LEADER LISTING The Leader • Saturday, August 31, 2019 • Page 1B
Preslee’s to blend old look with new concept By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com Justin Piper of Piper Development said his family’s commercial company has been working on other people’s projects for years. It worked on the renovation of Raven Tower Bar and recently finished Sweat 1000 in the Heights and The Standard on Washington. Piper’s newest project, Preslee’s, is close to his heart. The southern eatery, scheduled to open in mid-September at 1430 W. 19th St., is named after his daughter, whose photo is everywhere. She shares space with life-sized statues of Jake and Elwood Blues and a giant mural of the Astrodome, among other pieces. Piper said his parents have Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe statues in their own home and he likes to shop for unique things. “We wanted the restaurant to look like a rustic country store that’s been around for 50 years,” said Brandon Piper, who is managing the restaurant with his brother, Justin. Brother Weston and sister Brittney are also involved in the venture. Preslee’s may look old, but everything inside is new. The Pipers are leasing the building from Hamid R. Foroudi, who has owned it for 18 years
foot facility, which will serve families in a traditionally lowincome neighborhood, will open next year in Avenue Center, a new mixed-use community resource center being developed across from Moody Park. “We are excited to collaborate with Legacy Community
By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
Photo by Betsy Denson Preslee’s managers Justin (left) and Brandon Piper pose with statues of the Blues Brothers inside their new southern eatery at 1430 W. 19th St. in the Heights.
and previously leased it to the proprietor of the former Golden Café. It sat vacant for about two years until the Pipers signed a 15-year lease. More than one developer had commented on the amount of interior and exterior work that would be required to bring the building up to speed.
“It was a full demo,” Brandon said. “We’ve been working seven days a week since March. It’s all been a lot of hard work. We completely cleaned everything and used quality materials.” There will be seating for 85 people inside and 300 outside. Among many other chang-
es, the family raised the ceiling and put in rafters, updated the kitchen and added subway tile, stained the concrete floor in the dining room and added a 150-foot outdoor patio. The doors and windows were cusSee Preslee’s P. 3B
Boulevard Realty creates connections throughout first summer on Studewood By Boulevard Realty Over three years ago, when Bill Baldwin and Boulevard Realty bid farewell to their iconic office at 1545 Heights Blvd., where Baldwin came to own what is now one of the Top 25 residential real estate firms in the city and which had served as both a community landmark and gathering space, he knew it was only to find a better site for his signature brand of real estate brokering. This summer, the brokerage’s first in their new digs at 927 Studewood St., saw his dream come to fruition with a swarming, diverse calendar of community and collaborative events both in the second-floor open office and the more fluid first-floor coworking concept known as YourSpace by Boulevard Realty. It seems Baldwin was on to something when he sought to break significantly from the growing trend of downsizing in the real estate office setting, even in the face of stiff competition. “In over 20 years living and working inside the loop, I have come to learn that Houston, and especially the Heights, truly values a culture of coming together,” reflects Baldwin. “While we know how to throw a great White Linen Night and evergrowing Pride celebration, our spirit of celebrating one another and the desire to commune is really just a part of our identity as Houstonians.” Kicking off his recently announced campaign for Houston City Council at the new office in mid-August, Baldwin expressed the sense of pride he has in seeing that people still want a sense of place and shared civic commons—themes he emphasizes in some of the Planning & Development planks of his campaign. As one might expect from what has become the premier Heights real estate firm, the beloved neighborhood tradition of White Linen Night was in fact Baldwin and the Boulevard’s biggest gathering yet at 927 Studewood. The event was called out in the Houston Chronicle’s VIP View Society section as one of the best parties of the night, but it was far from the only unforgettable night at Boulevard’s bustling spot. That same night, YourSpace was transformed into a popup gallery for The Community Artists’ Collective, a Midtown-based arts incubator for over 30 years. Baldwin, who is co-chairing the FestEve! Evening for the Arts fundrais-
The Common project planned for Pinemont Gulf Coast Commercial Group, which is developing a shopping plaza across from Garden Oaks Baptist Church on North Shepherd Drive, has purchased a large shopping center at 1102 Pinemont Dr. The shopping center, built in 1985, is 130,031 square feet with 38,462 square feet of building space. Marketing plans for what Gulf Coast calls “The Common” include a map of a west buildContributed rendering ing, which is Gulf Coast Commercial Group recently puralready home a tract of land on Pinemont Drive for to Esther’s Sig- chased what it is marketing as The Common. nature Dish and a medical clinic, among other tenants. An east Health to improve healthcare building, a former school, is access for working families in Near Northside,” said Mary vacant. The Harris County Ap- Lawler, executive director of praisal District values the to- Avenue. “Like Avenue, Legacy is committed to improvtal property at $2,299,751. For more information, con- ing the quality of life for all, tact Danny Miller at Danny. including low-income households that are cost-burdened Miller@gulfcoastcg.com. and struggling to accommodate healthcare costs.” Community health clinic in Near Northside Avenue CDC, a Houston Bubble Egg coming soon Imelda Johnson recently nonprofit dedicated to developing affordable housing, posted to the Oak Forest Association announced it is collaborat- Homeowners ing with Legacy Community Facebook page that her Health to bring a commu- daughter and some friend nity health clinic to the Near Northside. The 6,200-square See Roundup P. 2B
Quality
Feed & Garden Since 1928
Houston’s Oldest & Most Reliable
Pet & Garden Supply Store Pet & Livestock Food Summer Food and Water Bowls Planting Leashes - Collars - Tags Fertilizers Edible Plants Fruit Trees
Portable Pet Carriers We sell chicks, ducklings, goslings, adult poultry AND MORE
Contributed photo The Black Sheep Agency used YourSpace at Boulevard Realty for a recent field work day.
er for the organization next month on the Rice University campus (more info at thecollective.org), says this sort of synergy and fusion of Houston’s diverse neighborhood is exactly what he had in mind. “It is easy to find ourselves in a bubble when we live in great neighborhoods like the Heights, River Oaks, or Midtown, but we are all Houstonians and should seek every opportunity to rediscover other communities here,” he said. While Heights organizations and events figure prominently on Boulevard’s roster of happenings — the Houston Heights Woman’s Club just completed a summer-long school uniform drive in YourSpace, and now the Heights Garden Club gears up for a fall workshop upstairs — the building has drawn other extended neighbors to our neighborhood as well. From grassroots groups like the Northside’s Stop I-45 movement to CenterPoint to The Periwinkle Foundation (a philanthropic offshoot of the pediatric oncology department at Texas Children’s Hospital), any given night at 927 Studewood has Houstonians gathering to brainstorm, bond, and be together. “Of course, this is all at no cost to the organization,” adds Baldwin. “This is their space too.” It’s not just organized events that have imbued the space with life this summer. The downstairs YourSpace, open seven days a week (anytime the office is open) and also available by reserva-
tion after-hours, has become something of an incubator in its own right for newly forming businesses, students, creatives, and young professionals seeking inspiration. “Any given day we have local business owners meeting for brainstorming sessions, individuals studying for exams, or neighbors that work from home and need a change of scenery,” points out Marianne Terrell, a realtor and Office Manager of Boulevard. “And in the evenings, we’ve had everything from prayer groups to political candidates to concerts, even a physician who needed a private room to make patient calls.” None of this is even counting the bustling activity of Baldwin’s 65-plus agents and staff of 18, who flow throughout the space taking meetings and working in configurations that vary from the traditional conference table to more of a living room setup. “When I first decided that we needed the space, it was really to give my agents some breathing room,” admits Baldwin. “Our culture has always been about co-working and collaboration. In this new space, I see both that we are continuing to fulfill a need and that the way my agents like to work is a true reflection of Houston’s greater culture.” The fun and fellowship will continue well into the fall. Everytown for Gun Safety See Boulevard P. 2B
4428 N. Main St. 713-862-2323 www.qualityfeedco.com
Put our 42 years of experience to work for you! Janet & Cecil Schmidt Serving Oak Forest • Heights Shepherd Forest Shepherd Park Plaza Candlelight Plaza Timbergrove Lazybrook • Garden Oaks
Sunday 12-2pm
4402 Fallbroook Dr. $399,900 1807 Tannehill $449,500
O HO PEN US E
NEW
LIST
ING
713.419.7918 homes@janetandcecil.com
HOME SERVICES PREMIER PROPERTIES • 713-686-5454
2 LEASE HOUSES
5327 Floyd St. $2,695 2207 Brimberry St. $1,795
“We Make Real Estate Simple.” © 2013-2016 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.