Goodbye, Subway

Latest string of downtown closures points to major real estate changes at '60shigh-rise

Known as the Americana building, 811 Dallas is looking ahead to some majorchanges.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Two ground floor tenants remain, but will be vacate the building by the end ofOctober as work begins on what is expected to be a major renovation.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
The Americana property also includes an aging Macy's parking garage, which stillmaintains regular use.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Built in 1961, the Americana was revamped in 2000. More than a decade later, thebuilding skin is in need of work once again.
Photo by Tyler Rudick

They're dropping like dominoes . . .

The 1961 high-rise known as the Americana building is the latest target of downtown real estate development, as its two final ground floor tenants — Subway and the public offices of the Downtown Management District — plan to leave their storefront spaces by the end of October.

Leasing agent Jillian Uresti with Boxer Property, the Houston-based company that manages the building, told CultureMap that all current lessees will be vacating by Oct. 31 in advance of a large-scale remodel that will convert the Americana into a single-tenant property. Work is expected to begin within the next month.

"Right now the owners are doing their due diligence," Jillian Uresti with Boxer Property, noted that her company is "99 percent sure" the building will be remodeled instead of demolished.

"Right now the owners are doing their due diligence," she said, adding that her company is "99 percent sure" the building will be remodeled instead of demolished. Uresti also noted that the Americana owners have rights to the aging Macy's parking lot at the other end of the block along Lamar.

An employee at Subway explained that his store was notified it had to leave roughly three months ago. He said the company hopes to add another location in the area, but has yet to finalize any details for its employees. Meanwhile, Angie Bertinot with the Downtown District told CultureMap that the organization is looking for another space, but has not signed a lease as of yet.

On Friday, Swamplot highlighted the Americana's recent retail departures. First up was James Coney Island, which closed in 2010 after maintaining the same street-level space for 35 years. Popeyes, the Travis Food Store and Zero’s Sandwich Shop followed in the coming years. Fastsigns closed its doors on Sept. 22 and will open a new location in the coming weeks at 2929 Milam in Midtown.

To the east of the Americana, across Travis, sits the iconic Foley Brother's building — the current home of Macy's and a key component of the Downtown Management District's long-range plans to develop a pedestrian-friendly shopping corridor that links Discovery Green with the blocks around Dallas and Main.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”