It looks like the retail center housing long-time Upper Kirby favorites Avalon Diner and Shanghai River may soon be demolished for a 14-story office tower. The situation seems to have first come to light on HAIF last week. While the demolition of the building is not yet set, Trammel Crow and CBRE have launched a website detailing their plans for the tower, which include multiple offices, parking, and ground-floor retail. While this ground-floor retail includes spaces for two restaurants, the spaces are unlabeled. It is possible that both could return to the new tower. However, if the restaurants have to move, it won’t be the first time Avalon has moved. The Diner which initially opened as a lunch counter in the defunct Avalon Drug Store, originally sat at the NW corner of Kirby and Westheimer, where Lulu’s is today. The companion operations split in 1992 and moved into the current center the following year. The current owners of Avalon have had the company since 1992 and at one time held part of 59 Diner. Shanghai River opened in 1989, replacing the original D’amico’s in Houston. Shanghai River was a noted favorite of KTRK Marvin Zindler, whose portrait adorns a wall
