Sawyer Yards about to grow
Urban enclave poised to grow with expansion bringing brewery, barbecue
The urban enclave northwest of downtown is getting new buildings.
Sawyer Yards, the urban arts enclave spanning several city blocks northwest of downtown Houston, is poised to grow with an expansion that will bring a New Orleans brewery, a local cider maker and a barbecue spot to the Arts District development.
Lovett Commercial, one of the founding developers of the 40-plus-acre project, said it plans to add two buildings within the next two years.
Sawyer Yards, which has been called an “artistic village,” houses more than 300 local artists, restaurants, fitness concepts, public galleries and breweries in restored warehouses in the historic First Ward neighborhood.
The first building in the expansion is the conversion of a 65,000 square-foot warehouse at 1201 Oliver Street.
A New Orleans-based brewery will occupy 12,500 square feet, which will include an outdoor beer garden.
Other concepts include a local cidery and “the reopening of a celebrated barbecue house,” the developer said.
Renovations should be complete in the spring.
A second phase of the expansion will include a new two-story building at 1818 Washington Street. The 50,000-square-foot property will have a courtyard and rooftop terraces overlooking the downtown skyline.
The building’s first tenant will be a New American seafood concept from an Atlanta-based celebrity chef. The building is expected to open by fall 2020.
Sawyer Yards was developed by a group of local developers and investors including Jon Deal, Steve Gibson, Paul Hobby and Lovett Commercial founder Frank Liu. The project received a 2018 Development of District Award from the local chapter of the Urban Land Institute.
Lovett Commercial is an arm of Lovett Group, which was founded in 1980 as a home building company. One of the company’s most anticipated new commercial projects is downtown Houston’s former post office.
Concepts include “the reopening of a celebrated barbecue house.” Lovett Commercial, developer