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    Troubled Landmark Reimagined

    Galveston's version of the Astrodome to get a second life: Hip firm targets abandoned landmark

    Tyler Rudick
    Jul 25, 2013 | 11:46 am

    After decades of neglect, Galveston's historic Falstaff Brewery could be getting another lease on life with some help from a noted North Texas developer with a reputation for both architecturally-savvy new projects and high-profile vintage restorations.

    Located just west of the island's popular Strand district, the hulking 1895 factory has become a troubled landmark of Astrodome proportions, splitting public opinion into factions advocating for its destruction and others championing its cultural significance.

    After a deal to acquire Dallas' iconic mid-century Statler Hotel collapsed in early July, real estate firm Matthews Southwest is turning its attention towards Galveston's abandoned brewery. Company officials are unable to reveal the full details until a purchase is finalized.

    But CultureMap spoke with current project leader Scott Galbraith, whose position as Matthews Southwest's vice president of affordable income development suggests the company's larger plans for the complex. Blocks away, a large mixed-income residential project is underway to help replace nearly 600 public housing units lost in Hurricane Ike.

    "Every building has different nuances to it. There could be a lot of potential here."

    Galbraith is optimistic about the future of the brewery. The building's most recent use has been as the setting for a 2010 horror film about a group of architecture students who get trapped inside an abandoned building during a storm.

    "Every building has different nuances to it," Galbraith says. "Right now we're doing a complete analysis on the site to best understand everything from architecture to environmental issues to land use.

    "There could be a lot of potential here."

    As one of the last remaining industrial buildings in the island's so-called Factory District, the Galveston Historical Foundation placed the brewery on its Heritage at Risk List, suggesting that the reinforced concrete structure could be rehabilitated to serve a number of needed neighborhood uses.

    In recent years, this type of responsible architectural consideration has been the key to Matthews Southwest's public acclaim as it continues to help reinvigorate downtown Dallas with projects like the new LEED-certified Omni Hotel and an overhaul of a 1910 Sears, Roebuck warehouse.

    The company also has made a splash in Calgary with The Bow — a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper aimed at redeveloping the city's long-underserved Downtown East Village neighborhood.

    The Bow

    The Bow project Matthews Southwest Calgary
      
    Fosters + Partners
    The Bow
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    housing cost analysis

    Here's how much Houstonians spend renting instead of buying a home

    Amber Heckler
    May 7, 2025 | 2:50 pm
    Houston neighborhoo
    Photo by Jose Losada on Unsplash
    Living in Houston doesn't come cheap.

    The affordability of homeownership seems to be a hot topic in 2025, and a new housing cost analysis has revealed that Houston residents who are renting are getting a bargain: saving nearly $860 per month by renting rather than owning their homes.

    The 2025 report, called "Renting vs. Buying: How Housing Costs Compare Across America," examined the median monthly homeownership and rent costs in 342 of the largest U.S. cities.

    The study's findings revealed Houston homeowners spend a median $2,219 on their monthly housing costs, whereas renters spend about $1,362 in comparison. That's an $857 price difference.

    Houston wasn't even the biggest city in terms of renters saving money — ranking No. 31 in the report's rankings of cities where homeownership is more expensive than renting.

    This study compares median costs for each group of people regardless of what they're getting for that cost. Because of this, we only know how much more homeowners tend to pay in general — not how much more they'd pay for a comparable space.

    Newark, New Jersey, ranked No. 1 on the list, with homeowners spending $2,641 per month on their homes, while renters only pay $1,341 a month, reflecting a whopping $1,300 difference.

    As any Houston-area resident knows, the real cost of living in the city doesn't just stop at the monthly mortgage or rent price. SmartAsset also factored in the cost of utilities, insurance, maintenance, and taxes to show the most accurate representation of the ongoing costs of renting versus owning a home.

    "On the rental side, the cost of utilities can add a consistent, considerable amount to your costs," the report said. "For homeowners, mortgage costs are padded not only by utilities but homeowners’ insurance, property taxes and maintenance costs."

    Housing costs in Houston-area suburbs
    The difference between The Woodlands (No. 45) renters and homeowners is greater than it is in Houston, though both monthly costs are much higher in the suburb. The report found that homeowners' costs in The Woodlands outpace renters' by $1,156 per month, totaling $3,075. Renters pay only $1,919 a month.

    Housing costs in Conroe (No. 69) are not far off from Houston, with residents paying $2,168 a month to own their homes, while renters only pay $1,441. That means the gap between renters and owners is $727 per month.

    The difference between home ownership versus renting is smallest in the far northeastern suburb of Atascocita, with renters only saving $333 per month over their homeowning neighbors.

    Here's what the report says are the monthly housing costs in other Houston-area suburbs:

    • Sugar Land – $2,851 for homeowners; $2,108 for renters = $743
    • League City – $2,337 for homeowners; $1,621 for renters = $716
    • Pearland – $2,515 for homeowners; $1,805 for renters = $710
    • Pasadena – $1,816 for homeowners; $1,206 for renters = $610
    • Atascocita – $2,180 for homeowners; $1,847 for renters = $333

    Residents in any major city who are considering buying their first house must consider all monthly financial costs before deciding to leave the rental life behind. Potentially large bills, like property taxes, can sneak up on some homeowners if they don't educate themselves properly prior to buying a home. (Thankfully, there are ways to save money in that category.)

    "These hidden costs can add up and change the dynamics of tradeoffs between the flexibility of renting versus the security of owning your own home," the report added.

    rentinghomeownersreal estatereportshousing costssuburbshoustonthe woodlandsconroe
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