Native Montrosian Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Yes, vacant buildings are quite expensive to insure. Good motive for letting people live there. And by the way, Emme, welcome to the forum. Don't let the first experience run you off - this is really a fun and informative place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Yes, vacant buildings are quite expensive to insure. Good motive for letting people live there. And by the way, Emme, welcome to the forum. Don't let the first experience run you off - this is really a fun and informative place. Thanks Native Montrosian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houston-development Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 My point is this...don't judge somebody else's experience based on your own. They don't always match.completely agree.sometimes two people can have the same conversation but when asked about it, you get two totally different stories... personally, i dont know lynn but would assume/hope her intentions are for the best and i do not doubt that you are only passing along information you heard from her.regardless, ill contact matt and see what the deal is. if its appropriate, ill gladly pass along details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 completely agree.sometimes two people can have the same conversation but when asked about it, you get two totally different stories... personally, i dont know lynn but would assume/hope her intentions are for the best and i do not doubt that you are only passing along information you heard from her.regardless, ill contact matt and see what the deal is. if its appropriate, ill gladly pass along details.AWESOME HD, Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 That would be awesome if he talked to you and you were allowed to post. Breaking news at HAIF since no one else can get a word outta him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Only tangentially relevant, but interesting, it does appear that the lot with the Fiesta is owned by a Suzanne Cohen Levin, operating through yet another LLP, that has her condo as the address. The Harris County property records show her having a lot of activity over the years. The Cohens originally had an address at 726 Crawford. Wonder what that is now. Quick look at th emap, that's between Rusk and Capital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Only tangentially relevant, but interesting, it does appear that the lot with the Fiesta is owned by a Suzanne Cohen Levin, operating through yet another LLP, that has her condo as the address. The Harris County property records show her having a lot of activity over the years. The Cohens originally had an address at 726 Crawford. Wonder what that is now. Quick look at th emap, that's between Rusk and Capital.Rumor has it David Cohen's sister owns Fiesta property and that they hated each other. Post earlier in this thread supposes that is why David Cohen would not allow upkeep of the exterior of his building, to bring her property values down.Inheritances bring out the worst in siblings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Rumor has it David Cohen's sister owns Fiesta property and that they hated each other. Post earlier in this thread supposes that is why David Cohen would not allow upkeep of the exterior of his building, to bring her property values down.Inheritances bring out the worst in siblings.I did a quick trawl through the Harris County District Clerk records, and Suzanne Levin sued Jay Cohen in the 80's over Wilshire Village Corporation, which owned the apartments. Lots of acrimony there. She also sued HCAD a few times over the appraised value of the Fiesta property. Jay Cohen sued the City of Houston after the city demolished one of his buildings on the Gulf Freeway. Teh Cohen siblings also owned/own the Dowling Theater property, which I don't know much about.Bottom line is, I don't think it's rumor the Cohen kids had a major falling out. Taht said, letting your property deteriorate out of spite is not exactly good business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 I did a quick trawl through the Harris County District Clerk records, and Suzanne Levin sued Jay Cohen in the 80's over Wilshire Village Corporation, which owned the apartments. Lots of acrimony there. She also sued HCAD a few times over the appraised value of the Fiesta property. Jay Cohen sued the City of Houston after the city demolished one of his buildings on the Gulf Freeway. Teh Cohen siblings also owned/own the Dowling Theater property, which I don't know much about.Bottom line is, I don't think it's rumor the Cohen kids had a major falling out. Taht said, letting your property deteriorate out of spite is not exactly good business.When it comes to family, business isn't what business is about. It just gets ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Yeah, Jay Cohen owns the odd Chequer Imports building property (demolished in 2006 or so) on the Gulf freeway (shown/discussed in this thread). Not taken care of at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Thanks for the link, Sevfiv. I remember that building well, having watched it slowly fall apart over the years (it first caught my eye because of the TVR sign in th edays when I wanted a TVR). Sort of like Wilshire Village, but worse. Might be interesting to see how all of Mr. Cohen's other properties are maintained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Yeah, Jay Cohen owns the odd Chequer Imports building property (demolished in 2006 or so) on the Gulf freeway (shown/discussed in this thread). Not taken care of at all.Wasn't that the Carousel Hotel in the early 60s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Wasn't that the Carousel Hotel in the early 60s? The Carrousel was a little south down 45 at Reveille - same type of roofline, but not as exaggerated (plus the (Bob) Cohen house in Meyerland - all three gone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specwriter Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 So Mr. Cohen is the villian who let the Chequer Imports building crumble to the ground. Was he related to the Cohen for whom the house above was named? If so, how ironic and unfortunate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 So Mr. Cohen is the villian who let the Chequer Imports building crumble to the ground. Was he related to the Cohen for whom the house above was named? If so, how ironic and unfortunate.Not as far as I know, but anything is possible.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) The Carrousel was a little south down 45 at Reveille - same type of roofline, but not as exaggerated (plus the (Bob) Cohen house in Meyerland - all three gone). There's a beachhouse in Galveston with a similar shape. It lost its staircase years ago and it has never been replaced. It has to be a Cohen property. This whole family is seeming quite "touched." Is this the only shape he ever built? Definitely a signature.Jay Cohen must be Bob Cohen's son. Too much coincidence. Edited April 21, 2009 by EMME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 ^From what I've read, Bob Cohen and his wife loved that house and were upset about its demolition. Apparently they moved (to The Bristol - a highrise of all things) because of mobility/accessibility issues with the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Jay Cohen's father was named Howard J. Cohen, and he was the developer of Wilshire Village.Like sevfiv, I doubt very much that there was any relation between Bob Cohen, the marine architect, and Howard Cohen, the real estate developer. Just a coincidental name.Also, the circular butterfly roof pavilion was a modernistic feature of the time, I think just coincidence that it happened to be on so many buildings in Houston. The Chequer Imports building _might_ have been influenced by the Carousel Motel, but that is just speculation on my part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 (edited) Jay Cohen's father was named Howard Cohen, and he was the developer of Wilshire Village.thank you for keeping the post accurate and not saying the family is "seemingly quite touched" Edited April 21, 2009 by musicman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 thank you for keeping the post accurate and not saying the family is "seemingly quite touched"Apologies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 The GHPA sent out a notice earlier today (no new news, though):Developer Matthew Dilick has started the process to raze Wilshire Village, the Art Deco garden apartment complex at West Alabama and Dunlavy. The City of Houston has issued the necessary permits for the sewers to be disconnected. After City inspectors confirm the work has been completed, demolition can begin. Over the weekend, the copper gutters were pulled from several of the 17 historic buildings on the site. The last tenant at Wilshire Village moved on April 5.GHPA staff and representatives from the surrounding neighborhoods will continue to meet with City Council Member Wanda Adams and At-Large Council Member Sue Lovell to address nearby residents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Dilick's playing mind games....the Komatsu was gone again yesterday morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Dilick's playing mind games....the Komatsu was gone again yesterday morning...Hopefully, that is not the case. Maybe he is negotiating with someone and the cost of the rental was too high to have it sitting there. I will hope for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREASER Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I doubt he has time for that. The rental company charges for drop off and pickup. In this case prob 110$ ea. way. It cheaper usually to just keep it. Maybe permit fell thru and took it off rent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) Some movement this morning on my way to work. There were piles of excavated dirt at the base of the wall of one of the outer buildings facing Dunlavy, near the corner of Dunlavy and Alabama. I have no idea what this signifies. Would there be anything buried worth salvaging?I just became a theater. Woohoo! Edited May 5, 2009 by sidegate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I might guess Dilick's integrity, but the "worth salvaging" part rather negates that possibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid113 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Looks like prep work before demo. In addition to all the ground excavation, a lot of the windows seem to have been removed over the weekend. I have noticed quite a few workers going in and out of the buildings but no heavy equipment yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Looks like prep work before demo. In addition to all the ground excavation, a lot of the windows seem to have been removed over the weekend. I have noticed quite a few workers going in and out of the buildings but no heavy equipment yet.If the windows were "removed" couldn't that mean salvage? Do they remove windows separately prior to demo if it is not necessary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid113 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 If the windows were "removed" couldn't that mean salvage? Do they remove windows separately prior to demo if it is not necessary?or they removed them to throw stuff out of them. many window still there, but most doors look like they have been removed, probably just to make it easier to take things in/out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Man that work must suck in this heat! Yeah I had noticed a few vans here and there but no big machinery as you say. Get the cameras out, this is the beginning of the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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