A new chapter for old Montrose library
Land sale paves way for development, branch’s relocation
Houston City Council on Wednesday approved a land sale crucial to a proposed relocation of Montrose’s longtime library branch into a mixed-use development.
The plan approved by City Council allows for the sale of an 8,300-square-foot parcel of land at 802 Westheimer to Radom Capital, which owns the adjacent land and plans to use it for a mixed-use development called the Montrose Collective. The property currently houses a storefront for the Houston Police Department, and is expected to close in the coming weeks.
In turn, Radom has promised to dedicate roughly 10,000 square feet of its future project to house a renovated and relocated Freed-Montrose Library.
The current library, located at 4100 Montrose Blvd., is more than 70 years old and resides in an old church. The building initially was targeted for a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2013, but officials said that the plan was halted after if became apparent that its roof, plumbing and other things would also need to be rehabbed.
Mayor Pro-Tem Ellen Cohen is spearheading the project, and said it first was discussed more than a year ago. Residents largely have voiced support for the plan during various community meetings, though a few have said they are concerned it could affect public safety because of the closure of the HPD storefront.
“(HPD officers) have a personal involvement in what goes on in the neighborhood, and Houston is sort of losing that already,” said Greg Legrande, president of the Neartown/ Montrose Super Neighborhood. “The actual presence there is a help.”
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo supports the move, and previously said that the station closure will have minor effects because the department is increasingly fielding complaints online.
The library will remain open until the new facility is finished, said Andy Icken, chief development officer for Mayor Sylvester Turner.
“The citizens will have continuity” in library services, he said. Icken also said the city will
retain an ownership stake at the Montrose Collective that would serve as a sort of “insurance policy” until the new library opens.
Officials said the deal is part of a longer-term goal to incorporate city offices into mixed-use developments. Houston has become increasingly dense and populat- ed, and city planners are eyeing ways to minimize the number of large parking lots or single-use facilities, said James Koski, Turner’s deputy chief of staff.
“That is something we want to be more intentional about, and we want to see more of that happen,” he said. “We don’t want to have a suburban-style library or community center that’s a single story building with a big parking lot around it in the middle of the city. We want to be integrated.”
Radom has developed multiple mixed-use facilities in Houston, including the Heights Mercantile center.