509 Olive Way, Suite 305, Seattle, WA 98101, Greater Sharpstown has evolved over the years, Daves Hot Chicken Has The Best of Both Worlds, Celebrity-Backed Chicken Spot Opens in the Houston Area, The Wide World of International Spicy Cuisine, What We're Ordering Out This Week: Falling Back in Love with Ethiopian Food. The food camemore, The ambiance is outstandingtables in honeycomb, not noisy. It was built in Sharpstown Industrial Park Section 12.[3]. Eastwood is leaning towards the higher end of the above mentioned price bracket so it may not provide competition for much longer. Ok guys.I am 42. Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Valbona Health Center (formerly People's Health Center) in Greater Sharpstown for ZIP code 77074. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. [15] The City of Houston instituted the current nine city council districts in 1979. As the Houston area grew rapidly over the next three decades, with Houston itself becoming the nation's fourth-largest city, numerous other developments throughout southwest Houston began to emerge. Sharpstown Country Club Estates. Today: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm. Motorists must proceed through the intersection and make a left or U-turn at the next break in the median, causing a backup in traffic flow. The mall itself opened in 1975 with a two-story floorplan, anchored by Joske's on the west end and Sears on the east end, with the freeway frontage, and featured 60 stores and a food court, with its most notable architectural feature being an unconventional main entrance on the Bissonnet Street side of the mall; this entrance housed an elevator The area is also known as the Texas Gulf Coasts cultural and economic heart. Sharpstown jeweler shutters store after 24 years. Who Owns Sharpstown Mall | Denver Mart that much of the commercial properties and apartments could be bulldozed and redeveloped. Churros y Crepesis conveniently located right next to Huaraches La Villa in the PlazAmericas food court, so save room for dessert. These are the best vegan friendly restaurants near Houston, TX: People also liked: restaurants with outdoor seating, restaurants for lunch. Maybe this home is the beginning of Sharpstown's rebirth! What was Sharpstown mall like before it was torn down? 635 quarters was a lot! Glad to hear Mr. Martin is still around. Because it was Houston's first air conditioned malla luxury given Houston's historically unpredictable weather, many Houston residents residing in the central part of the city wanted to experience the "mall of the future", hence the traffic concerns. The then owner of the mall, Urban Mall Houston, was over $53 million in debt.[19]. Maybe that's it? I think it was a Plitt Theater at one time. The unidentified man gained control of Adams' gun and shot the officer, Finner said. Yes, Sharpstown High School had 2 smoking areas. They have perfect noodles, and perfect brot, trust me! The Galleria mall in Houston is Texas largest mall. The remains of the bank are three drive-throughs in the middle of the front parking lot that are still standing to this day. HOUSTON Do you remember the last time you went to your nearby shopping mall? Chumley also stated that the mall would cater to the Hispanic population (which now constituted 52% of the population of the mall's three-mile trade area), would undergo a $10 million renovation to boost its appeal to Hispanic shoppers, and would have 350 stores by the time renovations were completed. Shelby Stewart. 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. Then it was a dollar cinema for a while. The mall was two stories, featuring a food court. A couple of months ago there was a house fire at Burning Tree and Sharpview. General Hours. Published in the May 2016 issue of Jones Fried Chicken wasserving spicychicken-and-rice long before the Halal Guys arrived in Houston. Burlington Coat Factory would move from an adjacent shopping center to fill the former Montgomery Ward space. 20 board will meet this month to reconsider those specific improvements. Lucio Vasquez is a newscast producer at Houston Public Media, NPRs affiliate station in Houston, Texas. Trust me. #ItsOpen Do you have any favorite memories of this place? What are the best vegan friendly restaurants? Sharpstown Mall Anyone remember that? Remember Peppermint Park? Sharpstown Mall is a regional shopping mall located in southwest Houston, Texas, United States. Every weekend I drive past Pat Neff Elem. This isn't a slam on Sharpstown, a lot of great neighborhoods benefit from some level of default factor. Also - I saw that water tower photo for sale on eBay, but I didn't buy it. Addis Ababa also offers a traditional Ethiopian coffee service, which can be booked in advance. 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. Sharpstown's revival, whenever it comes, will be one by default, at least at first. By The video has gathered over 80,000 views, with viewers flooding the comments Yep, don't remember Mrs Moore. The Best 10 Restaurants near Sharpstown, Houston, TX, Jang Choong Dong Korean Restaurant Bellaire. A city may undertake such a project through the creation of a Public Improvement, The Public Improvement District Assessment Act allows any city to levy and collect special. Mall We were making a definite memory! Oh for it to be 1982 and a teen again - except with all the income and knowledge I have now. Today, Houstons answer to the Halal Guys dishes up its namesake fried chicken and spicy chicken-and-rice bowls drizzled with a creamy garlic sauceboth so good, theyre worth fighting traffic for. Cities occasionally need to make certain improvements to their infrastructures to help economic. Frank Sharp was concerned about easy transport between downtown Houston and his new neighborhood development, so he donated land to the state of Texas, which became the Southwest Freeway. My hope for the future of Sharpstown is that it does not get infiltrated by developers that try to alter the 1950s type of home layout there in the residential areas. 20, said the pilot project will set the tone for roadway improvements to rival those in the downtown and Galleria areas. Read the Court's full decision on FindLaw. Amenities: (713) 777-5391 Visit Website Map & Directions 7500 Bellaire Blvd Ste 201Houston, TX 77036 Write Also, I have seen aerials of Sharpstown Mall in the 1960s in the Bob Bailey Collection. The renovations effectively deterred Foley's from leaving for nearby Westwood Mall, which prior to the renovation was courting the department store as a third anchor following its own renovation in 1988. One house is on the north side of W. Belfort between Willowbend and Chimney Rock. 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. Sharpstown Center - Houston, TX 77036 - Yellow Pages I didn't make any other notes but vaguely remember a pic of Sharp with a very young Welch looking over his shoulder. [21] Signs indicating the renaming appeared by January 29, 2010. Thanks for pointing me back to this site! I, too could have been in that Clock pic (but was probably at Gene's Model shop!!). 1. January 3, 2006 in Historic Houston. The project's engineer, HNTB Architects Engineers Planners, estimated the outlined improvements would cost between $2.5-$3 million. I have a photo of the Clock of Texas. Or, maybe it is that the area between the Galleria and Sharpstown is a no man's land. In 1999, the mall was sold to Simon Property Group. We used to eat at the Del Taco that's a sandwich shop now. Not surprisingly, the first day of business brought only 8,000 shoppers (a number that was affected by the hurricane). My Dad still lives there and our little pocket doesn't seem to have changed much at all. Katharine Shilcutt The exterior was like brown rocks. It is also home to 120 retail stores and restaurants, a department store, and a food court founded in 1995 which is perfect for family dining. Go my first Honda from Gillman Honda when they were in the small showroom in the corner. It was like going back in time 15 years when you walked in the parts dept. Sharpstown was affected by the Sharpstown scandal. The scandal combined with a set of apartment complexes that became run-down ensured that Sharpstown became a neighborhood surrounded by crime by the mid-to-late 1990s. [citation needed] Crime increased in the 1990s with the deterioration of area apartment complexes. One month after DJ Screw died, Chad eased his black Lincoln Navigator into a handicapped space near the entrance to Sharpstown Mall. I loved walking the mall in the middle of the day with my coworkers!. The Grandview Avenue Shopping Center in Ohio opened in 1928, followed by the Highland Park Shopping Village in Texas in 1931. I was just a little kid, but I remember seeing those "wierdos" at the school. Because of its extensive retail space and a diverse selection of stores, the Galleria is an excellent place for Houstonians to shop. When I lived there beginning in 1969, Sharpstown had 3 sections referred to as Sharpstown 1 (Bintliff east area, Sutton Elem., Jane Long Jr. High), Sharpstown2 (Sandpiper to SW Freeway), and Sharpstown 3(West side of SW Freeway, Mary Bates area, Pat Neff Elem., Sharptown Jr. High. The first phase of Sharpstown, which included the construction of residential and commercial areas, was completed in 1962. The little baseball field was right behind them. There is a huge house that is way out of place on Willowbend just west of the railroad tracks about 1/2 a mile west of Stella Link. This sit-down restaurant tucked underneath the food court at PlazAmericas Mall offers a vast selection of Honduran favorites, from fluffy baleadas on the all-day breakfast menu to coconut milkbased conch soup and hearty platos tpicos, along with strong, inexpensive margaritas. (Section 4?) By May 2007, Sharpstown was nearly 75% occupied, mostly local tenants which now dominated the mall's retail base. Galleria is the seventh largest mall in the United States, with a gross leasable area of 2,400,838 square feet (223,045.1 m2), 400 stores, and a gross floor area of approximately 240,000 square feet. I just got your email that you sent back in January. People bought in Sharpstown because they couldn't afford Meyerland or Timbergrove. Do you think the Harwin strip contributed to its downfall? [15], On December 28, 2007, Macy's announced that it would close its location in Sharpstown, the last remaining original anchor from the mall's 1961 opening. Stores such as Foot Locker, Journeys and GNC continue to operate inside the mall, however Premiere Theaters, the movie theater inside Greenspoint, remain closed. Man those were great times. 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. Since opening its doors in 1985, the Galleria has become a focal point of Houstons downtown. Whatever you ordergordita, pupusa or tacoget it filled with the signature trompo: strips of tangy-sweet achiote-flavored pork with crispy, griddled edges. I had no idea Sharpstown was such an important development to Houston. The mall remains open, but several stores and restaurants are closed or empty. 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. Loewe's, maybe? I remember wathcing movies from the back of our station wagon in my p.j.'s. I guess based on the then current home building trends, a HS like Sharpstown HS needed to be built and the location was central enough. Service was cool. These developments included countless new apartment complexes home to young professionals in Houston's energy industry, residential developments as far south as Missouri City, the construction of Houston Baptist University, Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, numerous car dealerships, and a new studio complex for the city's NBC television affiliate, KPRC-TV and its sister radio station KPRC-AM. Does anyone have photos of Sharpstown center in the 60's? Glenbrook is closer to downtown, but on the "wrong side of town" for most people. Houston police responded and confronted the suspect in the food court. 3. In my research a couple of months ago I came across a story of the launch of a $32M development to be called Oak Forest (Press 5/21/46, p.1). So many great memories. So in most cases Sharpstown comes in 3rd or 4th behind these other neighborhoods, at least for now. To be fair, Sharpstown Mall was about a mile east of the Alief boundary, but we still considered it ours, even if we shared it with the kids from Sharpstown. HOUSTON The Houston man arrested on terrorism charges pleaded not guilty to all counts against him after appearing in court Wednesday afternoon. Yes, the "Beatles" etching was on the Waldo side of the school. Sharpstown Mall opened in 1961 as the first air-conditioned shopping mall in Houston. It only worked for a very short while, the doors which opened up on the hour to reveal various scenes stopped opening soon after it was installed and it then became a huge ugly clock. The temporaries are still there - but now there are a lot more of them. The mall remained successful throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Is the Heights' success pumping up the northern suburbs firstwe'll get to Sharpstown after we finish Oak Forest? Chron I still think Westbury is stealing Sharpstown's thunder by luring the entry level buyers that typically create a revival. Trust me, the food is life-changing. I also could have been one of those kids standing at the clock, I have a good memory of that thing. Houstonia Magazine Feeling nostalgic, Houston? This is what Greenspoint Mall looks I really cringe when I hear people talking about how "bad" the Sharpstown area is. Skip the oddly textured rice paleta in favor of strawberry and, of course, mango. Less than a week ago A fourth anchor, Sears, was added in 1962. It's easy for modern residents to forget how small Houston was half a century ago, but Sharpstown was considered a suburban escape from the hassles of living in the big city, while still conveniently only 15 minutes or so from the downtown area. He started putting the quarters in his suit pockets, but they were heavy and overflowing so he was taking handfulls and handfulls and handfulls of quarters out of his pocket and tossing them on a table. Westwood, TX, Houston, TX, Neighborhood - MapQuest I lived in the sharpstown area for a while when I was younger though. New businesses may not locate in cities where the streets are inadequate, the utility service is substandard, or the public facilities and services are inferior. I remember all that same stuff. When Sharp built the mall, he also created the Sharpstown neighborhood, which is named after him. The statute authorizing the creation of PIDs is found in Chapter 372 of the Local Government. Case opinion for TX Court of Appeals EWB LLC v. PLAZAMERICAS MALL TEXAS LLC SHARPSTOWN MALL TEXAS LLC BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY REALTY OF BELLAIRE INC MAI MATTHEW INC CCW LLC SMITH FLP LTD AND LG SHARPSTOWN BELLAIRE LLC. 713.777.1111 info@plazamericas.com 201 I so wish I could go back in time, get in a car and drive around Houston. growth within an area. This spot used to be a James Coney Island, but its days of serving hot dogs are long over. 3. You may want to check out the Southwest Freeway section of the Houston Freeways book. [citation needed] While the Galleria was unique in its strong focus on upscale retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Westwood was a more direct competitor to Sharpstown with anchor stores Joske's and Sears, which complemented Sharpstown's aforementioned anchors, and a closer location to rapidly growing Fort Bend County, home to a growing base of upper-middle class suburban shoppers. A few of the The mall opened as Sharpstown Center, on September 14, 1961, mere days after Hurricane Carla affected Houston, with future United States Senator Ted Kennedy appearing during the opening ceremony as the main speaker. It was there at least during my time there from 79 to 81. Sharpstown Mall is a shopping mall located in Houston, Texas, United States. Other than that, It's a beautifully designed restaurant and a restaurant that has perfect food. In high school, I worked at the K-Mart at 8150 Southwest Freeway across from the Channel 2 station. Contact Us. theater, man that place was big. Houston's first true "master-planned" community was Clear Lake City, launched in 1962. (Apparently the astronauts were not allowed to accept the homes.) I thought that was what it must be like in Hollywood. I remember PE in that old school room with Mrs. Robinette. The service and the presentation of the food are spectacular. In 1995, another expansion added a two-story Mervyns store. The seven-member TIRZ No. Ralph Bivins and Greg Hassell of the Houston Chronicle said that the mall's decline began in the late 1980s. Modernceo, Sharpstown Industrial Park Section 12 Block 24 (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Mall Makeovers: Struggling malls revamping to boost business, Sharpstown Shopping Center: 50 years later, The fall of a mall / Sharpstown Center seized in foreclosure, "SHARPSTOWN CENTER EXPANSION - Adding the Second Level", Sales at Houston malls rise/Local retailers cite improving economy, shuttle flights, http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7085993, http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/houston/stories/khou090803_tnt_gulfton-ghetto-gang-crime.a50aff2e.html, J.C. Penney to shutter SW store / Site at Sharpstown 1 of 75 to be closed, REINVENTING SHARPSTOWN / HIP-HOP STYLES BRING MALL BACK IN FASHION / Sharpstown Center has lost major tenants over the years, but its hoping specialty stores and a lot of bling outshine what it calls an unfair reputation as a dangerous place to shop, Radio Station KPTY Party 104.9 FM "Houston's Hip-Hop Station" Grand Opening, Houston losing part of its retail history, Macy's to close its doors at Sharpstown Mall, Finger Furniture follows Macy's in exiting Sharpstown Mall, Sharpstown Center, in Chapter 11, for sale / `Major players' are said to be interested, Changes underway for once-popular local mall, Sharpstown Mall sells to investment group, "Sharpstown's PlazAmericas Has New Owner", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=PlazAmericas&oldid=1106903888, Articles with dead external links from August 2022, Articles needing cleanup from August 2022, Articles with bare URLs for citations from August 2022, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from August 2022, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Articles needing additional references from January 2010, All articles needing additional references, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Latino City Jewelry Market" (177,229 square feet, first opened as, This page was last edited on 27 August 2022, at 02:37. The building is now used as a charter school. Generous parrillada platters, crave-worthy, spicy salsas, and a quick-and-easy drive-thru have made the restaurant a dependable favorite in southwest Houston for years. They were new. All my brothers went to Strakewhat year did you graduate? Sharpstown Mall-Houston TX-Sharpstown - Neighborhood Link This new pipe will be about 1,800 feet in length. Are you sure you don't want to edit and rephrase that question? Those costs will be financed through the (Sharpstown) Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. Went to the Astro Arena for graduation. The mall likely stared to loose it's luster either before or when the last remodel happenedwhen they made it look retro or 50's style (which is ironic since in opened in teh early 60's). When it was first built in 1956, it was known as Gulfgate Shopping Center. Sharpstown Mall was built in 1961 and was one of the first suburban shopping malls in Houston. Once you turn off of the major roads and get 2 blocks away the homes and streets are just lovely in many cases. [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. Pimp C WebSharpstown Sections 1, 1A, 2, 3, and 5 form the original sections of Sharpstown. Don't know which theater was at W. Bellfort & Fondren. The tteokbokki, bulgogi, and pork bellymore, American (Traditional)MediterraneanGastropubs$$, This place has always been one of my favorites. It was flight to the "safety" of the 'burbs that got SharpstownI am waiting for the redev. It is the largest mall in Texas and the seventh largest mall in the United States with 3 million square feet (280,000 m2) of gross leasable area and 400 stores. I came across the same story while reading thru the Chron for '46 and took some notes on the story instead of just the headline. I saw someone post that they started demolition on Greenspoint Mall, so I drove over to see for myself. I have very vivid memories of Sharpstown Mall. There is a proposal for a retractable-roof mall in Phoenix AZ. "They will improve access to the whole area, and set the tone for the area as a gateway," Schiller said. Steve Pittman, communications director for the Authority and the Sharpstown Economic Development Authority, said construction should begin in March. First Colony clipped it the hardest. Granted, I see the same thing at Memorial City Mall and Galleria malls, but I see a lot more people carrying bags of clothing, etc. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Draloc, Inc. It is owned by Simon Property Group and managed by its Simon Malls division. The shopping center has struggled since the late 1960s, when new malls began to open. I would agree with the Valley Girl type reference in that it was a very hip teen place to hang out back then. I unfortunately had to sell my fathers house 6 months ago after he passed after being there since 1966. They like to keep stuff spicy but there are some stuff that isn't spicy. That stuff about the Conquistador opening the door to build hi-rise residential. 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. 400 additional homes in the Industrial Addition; no other details. Copyright 2020 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved. This makes me sad we moved to the Aldine area In 1979, said KPRC 2 viewer Stephanie Longoria Mottu. It doesn't suffer from the stigma that Sharpstown has. Resources like these are made possible by the generosity of our community of donors, foundations, and corporate partners. building. We would go to the mall and hang out all day and play video games. Sofia Gonzalez Also saw the Sharpstown Clock on ebaydidn't buy it either, but saved it to my computer Great photos indeed Max. It said that ''After nearly 40 years of serving you in Sharpstown, the Finnger Furniture Company is closing our Sharpstown Mall location''. Bill Calderon, executive director of the Authority and TIRZ No. Sharpstown is a bad word in many people's minds. There is no definitive answer to this question as opinions will vary depending on who you ask. However - I don't wish for all the old Sharpstown homes to be torn down and replaced with McMansions - they are great, solidly built homes. You guys have brought back so much memories for me while living in sharpstown back in the 80's- neff, sharpstown middle, sharpstown mall, the theater next door, astroworld, fame city and so much. WebMall Info. MALL Sharpstown may or may not deserve it, but it does have more of an image problem. I think Harwin strip had nothing to do with Sharpstown's downfall. Some people may feel that Sharpstown is a great area because it offers a variety of amenities and is relatively safe. I have a few memories of the Sharpstown mall from the mid 80s when I was like 8 years old. At the time, the neighborhood was recognized as the largest subdivision in the United States, with its own mall and a golf course. I was looking for a car for my daughter and found this car on facebook market place. Anyone know the history of the land that is across the street from Sharpstown mall where the Gillman Mitsubishi/Honda used to be before it moved out? [21] The property would include an 83,000 square feet (7,700m2) "mercado" (marketplace) that would have many smaller businesses, a large family lounge, live entertainment stages, and a children's play area. IN BUSINESS. Worked at the mall for many years, from the food court to sunglasses then jewelry it was the best time and great friends, said Tawanna Bateman. Davy Crockett addition, west of Lamar Hi, south of River Oaks, 153 homes on 37a, $10,000 price range. There are also The former Sharpstown Center in Bellaire was transformed into a cultural center in 1961. Full Member. Jocelyn Kerr. (Elsik class of 85). Sorry I do not recognize those acronyms. On the east side of 59, there was a doctor's office on DeMoss. [5] While Sharpstown managed to gain back some shoppers after the addition of the Cineplex Odeon movie theater, Sharpstown would suffer its most significant blow within the decade.