The Leader • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 1B
Art Deco Revival
When Greg Gordon closed his popular restaurant La Vista on Fountain View Drive in Briargrove last June, he anticipated he’d be open in the new Timbergrove location by fall. Now he says the plan is to be open by May of 2018. “I’ve learned you should give yourself about a year [to get open],” Gordon said, noting that once the framing and electricity was done, things started moving a lot more quickly. Gordon says that he is spending $1.1 million on the renovation of the former Pizza Hut, including $30,000 in structural changes. The exterior roof is staying but the inside will look completely different with a vaulted ceiling and plenty of windows. “It will be a contemporary shell with a modern interior, a dynamic space we can really call our own,” Gordon said. There will be a patio too. The new restaurant will be
By Cynthia Lescalleet For The Leader Before its award-winning overhaul into a spiffy bike shop and office space, the small ‘20s vintage storefront building on 11th Street in Houston Heights had its share of neighborhood-oriented uses, including a pool hall. During the recent renovation, neighbors and former business patrons dropped by to share tales from back in the day, and some of them also had photographs of the building in use. The vintage visuals proved handy in determining how to renovate and restore parts of the 1,700-square-foot building. The exterior’s distinct Art Deco markings drew particular attention, says Bryan Danna, Re:Vive Development principal. The building’s redo into retail and ofPhoto Contributed fice space has earned a 2018 Good Brick Award from Preservation Houston, which The restoration of this ‘20s vintage storefront building on 11th Street earned a 2018 is holding its annual presentation event, Good Brick Award from Preservation Houston. the Cornerstone Dinner, on March 2 at River Oaks Country Club. Tim Cisneros portant to preserve their history while beams. contributing to the growth of our city.” The renovation uncovered some origiwas the project’s architect. In the case of the property at 1121 nal black and white tile, a color scheme As for why it won the award, Preservation Houston’s executive director, David 11th St., Danna’s growing company was that continues in the building’s iconic Bush, explains: “It’s a small building in a also looking for space to accommodate Deco-detailed chevron screen over the door. neighborhood commercial strip. It’s the its offices. Good Brick Award materials cite the As projects go, this one was straightkind of building that can easily be lost, no matter how distinctive its design. It 5,000 square foot lot’s parking, some- forward and fairly simple for the comhad sat empty for a long time. The Good thing unusual for Heights-area commer- pany, Danna notes. The tenant, Bicycle Speed Shop, took Brick jury was impressed that Re:Vive cial space. The building was sturdy. And recognized the building’s potential, ap- the building was distinct. Polishing it up the initial 600 square feet of retail space preciated the original design and figured would help retain the unique fabric of the at the front of the building and will soon take over the entire property. Re:Vive has out a way to redevelop the property and neighborhood. Prior to the redo, the somewhat over- found another, larger building to convert, contribute to the neighborhood.” grown property had a trailer parked on an old warehouse farther west on 11th Sturdy, with Staying Power Having logged time in New Orleans, the tree-shaded open lot next to the Street. “It’s time for us to take a bigger spot,” Danna, a Timbergrove Manor resident, building, Danna recalls. The roof had says he has a personal and professional collapsed onto the slab at the back of the Danna says. Re:Vive has been renovating and esappreciation for older buildings that were building, which was used for storage of tablishing unique urban developments built meticulously but a bit forgotten as some sort. Danna says the property needed love in the Leader news area since 2006. Othtime moved on. They’re solid. Too solid and often too well-located to just raze, he as well as restoration. As with most of ers projects have included conversion the projects Re:Vive encounters, first up of a one-story commercial building for says. As a developer working in a part of was rebooting the lot’s drainage, which Southern Goods Restaurant; a former town with a past, he believes “It’s part had been altered by layers and layers of convenience store for White Oak Retail; a former gas station for Durham Retail; a of our duty” to preserve intriguing build- resurfacing materials. Inside, the solid brick walls had been former industrial property for Oxford Ofings. “There’s always a cool spin you can put on these buildings” to make them at- covered in thick plaster over a mesh fice Space; and a former gas station for tractive to tenants and their customers, screen. Removing it (by flathead screw- Ritual. The company is behind the redo he says. “One of our missions is to try to driver) proved to be the project’s most of a center at 34th Street and Ella Boulegive our tenants all the tools they need to time-consuming task. Like the building vard as well as centers at 19th and Shepincrease their sales volume. Architecture itself, the plaster had been installed for herd and three corners of the 34th Street posterity. and Shepherd Drive intersection. is one of the tools.” Part of the reboot opened up windows For Good Brick Award info or tickets to His company’s first foray into Heights area commercial renovation was the that had been closed up and covered by the Cornerstone Dinner, visit www.presstreamlined shopping center housing the masonry. New lintels and old-time ervationhouston.org. Lola, also located on 11th Street, a com- windows boosted natural light, a hallmercial corridor then and resurging one mark of Re:Vive properties. Overhead, a series of fantastic, 100now. That project, formerly a drug store, also earned the company a Good Brick year-old beams also needed some rejiggering and replacement. A colleague’s Award. “We are always looking for buildings demolition of a cotton warehouse around with character,” he says. “We feel it’s im- the same time provided comparable
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com The Houston real estate market kicked off the new year in generally positive territory, with sales up and a mixed pricing performance accompanying an unchanged 3.3-months housing inventory from January 2017. Following suit, many of our local markets showcased results on both ends of the spectrum on nearly all fronts according to latest report from the Houston Association of Realtors. Mixed results in home sales Overall, the greater Houston market saw an 8.9 percent rise in the sale of single-family homes, but the scene was much different in our neighborhoods. In 77007 (encompassing southern portion of the Heights and Rice Military) saw just 23 homes sold in January 2018 compared to 42 the year before – a dip of more than 45 percent. Meanwhile, those in the 77008 (Greater Heights/Lazybrook/Timbergrove) zip code saw 53 homes sold last month, compared to 36 during the same period in 2017, an epic spike of more than 47 percent. To round out the Heights, zip code 77009 (eastern portion of Heights/ Near Northside) saw a slight dip in sales, as 27 homes came off the market compared to 32 the year before. Continuing up north, the Garden Oaks/Oak Forest neighborhoods 77018 held relatively steady with buyers closing on 24 homes last month, compared to 25 the previous January, while 77092 (western Garden Oaks/Oak Forest/Greater Inwood) saw a similar dip – 11 homes sold last month compared to 13 the previous January. Prices rise across the board Across Houston single-family home average price declined 2.1 percent around the greater
Houston market and median price rose 3.8 percent to $218,000 according to the HAR report. Median price for our local neighborhoods followed suit; however, average local price showcased a steady rise, beginning with Rice Military and the Heights. Realtors in this area saw enormous average price jumps accompany the dip in homes sold, with January 2018 coming in at $540,637 according to the HAR report – a spike of more than 24 percent, representing the area’s most substantial rise among markets with a sizeable amount of sales. Likewise, their median home price came in under the wire at a 9.2 increase over January 2017, ending the month at $439,000. In 77008, average price spiked by 12 percent, ending the month with an average price $509,661 compared to $452,499 the previous January, while 77009 experienced a slightly lesser 9.3 percent rise to $346,746 from $317,294 the year before. For the median price, the Greater Heights held relatively steady, while the eastern Heights and Near Northside realtors and buyers saw a 14.9 percent jump from $277,750 to $319,000. North of the 610 Loop, Garden Oaks/Oak Forest average price jumped to $523,300, a more than 20 percent spike from January 2017’s figure of $435,696, while median price held relatively steady at $427,250. Finally, 77092 a modest 5.3 percent jump in average home prices, while median prices rose about 14 percent over 2017’s figure to $285,000 according to HAR’s report. “The Houston housing market seems to have carried the positive momentum from 2017 into the new year, even with some softening in the high end,” said HAR Chair Kenya Burrell-VanWormer with JP Morgan Chase. “We hope to sustain that positive momentum with 28,000 new homes slated for construction this year, according to Metrostudy, as well as healthy gains in employment.”
called La Vista 101 because Gordon signed the 20 year ground lease for the spot last year on April 11 which was the 101st day of the year. That’s not the only tweak. La Vista 101 will not be BYOB as its predecessor was. “I did [BYOB] and it worked in the beginning,” Gordon said. He says that La Vista 101 will have really strong wines priced reasonably as well as other drinks at their small bar. Gordon said that when he started the first La Vista he was in his 30s and spent most of his time in the kitchen. Now he says he’s come to understand that cooking is just a part of the restaurant business. “Infrastructure is key too,” he said. “I plan on putting together a team that can expand into different concepts. You need people to bring ideas to ensure the success of the restaurant. I want to be out on the floor. I want someone younger in the kitchen.” Gordon said that he is bring-
By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
the
Local markets show mixed January results
La Vista closer to Timbergrove opening
See La Vista, P. 4B
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