Project to bring more apartments to Montrose area
As 8-story complex is planned at Westheimer and Revere, neighborhood is changing
In her years living in Montrose, first in Cherryhurst and now in the Westmoreland historic district, Sheri Smith has watched hulking new real estate developments go up in place of quirky boutiques and cozy apartment complexes the area used to be known for.
Now it’s happening to the building where she works.
A local developer is planning to construct an eightstory apartment complex on the site of the Antique Pavilion shopping center at the corner of Westheimer and Revere. The project, the latest example of how this area is changing, both in character and density, could break ground as early as next year.
“The very thing that has drawn people inside the Loop in all these years has been that there’s interesting little shops and boutiques and places to visit. And now that’s almost gone away,” Smith said.
The developer, Stanmore Partners, said it plans to build around 175 multifamily units at the site in a concrete and steel structure. Architecture firm W Partnership is designing the project.
The exact timing of construction and design plans are still being determined, Stanmore’s Jason Schlanger said.
One component of the design could be decided this week. The developer is asking the city to allow it to
build closer to Westheimer than is normally allowed in order to give its project a more “urban feel,” according to documents filed with the city.
There are multiple references to walkability in a variance request filed last week for “Stanmore River Oaks.”
The developer wants to widen the sidewalk along Westheimer and add landscaping, making the property more friendly to pedestrians.
Additional plans call for shielding the garage with architectural louvers and display windows and removing driveway cuts on Westheimer. Garage access will be on Revere Street.
The variance will be considered Thursday by the Houston Planning Commission.
As the Montrose and Upper Kirby areas become more desirable for urban professionals, property values have skyrocketed, and developers are building denser projects to justify the costs.
The existing shopping center was built in 1965 to house a Randalls grocery store. Other tenants in the 30,000-square-foot property include the original Berryhill restaurant, a dry cleaners and a frame shop that’s been there more than 30 years.
When Jerry Avera’s parents moved their Allart Framing and Gallery to the center, they paid $695 per month in rent.
Now the rent is $2,900 per month — plus taxes, Avera said.
Avera has known a redevelopment has been in the works for some time. When he renewed his lease two years ago, the owner capped the renewal at three years.
He isn’t looking forward to moving, especially now that the area is so pricey. He needs to stay close by because most of his clients come from River Oaks.
The land, Avera said, is owned in a family trust.
“They know they can make more money developing it than leaving it the way it is,” he said.
“Just what we need,” he added, “more apartment complexes.”
Nancy Sarnoff covers real estate and development for the Houston Chronicle. She also hosts Looped In, a weekly podcast all about all things Houston real estate. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and follow Nancy on Twitter and Facebook. nancy.sarnoff@chron.com twitter.com/nsarnoff