties/grand-national-business-park-houston In 2018, Hines acquired 107 acres at the southeast corner of the Sam Houston Tollway (Beltway 8) and Gessner Road in the heart of the northwest submarket of Houston. Hines developed over 1.2 million square feet of industrial/logistics space and included an amenity retail center on the Beltway 8 frontage along with a business-class hotel. Branded as Grand National Business Park, phases one, two and three consist of more than 1.2 million square feet of logistics space. The project is the newest large, modern format distribution park in the northwest submarket of Houston and is able to meet requirements of 20,000 square feet to 1 million square feet. Hines sold Phase One of Grand National Business Park in October 2020 and Phase Two in July 2021.

Anybody have knowledge about the old garden-style apartment complex located in the Texas Medical Center called The Daphne located at 1800 El Paseo Street? Garden style apartments are so much cheaper than your typical 4/5 story midrise that everyone is building these days. Website: https://www.thedaphneapartments.com/

Anyone have experience with Avanti Cityside apartments located at 7373 Ardmore Street? Looks to be a TCR project from 2006/2007: Project Name: Alexan Cityside Developer: Trammell Crow Residential Address: 7373 Ardmore Street Size: 378-rental units in a 4-story building on 6.57-acres Architect: Wallace/Garcia & Associates Completion Date: January 2007 Website: https://www.avanticityside.com/ Buddy of mine wants to move closer to the medical center, but not directly in front. I mentioned the industrial area of Corder/Ardmore would be a good idea. I didn't see this multifamily complex on HAIF so I wanted to ask around for any reviews. I'm going to mention this one and the Virtuo Med Center located down the block at 7110 Ardmore St.

I was researching the developer of the Westbury neighborhood of Houston. It looks like Ira Berne was the developer of the residential subdivision in Southwest Houston. Julian Keither also helped Ira Berne with the Westbury Company. (formally known as Berne Company?) Ira Berne also developed the Westbury Square Shopping Center as well. In the magazine House & Home dated February 1958 there was a small detail of the Westbury neighborhood. Westbury is the most active subdivision in Houston's growing southwest. Photo shows a portion of the first section, where 20 builders have erected houses. The finished development will have 5,000 lots. Most houses here sell for $16,000 to $35,000. His wife, Geral Berne, obituary mentions they lived at the Lamar Tower at 2929 Buffalo Speedway. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/houstonchronicle/name/geral-berne-obituary?id=20774692 A truepeoplesearch result also mentioned Ira Berne lived at 2929 Buffalo Speedway: 2929 Buffalo Speedway #2004 Houston, TX 77098 Harris County (Apr 1993 - Mar 2015) From the newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated August 13, 1958: Westbury Will Be Site Of 1959 Home Builders Parade Of Homes The display of new homes, 1959 style, will be on 35 lots on Warm Springs in Westbury Section 3, adjacent to Parkwest. Julian Keither, of the Westbury Company, said homes on display will include both those of the type being constructed in Parkwest and in Westbury- Westbury addition is being developed by Ira Berne. Started early in 1955, the subdivision now has 1600 homes, and consists of Westbury, Parkwest, and Westbury South. Eventually the developers expect 4800 homes will be built on the 1700 acres included in the addition. The subdivision has two elementary school sites, one of which will be ready for this fall, and a senior high school site at Chimney Rock and Luddington. The new junior high school for the South Post Oak area is located adjacent to Westbury. There are also plans for a 50 acre shopping center to be known as Westbury Square at Bellfort and Chimney Rock. From houstonhistorymagazine.org: As the city’s boom continued through the 1950s and 1960s, other developers followed the same formula. In the mid-1950s Ira Berne’s Westbury Corporation developed the large Westbury neighborhood at the end of South Main. Covering three square miles and containing 5,000 homes. Consistent with the social conformity of the 1950s, all of Westbury’s homes were ranch house designs, but they featured a remarkable amount of stylistic diversity. If you can afford $125 or more a month Your family belongs in this picture.. Just picture your family in these wonderful surroundings... full of the warm satisfaction and pride your first fine home inspires. If you're looking for your first time home, and want to invest shrewdly, we suggest you visit Westbury. Take a leisurely look through the homes...walk through Westbury Square with its fine shops, restaurants and class fountain...drive through the miles of beautifully landscaped boulevards compare it with any community you've ever seen! We're sure you'll agree with the thousands of families who have looked...compared...and bought more homes in Westbury than anywhere else in Houston. So, if you're looking for a home...$17,000 to $52,500... drive out today! We're open from 9 'till 7 seven days a week. If you want any information before coming out call us at PA 3-2600. Westbury Post Oak Road at Willowbend Blvd. A Berne Company

I was researching the developer of the Willowbend neighborhood of Houston. It looks like Krist Hubert was the developer of the residential subdivision in Southwest Houston. I believe other important figures in the forming of Willowbend were Frank Burkhardt, and Evera West. Krist Hubert also helped Frank Meyer develop the nearby Meyerland neighborhood as well. Appears he also built homes in Bellaire to. In the magazine House & Home dated February 1958 there was a small detail of the Willowbend neighborhood. Medium Priced: Willowbend is a community of 700 houses in the $16,000 to $20,000 class. Sixty different builders have worked here. Its trees are a big feature, were carefully protected because lots with good trees are scarce in Houston and command a good price. Developer Krist Hubert (like many other developers) got his start in the building business. He was a painting contractor, now owns a lumber yard and builds some houses himself. He helps small builders by selling one lot a a time. He also provides some construction funds. Parade plan book by Houston Home Builders Association dated 1950: Burkhardt and Hubert Construction Co. of 5104 Elm Street in Bellaire - MA-0407 built the 1950s Meyerland home at 5107 Jackwood. The home was designed by L.B. Wooters. Engineering News-Record 1960: Hubert Lumber Co., 5104 Elm St., Houston, Texas. Engineering News-Record 1957: Krist Hubert & Assocs., 5107 Jackwood St. The newspaper The Bellaire Texan dated June 29, 1955 it appears Krist Hubert lived at 5300 Aspen Drive in Bellaire, TX. Last night, Krist Hubert, 5300 Aspen, was installed as the new president of the Bellaire Lions Club at John's Restaurant. Mr. Hubert is a native Texas. He migrated from Halletsville to Houston 26 years ago. In 1948 he came to Bellaire and started a successful career in building homes. He owns the Hubert Lumber Company at 5104 Elm. Aside from building nearly 400 homes in Bellaire and neighboring areas, he has been interested in civic affairs and politics--

Looks like Palace Riding Stables changed ownership a few years after 1930. In March 16, 1933, John Skaggs was the owner of the stables at 5708 Almeda Road.

I was browsing the newspaper The Bellaire & Southwestern Texan dated October 13, 1971 and came across an ad for Rupp-It-Up Accessories & Services located at 4921 W. Bellfort Blvd. This looks like the present-day location of the Taco Cabana? By any chance did this company and their clients go racing in the Willowbend/South Main area? There are a handful of unknown oval tracks in the area of this store. If they sell and stock bikes, maybe they had a place nearby to race them? "Rupp-It-Up" Accessories & Service. * Indian Motorcycles * Dune Buggies * Trail Bikes * Mini Bikes * Go-Carts 4921 W. Bellfort - 723-8443 Factory Authorized Dealer for Rupp & Tecumseh.