If you didn't like the idea of our beloved Astrodome becoming a fancy hotel, then you won't be happy that a hotel plan is still in the works. The difference this time around, though, is that the new convention hotel will not incorporate the "historic" Texas themes which could have included an Alamo facade, faux courthouse, and a bunch of other corny things. The new plan, which doesn't yet have detailed renderings, opts for a...
1
Results tagged “historicalcommission”
Good morning, Houston. Sure, you've heard a lot about Alamo defender Davy Crockett — but have you ever read his final letter? Soon you'll be able to see it in person: The Texas Historical Commission has bought the letter, which was discovered in a file folder last month, for $550,000. Crockett wrote the letter to his children Jan. 9, 1836, shortly after he arrived in Texas and less than two months before he died...
...for demolitionToday, Houston City Council voted to designate the River Oaks Shopping Center, River Oaks Theater, Alabama Shopping Center, and Alabama Theater as historic landmarks, though it will not afford the structures any protection from Weingarten Realty's current and future decisions to demolish them. According to Historic Houston, there were three dissenting votes from council members Michael Berry (big surprise), Addie Wiseman (who tagged this measure last week), and Pam Holm. Save Our Landmarks invites...
This morning, Houston City Council designated Old Sixth Ward as the first and only Protected Historic District in the city. This new status will enable the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission to prohibit the demolition of historic structures within Old Sixth Ward's 33.8 acres. There was only one dissenting vote for this measure, which came from council member/real estate broker Michael Berry. As far as actual limitations on properties within the district, the Greater Houston...
Save our Landmarks, one of the groups trying to save the River Oaks Shopping Center and Theater and the Alabama Theater/Bookstop, sent out an e-mail update about the River Oaks situation yesterday. Here's a overview of what's going on. Weingarten Realty Investors, which owns all three properties, on Monday began the process to get approval to demolish the curved section of the River Oaks center on the north side of West Gray — the portion...
City officials have recently proposed a permanent ban on demolition of historic buildings in part of the Old Sixth Ward. In a recently released memo, details of the proposal were given: if support among neighborhood property owners is sufficient, demolition or inappropriate alteration of historical buildings within a "protected historic district" would be prohibited unless an economic hardship could be demonstrated. Now, residents of the community will have a chance to tell officials what they think about the plan.
The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission voted yesterday to begin the landmark designation process for the River Oaks Shopping Center, River Oaks Theater and Alabama Theater/Bookstop, the three significant Art Deco structures that have been in the news since news broke last summer that Weingarten Realty Investors could be planning to demolish them to make way for new development. The move toward designating the buildings city landmarks comes without Weingarten's approval — the first...
According to the Greater Houston preservation Alliance, the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission might try to extend its preservation power in a new way: since 1995, the Commission has had the power to designate historic landmarks without owner consent, but has yet to do it. With the endangerment of the River Oaks Theater, River Oaks Shopping Center, and the Alabama Theater by Weingarten Realty Investors, the HAHC will discuss beginning the process of designating these...
In October of last year the (Silver Dollar) Jim West mansion was sold to Olajuwon Farms (the bucolic name of Hakeem's land management company). After sifting through archives, though, Linda Sansing, a teacher in Clear Creek ISD and co-founder of Preserved in Time (a nonprofit to help raise awareness of the West mansion), found a deed restriction that may prevent any tampering with the mansion until July of 2012. The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance's David...
Houston City Council passed amendments to the current preservation ordinance that will make it easier for residents to designate neighborhoods as historic districts, and a two year building permit penalty if any historic landmark or structure in a historic district is demolished. For district designation, there will need to be a 51% consent of property owners, down from 67%. The permit penalty will prohibit the city from granting building permits for a site where a...
Houston Public Library's Julia Ideson building, which houses the Texas Room and Archives/Houston Metropolitan Research Center, is long overdue for an expansion. Not only did Cram & Ferguson, Watkin, and Glover's original 1920s plans of the library include an additional wing that was to the south of the building facing Lamar St., but local archives have been amassing in the building since the late seventies. The Julia Ideson Preservation Partners was created at the request...
After about one-third of the original homes in River Oaks have been demolished, the Chronicle has now picked up a story about the will to preserve. The homes in the area, which were largely built by well-known architects for well-known families, have been meeting the same fate as many others in Houston (think Bellaire, West University, and creeping in to older neighborhoods - sixth ward, Heights and beyond). The average house size in the U.S....
The city's Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission voted to send a letter to Andrew Alexander, CEO of Weingarten Realty Investors to encourage saving the endangered art deco buildings. There was no mention of Commission involvement as far as doing more than expressing epistolary concern because, well, they really can't do anything more. Since the buildings aren't listed as landmarks, and do not geographically fall in a historic district, there isn't even any hope of...
The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission will meet at 2:30 this afternoon to discuss possible steps to take in order to help save the River Oaks Theater and shopping center. The main discussion will be whether or not to try and designate the theater and shopping center as historical landmarks. While the National Register of Historic Places provides historic recognition, it does not protect a building from being demolished by its owners:Listing in the National...
Houstonians are banding together in what seems like an unprecedented collaboration for historic preservation. In actuality, many of us have always cared, but this time we have some notice. A sketch from Hermes Architects shows clear plans to demolish the current location of Black-eyed Pea restaurant with an anchor (Barnes & Noble), and the implementation of a three-level parking garage that would run along the back side of the center. According to the Chronicle:...
« Previous
1
Next »