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The Leader • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 1B

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the We have an extensive variety of organic products. By Cynthia Lescalleet For The Leader As he looks at Heights-area commercial properties as yet restored or renovated (or rescued), real estate developer Gerald Bodzy believes “It may take creative solutions to get things done.” An example is the recently transformed side-by-side century-old buildings on West 12th at Yale Street, across from the re-purposed Houston Heights Fire Station. As designed by Gary R. Chandler Architecture & Interiors, the full-scale restoration of the contiguous buildings recently earned a 2017 Community Improvement Award for commercial renovation from Houston Heights Association. The project also involved Brad Dougherty of Insight Structures and builder Blake Kahanek of Kahanek Construction Co. The third-acre site, located on the border of Houston Heights Historic District East, had been owned by Bodzy’s extended family since the ‘50s. In 2013, he gained control of the property, comprised of a pair of two-story brick buildings sharing an interior wall; the un-dated wooden four-plex next door; and an adjacent, interior lot. A fire in the ‘90s had left the buildings unused – except by vagrants and graffiti artists, Bodzy says. “They were such a mess. It’s great to be able to take something boarded up and an eyesore and give it value and new use – while preserving the history of the

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(Submitted photos courtesy of Gary R. Chandler, Architecture and Interiors.) Restoration of the century-old commercial buildings on West 12th Street at Yale, required not just renovating but re-engineering the interior structural system. The project earned a Community Improvement Award from Houston Heights Association.

building inside and out.” He believes doing so is “the essence of development.” Plus, the restoration was a solid business opportunity, he says, one that would bring a viable product to the Heights as well as new businesses and jobs. Restore Meant Re-engineer In planning the project, architect Chandler and Bodzy, who also owns Showcase Windows, considered a series of potential iterations -- from townhomes or apartments to restaurant and retail use - that met the vision, market conditions, city parking regulations and historic district guidelines. The outcome was office space over retail, using the back lot for parking and access to a new exterior stair-

case. It serves the second floor, now occupied by healthcare professionals. Street level space has a plumbing and hardware showroom. Each level has about 5,000 square feet of space. Though updated, the property’s original cantilevered signage remains, facing Yale Street. Interiors retained most of their original clay tile walls. And an exposed painted message lingers from previous use by a dry cleaners: “We Will Dye for You.” Efforts to re-use the wooden four-plex, however, were for naught, Bodzy says. It was deemed structurally unsound and demolished in 2017 – after restoration efforts and an estimated $100,000 in related expenses. Meanwhile, in the brick 1916 and 1921 buildings, the original interiors’ integrity

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Diminished home sales, rising prices mark April Houston real estate market rebounded in April with a nearly seven percent spike in home sales accompanying the highest average and median prices of all time. Meanwhile, northwest side markets saw sales downturns alongside mixed pricing trends last month. According to the latest report from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), home sales in local markets showcased mainly a drop across the board – ranging from about 3 percent to around 24 percent – while only a couple experienced spikes of at least 5 percent. Most median and average prices, meanwhile, either rose or remained stagnant on nearly all fronts. “April proved to be a strong month for the Houston housing market on both the purchase and rental sides, and mind you that is compared to a record year in 2017,” said HAR Chair Kenya Burrell-VanWormer with JPMorgan Chase. “As long as inventory levels can keep up with the increased buyer demand, we would expect sales volume to remain strong in the months ahead.” Nearly all local upswings far outpaced the greater Houston region’s trends, while the valleys were also much lower.

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Photo from Houston Association of Realtors NW side home sales are down, but prices are up in the spring of 2018.

In the areas immediately surrounding The Leader offices, this neighborhood was one of just two in our area to experience a YOY increase in homes sold, with 203 sales closed in April 2018 – a nearly five percent jump from the 194 sold during the same period in 2017. The neighborhood’s 9.5 percent spike in median home prices – to $438,000, which was nearly twice the greater Houston region’s figure – represented the second largest jump among our local bubble. Meanwhile, average prices in the area jumped to $517,901 – the second-highest area figure, and nearly 1.5 times the figure for the Greater Houston region. Its 14.5 percent spike represented the strongest local jump The western edge of the coverage area (77092) was among the few neighborhoods

that showed little dramatic movement on either end of the spectrum. Home sales showed very little movement YOY on the western end of Garden Oaks/Oak Forest, with 70 closures during April, compared to 73 the previous April. Buyers in this section of the neighborhood saw a slight 2.8 percent dip last month, paying $257,246 on average, in contrast to the $263,443 paid last April. Median prices experienced a more upward trend, rising 3.2 percent YOY, coming in at $251,750 at month’s end. Greater Heights (77008) For the largest swath of the neighborhood, significant trends on both ends of the spectrum were the name of the game last month. Just 278 homes came off the market in

See Market P. 2B

Page 2B • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • The Leader

WOBA to hold Fish-Off on the bayou For The Leader The White Oak Bayou Association has resurrected their tongue-in-cheek fishing competition to bring awareness about White Oak Bayou and to have some fun doing it. For the second year, our Fish-Off will be held in partnership with the Friends of Woodland Park’s Happy Trails and Hot Dogs Day. Both events will be held on Saturday June 2, 2017 at Woodland Park. Fish-Off trophies will be awarded to “Little Anglers” (children 12 or under) and “Big Anglers” (anyone 13 and over) for the Biggest, Ugliest and Most Unusual fish caught by both groups. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the tent at Woodland Park. Weigh-in and judging will begin at 11 a.m. with judging announcements at 12:30 p.m. Entry fees are a suggested donation of $5 per family/group of five, or free with $10 White Oak Bayou Association annual membership. All participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by or have signed permission of a parent or guardian. All children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. All participants must abide by the Texas Parks and

Wildlife rules and provide their own fishing gear and bait. A fishing license is not requited on June 2 - it is TPWD’s Free Fishing Day! All fish must be caught the day of the event in the White Oak Bayou or one of its tributaries. Participants are responsible for their catch. For the fish weigh-in competition, only one entry per person will be allowed. All entries must be of the subphylum vertebrata class -“fishes”; no reptiles, amphibians, birds or mammals; no turtles, crabs, leaches, frogs, clams, barnacles, snakes, crawfish, snails, algae or zooplankton will be allowed. Pre-registration instructions are

available on whiteoakbayou.org/ newshistory-and-events.html and includes a copy of the liability waiver and contest rules. Other outdoor activities will include: Fish Lips Contest, The-onethat-got-away Fish Tales, Small Fry Fishing Pond & Gar Toss, Bayou City Works, Guided trail hikes. There will be free, hot dogs, chips and root beer floats For more information, or to volunteer, please email contact@whiteoakbayou.org. The White Oak Bayou Association is a 501(c)(3) organization nonprofit citizen’s organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration and maintenance of the natural wildlife habitats along our bayou resources. We promote compatible recreational opportunities and seek to increase public awareness, appreciation and enjoyment of the White Oak Bayou, it tributaries and environs. Membership consists of individuals, civic groups, professional organizations and businesses and is open to all interested persons or groups citywide. All membership contributions are tax deductible.

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Photos courtesy White Oak Bayou Association. Participants take part in the weigh-in of a Winners from the 2017 White Oak Bayou Fish-Off pose with the hardware after receiving White Oak bait fish. their awards.

Do Over from P. 1B

Vote for The Pure Parenting Shop and Third Coast Threads in the upcoming Reader’s Choice in the Leader. Go to www.theleadernews.com and click on the Reader’s Choice box, Click on “General Shopping, then click on Children’s Clothing and write in The Pure Parenting Shop and Third Coast Threads. You can vote once every day until May 25 at 5 PM.

2401 Yale • 77008 www.thepureparentingshop.com 832-856-1416 (Submitted photo courtesy of Gary R. Chandler, Architecture and Interiors.) A century of wear and tear took its toll on commercial property at 12th and Yale.

all that remained of the original brick structures were the perimeter walls -- 9 inches thick and 20 feet tall. To improve the structural integrity, engineer Dougherty developed an interior support system and slab independent of the building shell but sturdily connected to it. Chandler’s simplified description of the re-engineering feat is “gut the box, fill the box.” He’s quick to credit the skills of the project’s team, which has worked together on other projects: “All parties know their stuff.”

ent resin material. The thennow juxtaposition of style prevents the building having “a static environment held to its 1916 origins,” Chandler says. “I think if a commercial building is going to be renovated for use another hundred years, it has to have a living dynamic to it.” (An example is at The Louvre in Paris, where architect I.M. Pei’s glass and metal pyramid addition rises in the former palace’s courtyard.) Equally eye-catching is the exterior’s cohesive finish, inspired by a section of original orange brick mottled by white paint (and time). To achieve that appearance meant painting both buildings orange followed by a mortar slurry.

Bodzy says it would have been far less expensive to build from scratch, though that option was not possible in the historic district. “But look at what you get” when you preserve what’s there: “historic character combined with 21st c. conveniences -a new lease on life for a 100 year old gem.”

April 2018 compared to 301 the previous year, a sharp dip of nearly 8 percent – which surprisingly was only the thirdhighest downturn among the northwest neighborhoods. Closing prices had a strong April showing for realtors, with buyers closing on homes at an average of $520,854 – a more than 10 percent upswing from the previous April. Meanwhile median prices in the area clocked in with a 9.3 percent uptick, closing the month at $469,950.

est and severe gains across the board this past month. A slight rise in homes sold accompanied the month of April for this area, with 158 closings compared to 149 the previous year, a 6 percent increase YOY. The area’s average closing price of $427,062 for April 2018 was a 6.4 percent spike over the previous year’s $401,328. And finally, this neighborhood’s median price rose nearly 11 percent – the most extreme YOY jump of any local area.

Woodland Heights/ Norhill (77009) The eastern portion of the Heights experienced both mod-

77007 (Rice Military/ Washington Heights) The southernmost edge of The Leader’s coverage area

showed results all over the map, on both ends of the spectrum. April 2018 brought with it a nearly 14 percent dip in homes sales – the most significant negative regression in the local area. Only 185 homes came off the market last month, compared to 285 the previous year. On the flip side, the neighborhood’s 10.4 percent average price spike was the second-highest in the local neighborhoods – up to $545,271 by month’s end. Median prices, on the other hand, held relatively steady YOY – coming in at $433,000, a 3.5 percent rise according to the HAR report.

New Dynamics On the back of the historic buildings, the external stairway is a deliberately modern addition and screened by blue panels of semi-transpar-

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And an award “I could be tempted to do more of them,” he says, but he suspects “It would be hard to find one this special with so much character to preserve.”

To share your renovation survival tale, contact Cynthia. Lescalleet@gmail.com.

Market from P. 1B

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The Leader • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 3B

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Page 4B • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • The Leader

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