Royden Oaks - SW corner of River Oaks between Westheimer and San Felipe, 46a tract, construction to start in 1947. The homes are of good quality and it has LOCATION.easy access to the rest of the world. The mall remained successful throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Not surprisingly, the first day of business brought only 8,000 shoppers (a number that was affected by the hurricane). How and when were the first mall constructed? However, others may view Sharpstown as being less desirable because it has a high crime rate and is not as well-maintained as other parts of the city. Bill Calderon, executive director of the Authority and TIRZ No. I guess that's never possible. I am seeing lots of redevelopment in areas going on near downtown that I never thought would happen. The exterior was like brown rocks. You know a meal is going to be good when it begins with what look like homemade jugs of tej, sweet, slightly fizzy Ethiopian honey wine. You can still see the original 1955 plaque for the time capsule at Sharpstown Park at Bellaire and Mary Bates. The then owner of the mall, Urban Mall Houston, was over $53 million in debt.[19]. The Sharpstown Mall was Houston's first indoor, air conditioned shopping mall. Also, the Southwest Freeway outside the loop video has some information about Sharpstown. The temporaries are still there - but now there are a lot more of them. It was Houston's answer to New York's Levittown and was touted as the "World's largest residential development." Tags hpd ice cream incomes taxes Lucienne Bellefontaine nicolas chavez police shooting Political Roundup politics taxes. (Elsik class of 85). Maybe a similarly named one? The statute authorizing the creation of PIDs is found in Chapter 372 of the Local Government. In 2009, with the mall under the ownership of Philadelphia-based RAIT Financial Trust, the manager of the mall's interior core, Boxer Property, announced that the mall would be renamed "PlazAmericas. A list of officers of the company did not include Louie Welch. The remains of the bank are three drive-throughs in the middle of the front parking lot that are still standing to this day. I also went to Strake Jesuit so I knew Bellaire before it became Chinatown West. I remember all that same stuff. WebWestwood Mall opened in 1975 with anchors Joske's and Sears, along with over 60 stores. [10][11], Consequently, customers even within the surrounding area were deterred, and major retailers who desired a low crime, middle class, and wealthy area for profitable support began to leave. That BBQ Barn is still there. Those were the days! "[5] First Colony would also eventually seal the fate of Westwood Mall, which closed in 1998 and converted to a technology-focused office center, and eventually would impact West Oaks Mall as well. 20 board will meet this month to reconsider those specific improvements. The last few times I went into Sharpstown it seemed like everyone was just walking around, not shopping, just trying to meet women, waste time, etc. Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Are You There God? The success of the first phase led Sharp to expand the development, and by the early 1970s Sharpstown had become one of Houstons largest and most successful planned communities. It doesn't suffer from the stigma that Sharpstown has. Houstonia Magazine. Also saw the Sharpstown Clock on ebaydidn't buy it either, but saved it to my computer Great photos indeed Max. I unfortunately had to sell our property after owning it when new in 1966. Any way. [10] Oshman's Sporting Goods closed its store in 1997, around the same time it opened a store in the nearby suburb of Stafford to serve the Sugar Land area that once frequented Sharpstown for retail business. The mall was renamed Sharpstown Center at this time. This spot used to be a James Coney Island, but its days of serving hot dogs are long over. By 1970, Sharpstown Center had 57 stores and was fully leased. Youll need to bring a small army to finish it all, but thats the best way to enjoy the ample servings of sauted beef tibs and spicy bowls of doro wat (and seemingly never-ending baskets of fresh injera bread) at this spacious restaurant. The intersection improvements are the first piece in a $33 million renovation of Bellaire Boulevard from U.S. 59 to Beltway 8 and Fondren from U.S. 59 to Westpark. My dad still lives in the area and there isn't anything really bad happening in his immediate area. Westbury isn't any better, really, but it doesn't share the stigma of that name. He was alway working on them in the driveway and about every 30 minutes you could hear him holler at his wife, "Etheeeeellllll! I woked in the mall then and saw all kinds of peoplepeople that were not stereotypical "Sharpstown". The alignment of the Southwest Freeway was changed to go through the middle of Sharpstown since Frank Sharp donated the right-of-way for the freeway. The mall is owned by Simon Property Group. Loved going to Oshmans, and bought my first Apple Macintosh computer from Fingers Furniture when they wold electronics! The 15-month project concluded in May 1980 when the second floor opened to the public. Back then the mall was named Sharpstown Center, and offered shoppers perks such as air-conditioning, something that was not standard at the time. The video has gathered over 80,000 views, with viewers flooding the comments section with their memories. I didn't make any other notes but vaguely remember a pic of Sharp with a very young Welch looking over his shoulder. Sorry I do not recognize those acronyms. This mall in Houston is an outdoor shopping center that features numerous retail shops, dining options, and entertainment areas for the whole family. Then Westwood Mall opened a little further down 59. (Apparently the astronauts were not allowed to accept the homes.) Katharine Shilcutt In 1998, JCPenney would close its store at Sharpstown, having lost much of its clientele to its First Colony store, with much of its remaining business going to its Meyerland Plaza store. We should call the area around St. Francis, the Oaks of Bellaire or something Case in point, the chron's this week section online titles the section that includes sharpstown as Alief and swhouston. This was also known as the Gaylynn Terrace. You had to have had a permission slip from your parents in order to smoke there (not that anyone checked). [21] Signs indicating the renaming appeared by January 29, 2010. I always remember looking out and seeing those twin buildings on Fondren and 59 with the flag on top. Full Member. Nick Patel, owner/manager of Collision Plus Inc. at 7628 Bellaire Blvd., located roughly 500 feet from the intersection, said since his family opened the business in 1992, they've seen a good number of accidents, rollovers and illegal turns. Churros y Crepesis conveniently located right next to Huaraches La Villa in the PlazAmericas food court, so save room for dessert. Addis Ababa also offers a traditional Ethiopian coffee service, which can be booked in advance. I shopped there for parts around early 2003 when they were in their final days there. They were new. Checking out my old stomping grounds. Is the Heights' success pumping up the northern suburbs firstwe'll get to Sharpstown after we finish Oak Forest? The Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority announced Tuesday that a contractor will be selected from two bidders - Jerdon Construction of Stafford and Reytec Construction Resources Inc. of Houston - to complete intersection improvements at Bellaire Boulevard at Fondren Road. The aforementioned crime issues also continued to take their toll on Sharpstown Center, as the crime rate in the area surrounding the mall increased in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to white flight and urban decay. Houstonia Magazine Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. I went to the mall under 5 times since those days and been sort of let down each time because it's just not the same. In the 1949 City Directory, Frank W. Sharp is shown residing on Meadow Lake Lane, just off San Felipe and Weslayan. On Wednesday's show: Four HPD officers dismissed in 2020 after shooting and killing Nicolas Chavez have been reinstated, the week in politics, and advice on preparing and filing your taxes. Wow! Sharpstown. Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. Get highlights, trending news, and behind-the-scenes insights from Houston Public Media delivered to your inbox each week. I'm glad you asked, Cory, because I'd be interested to know myself. Go my first Honda from Gillman Honda when they were in the small showroom in the corner. Are those "temporary" buildings still there? I've been so busy with my new job (project managing luxury home construction and loving it) that I haven't been able to visit much. Sharpstown Mall was renamed Sharpstown Center in 1989 and Sharpstown Mall again in 2001. When Sharp built the mall, he also created the Sharpstown neighborhood, which is named after him. Old "Sharp" himself may have even donated the land for this purphose ?? I see the "Conquistador." I met my wife there. In addition to the other factors already mentioned that contributed to the "decline" of Sharpstown Mall, I would add the construction of First Colony Mall, expansion of the Galleria, etc. Dude across the street from us was huge--maybe 400 pounds- and only drove Mini Coopers. You may want to check out the Southwest Freeway section of the Houston Freeways book. Don't know which theater was at W. Bellfort & Fondren. Sharp designed the community to have all urban amenities, including hospitals, the Houston Music Theater (still there), a university (HBU), and a country club (now Sharpstown Park). It was supposed to open "way in the future.like the year 2000." I used to go there every week for asthma treatment. I have to admit that felt awesome that we were still talked about! As 2000 dawned, a New York investment group named Sharpstown Center Associates owned the mall. Whats the biggest shopping mall in Houston? Or, is the concentration in the neartown areas and the Heights (where I live) getting in the way? Anyone remember that? This appears to be looking NE at the corner of Roos and Redding. 3. Beginning in 1979, construction of a second floor began (effectively doubling the mall's store count to over 200) and the mall was extensively renovated from its original 1950s appearance to better compete with Westwood Mall and the Galleria. I remember our neighbohood as being on the poor side of middle class. We used to just look at it when we drove by because it was sooooo big! The development allowed for schools, recreation, and retail areas as well as nice post-war homes (a new concept at the time), making Sharpstown one of the nation's first master-planned developments, and the first such community in Houston.