RIP, Taj Mahal

Love it or hate it, we'll bet you know where the Taj Mahal is. No, not that one — we're talking about the former HISD administration building, which will be history within a few days, to be replaced by ... a Costco. No kidding.

HISD had its headquarters in the building at 3830 Richmond Ave. from 1969 until the district moved to new quarters off 610 and 290 earlier this year. The big, white precast concrete structure was designed by prominent local architects Neuhaus & Taylor; its appearance and cost — $6 million back when that was a lot of money — led Houstonians to nickname the building the "Taj Mahal." The building's distinctive New Brutalist architecture made it a landmark on RIchmond Avenue, but inside, its split-level floor plan and unusual spiral layout often frustrated visitors. "It's one of the most dysfunctional buildings in Houston," school board member Larry Marshall told the Chronicle. "It was the only building that everybody in Houston got lost in. You just saw people staring blankly."

HISD sold the tract of land at Richmond and Wesleyan where the Taj Mahal and Will Rogers Elementary School sat for $38 milion to a company that plans to build a mixed-use development on the site. That development was initially described as a dense, pedestrian-friendly project, but yesterday, KHOU reported that the development would be "some new luxury apartments, a fitness center and a Costco." Sounds a little less promising, but we'll see.