Subdude Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 The demolished garage adjacent to the Ben Milam is becoming a restaurant, and there's no immediate plan to tear down the hotel building. This is great news. With any luck this will help start more development around Minute Maid Park. After the Ben Milam was sold by the YWCA in the mid-1970s, it was itself done up in a railroad theme. Some of the original benches from Union Staton across the street were put in the hotel, and after the hotel closed, some were stored in the parking garage. Train-themed cafe is comin' round the bendModerately priced restaurant to go up on site near ballpark By NANCY SARNOFF Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle After the William Penn hotel was demolished last month, local preservationists got nervous about the fate of other downtown properties. As the wrecking ball was taking down the Penn, a demolition permit was posted for the adjacent Ben Milam hotel site. As it turns out, the permit was not for the 1920s tower, but a smaller parking garage on the site at the corner of Texas and LaBranch. The owner, David Smith, a chemical company executive, owns the property and is planning to build a restaurant there. The new eatery, which could be open this fall, will be called the Bells and Whistles Cafe. It will be a moderately priced restaurant with home-style cooking. There will be a private room for meetings, but no alcohol will be served. The location is across from Minute Maid Park. The cafe will be open only for breakfast and lunch initially. Link to full article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 (edited) in response to the woodlands' sales level in nancy's article.......i hardly think that being on a list of "top sales" is something to brag about. it is not good for my community (or others IMHO) to grow at this rate. considering the size of the woodlands.......maybe it's not that big of a deal. it still irks me that people want to brag about top "new home" sales. to me, it seems like "too much, too soon". am i wrong? Edited March 5, 2006 by bachanon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 (edited) The demolished garage adjacent to the Ben Milam is becoming a restaurant, and there's no immediate plan to tear down the hotel building. This is great news. With any luck this will help start more development around Minute Maid Park. After the Ben Milam was sold by the YWCA in the mid-1970s, it was itself done up in a railroad theme. Some of the original benches from Union Staton across the street were put in the hotel, and after the hotel closed, some were stored in the parking garage. Link to full article. that is good news - i just wonder what they're going to do with the hotel in the interim - i mean, most of the windows are broken out, and it stinks to high heaven... smith has also chosen to sit on the property (twenty years while it rotted, and the last twenty years of its functioning - which wasn't so great from what i have heard...) and let it get in this condition, but i guess i should be grateful anything is happening Edited March 5, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 Some of the original benches from Union Staton across the street were put in the hotel, and after the hotel closed, some were stored in the parking garage. I hope they were removed from the parking garage before it was demolished. Too bad it was off-limits, or maybe someone could tell us... smith has also chosen to sit on the property (twenty years while it rotted, and the last twenty years of its functioning - which wasn't so great from what i have heard...) and let it get in this condition, but i guess i should be grateful anything is happening Well, at least he'll have plenty of surface parking just across the street, now that the Penn Hotel is gone. On the plus side, it seems like he would have factored in that the new construction would make demolishing Ben Milam that much more difficult, and interfere with the new restaurant's operation as well. Maybe it'll just moulder for a few more decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 (edited) I hope they were removed from the parking garage before it was demolished. Too bad it was off-limits, or maybe someone could tell us... well, i can say that everything in that garage and hotel is/was in awful condition. there were heaps of doors, chairs (my memory isn't so clear on the benches) in the garage, and all were trashed. Well, at least he'll have plenty of surface parking just across the street, now that the Penn Hotel is gone. On the plus side, it seems like he would have factored in that the new construction would make demolishing Ben Milam that much more difficult, and interfere with the new restaurant's operation as well. Maybe it'll just moulder for a few more decades. can you say biohazard? Edited March 6, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescoop Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 that is good news - i just wonder what they're going to do with the hotel in the interim - i mean, most of the windows are broken out, and it stinks to high heaven...smith has also chosen to sit on the property (twenty years while it rotted, and the last twenty years of its functioning - which wasn't so great from what i have heard...) and let it get in this condition, but i guess i should be grateful anything is happening FYI the Ben Milam is being saved. Replacement of the windows throughout the building, and cleaning of the building is scheduled soon. It's actually in great shape structurally. The 1st & 2nd floors are being developed as retail. Keep an eye out, you'll be pleasantly suprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Gotta love the username "The Scoop" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 FYI the Ben Milam is being saved. Replacement of the windows throughout the building, and cleaning of the building is scheduled soon. It's actually in great shape structurally. The 1st & 2nd floors are being developed as retail. Keep an eye out, you'll be pleasantly suprised. thanks for the update - i'm afraid that alot of us have/had our doubts about this one, so we may have to see it to believe it that's great that new windows are being put in, but i can't help stressing that i don't think most people know how bad it is inside... any news on what could be going on upper levels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 Gotta love the username "The Scoop" Gotta love The Scoop's scoop, too, if it pans out! That's great! Is the retail that is being developed the "Ben Milam shops, unique in all of Texas," like on the sign that used to be there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-townsfinest Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 if they dont plan to tear the building down, their gonna do something with it, i mean if we could look into every meeting that goes on with projects dealt for the city, im sure we would feel whats a go and what sint, but in the end something is going to happen to the building, renderings and ideas are always changing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 welcome to the forum thescoop and thanks for the scoop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Figured I'd throw it in here: The framework for the hotel is up and work is coming along fairly quickly from the looks of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 (edited) yep - it's coming along. it is not touching the hotel, and the hotel looks the same as always there is some sort of corrugated/shingled metal going over the structure - i am hoping it will be covered by something else...otherwise, is it supposed to look like a train, because it looks kind of ehhhh so far Edited May 24, 2007 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I would imagine that this can only help promote the Ben Milam site for renovation purposes. It seems like a strong candidate for some residential or hotel redevelopment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I would imagine that this can only help promote the Ben Milam site for renovation purposes. It seems like a strong candidate for some residential or hotel redevelopment.actually, there is a new sign on the crawford side mentioning retail AND residential on that site in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 Is that the Shops at Ben Milam or whatnot sign that has been there for years? Given the shape that the old hotel building is in I would be amazed if they could do much with it. Still, the restaurant here is good news for the neighborhood. For once they avoided the temptation to make yet more surface parking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSOM Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 (edited) yep - it's coming along. it is not touching the hotel, and the hotel looks the same as always there is some sort of corrugated/shingled metal going over the structure - i am hoping it will be covered by something else...otherwise, is it supposed to look like a train, because it looks kind of ehhhh so far I have to completely agree about the metal siding so far... stands out in that neighborhood, and not in a good way. Some nice red brick would be good, but we'll see. Mrs. CSOM noted that the name (Bells & Whistles) sounds like a gentlemen's club Edited May 25, 2007 by CSOM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 The metal siding will likely be covered with brick. If you get close enough to the building, you will see metal straps protruding that go into the mortar between the bricks, keeping the brick facade from falling over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 (edited) is the restaurant floundering already? i *think* it looks the same as my pictures from around a month agoand as far as new windows and such being put in the hotel (post from "thescoop" from March 2006) - yeah right Edited June 18, 2007 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 The brick facade is going up around the restaurant. There is clearly some money being spent on this building. Hope the vittles match the building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 it seems to be coming along at this point - i wonder if work will continue to be done on the hotel after the restaurant is complete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 This place is open now. The food wasn't that great, but they did a good job with the interior, the service was good, and it was affordable. Not bad, but not something I would make my way to go to. It will be a nice place to grab a quick bite before a ballgame. Try it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 I think there is some sort of obligation to not eat there until Mr. Smith does something about his horrible mismanagement of the adjacent property Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I think there is some sort of obligation to not eat there until Mr. Smith does something about his horrible mismanagement of the adjacent property I respectfully disagree, perhaps if he has any influence on the nearby structure, perhaps giving him business would allow him to show that there is enough business FOR that building to be fully renovated and occupied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 So what's the deal with the five giant bells on the sidewalk?Do they ring these when it's supper time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I hate to jinx a place, but "Bells and Whistles Cafe" is not a good name. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinite_jim Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 (edited) I respectfully disagree, perhaps if he has any influence on the nearby structure, perhaps giving him business would allow him to show that there is enough business FOR that building to be fully renovated and occupied.that's the phased plan so far..i can't go into detail atm & it will take time, but when I can I'll try to provide an update in the appropriate thread Edited February 21, 2008 by infinite_jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I went by the Bells and whistles cafe before the game last night (they were closed on monday, a stupid move) and me and TIF made a beeline for the bar. Before we could be fully seated, the employee said there is no beer or wine. I was stunned and asked if they just didn't get the license YET. She responded "The owner is very religious and said that we aren't going to get a license because it is against his beliefs."My immediate thought was that this guy is going to go out of business quick and she seemed to know what I was thinking (having probably dealt this many times before) and said that he has LOTS of money and didn't really care about the bottom line. But what the employees were doing is getting a list of people they had to turn away and give it to the owner and see if he could change his mind. The inside looked rather nice and there were people eating there, but we were in the mood for a drink so we sauntered over to Slainte's (Soon to be "Molly's pub") for a drink or 10.Me and TIF both decided to kick the bells everytime we walk to the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I was stunned and asked if they just didn't get the license YET. She responded "The owner is very religious and said that we aren't going to get a license because it is against his beliefs."[...]he has LOTS of money and didn't really care about the bottom line. Oh great - that AND a slumlord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 (edited) yeah, if there's one thing i want to do before an astros game it's NOT drink... Edited April 9, 2008 by swtsig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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