In what would be a scoop for Swamplot if they were still publishing, it seems that Hotel-to-Apartment conversions are back in style again in Houston. Most famously in Houston, the former Holiday Inn at 2100 Memorial Drive, which was demolished just over a year ago, was converted into rent-controlled apartments for seniors, mostly by the City of Houston. Unlike the previous concept, these new hotels to apartments are being developed using private funds. As of this post, there are currently four conversions permitted or partially underway, backed by two different companies. MCRE (originally Mountain Country Real Estate) is a …
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Week by week we explore what Houston looses, mainly 1950s-1960s Ranch houses…
Demolition Update: Party Boy’s over for 1515 Studemont as 10 and Heights takes over
Preparations are being made to demolish the former Party Boy, party supply store located a 1515 Studemont, on the banks of White Oak Bayou and where it meets I-10. For the better part of the last three decades, Party Boy has been one of Houston’s most prominent party supply warehouse destinations. Those in search of copious amounts of cheap decor, will now have no choice but to turn to Arne’s. Rumors of the property’s redevelopment have swirled since 2017 when the attached haunted house, Nightmare on the Bayou, unexpectedly announced they would not reopen the following season. Party Boy would …
Keep readingDemolition Update: Game over for Garden Oaks Family Bingo, and the strange former Kroger it occupied
Howdy folks, and welcome back to a Demolition Update (This is not a full Demolition List, as that is still on hiatus due to lack of time). Today we’re taking a look at what was, up until a few months ago, the premiere Bingo Hall in Garden Oaks. Unfortunately, it seems that this former supermarket is about to meet the fate of a good number of the area’s original homes. Sitting at 641 W Crosstimbers St, Houston, TX 77018, the structure was built in 1974 by the Kroger Company. This was not Kroger’s first store in the Garden Oaks area, …
Keep readingThis Week in Demolition: The Final House on this side of River Oaks!
This Week in Demolition, we see the final house on the South side of San Felipe, along with the last Demolition Post, for now at least. Let’s start with the house, which was originally constructed in the late 30s. However, by 1963 it had been converted to commercial use. One of the first tenants was a Bookstore named The Bookman, run by David Dorman. Eventually morphing into an Art Gallery, it was holding general purpose “junk sales” by the 1970s. However, by the 1990s the house had been converted back into purely residential use. The house was not the only …
Keep readingThis Week in Demolition: New House, Meet Old House
This Week in Demolition, we find something I’ve never seen before. Meet 9325 Grady Street, a lot containing two homes. One of them is an obvious tear down. It’s in poor shape, and would be a full gutting at the least, likely needing structural reinforcements as it seems to have been sitting for a while. Next to the original house, sits another “house”. Although in reality it looks more like a trailer office on a construction site retrofitted for housing. It’s not ugly on the inside, but there’s no way of thinking this would be permeant, right? Residential 11 …
Keep readingThis Week in Demolition: Assistance League Buildings on the way out after Thrift Store shuts down
This Week in Demolition, we see the end of a Montrose Area thrifting staple. Based on the final posts made to their Facebook page, the Assistance League of Houston’s thrift store quietly shut their doors this year at the end of August. The Assistance League Thrift Shop at 1902 Commonwealth, was one of Houston’s oldest continuously operating stores, dating to around the 60s. By the 70s, the Thrift Shop had made its way into Montrose, and by 1992 was in its present location. Despite being limited to a single location, the Assistance League was often praised for their higher quality …
Keep readingThis Week in Demolition: Three more Ranch Styles outta Oak Forest!
When I started doing these demolition reports, I once saw a comment that was along the lines of “I can’t believe they still have any home left to knock down in Oak Forest.” Here we are nearly two years later and Oak Forest has continued to see the most consistent inclusion in demolition reports. This is a list of the buildings which received a City of Houston demolition permit the week before this post. Residential Demolitions 2510 Dryden Rd, Houston, TX 77030– Wessex, Two-Story 1940s Brick Home, Photos 1535 Hewitt Dr, Houston, TX 77018– Oak Forest, Updated Ranch, Photos 1214 …
Keep readingThis Week in Demolition: That 70’s Home!
I heard “That 70s Show” is getting another reboot. If they need to do a flash back scene, the crew still has a few days left to get period shots. Oh great, he’s doing “comedy” now…. Well onto the demolitions! Residential Demolitions 11851 Durrette Dr, Houston, TX 77024– Lakeview, Carport Only, 4-Bed 4-Bath, Brady Bunch Special, Photos 921 Highland St, Houston, TX 77009– Woodson Place, 1920s Bungalow, Photo 618 Thornton Rd, Houston, TX 77018– Yale Street Acres, Previously used as a home and business, Photos 5611 Moss Glenn Ln, Houston, TX 77088– Inwood Forest, Vintage Furniture, and Fixtures from the …
Keep readingThis Week in Demolition: Retroactive Permits? No Timewise better than the present for Zuma Fun Center!
Howdy Folks, and welcome back to another edition of This Week in Demolition! If you showed up last week wondering where the demo post was, I do apologize, but such are the perils of what is mostly a one-man operation. You can always check Houston Historic Retail’s Facebook page for more information on missing posts. Interesting demolitions this week include the shell station at Chimney Rock, and 59. Originally a Mobil Owned and Operated Station, later being flipped to a Shell, along with many other Mobil stations around 1992. Shell would drop this station in 2008, selling it along with …
Keep readingThis Week in Demolition: 2 Homes and a Pool, right on Memorial Park
This Week in Demolition, we have two homes, seemingly joined at the hip, with a big pool in the backyard, right across from Memorial Park. This lavish monument to 1990s Houstonian exuberance will soon be demolished for something even more grand. Residential Demolitions 6518 Kury Ln, Houston, TX 77008– Timbergrove Manor, Photos 406 & 412 Crestwood Dr, Houston, TX 77007– Rice Military, Faces Memorial Park, Photos, More Photos 409 Schwartz St, Houston, TX 77020– Barnes & Westmore, Photos 1734 Hollister St, Houston, TX 77055– Timbercreek, Photos 3602 Billingsley St, Houston, TX 77009– Irvington, Photos 425 W 21st St, Houston, TX …
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