Retail Therapy

Tootsies & Highland Village in a standoff: Front entrance blocked, sale goes on

It's blocked off, the windows are blacked out and the Tootsies sign is paperedover.
Photo by Joel Luks
Cones are plentiful with a Highland Village rep saying that Tootsies wassupposed to be out at the end of the year.
Photo by Joel Luks
The side entrance where customers were directed instead.
Photo by Joel Luks
You can't go through this front entrance.
Photo by Joel Luks
Photo by Joel Luks

UPDATE: Everything appears back to normal Saturday morning at Tootsies. The front entrance is open and workers are scraping black paint off the windows, allowing natural light back into the store. A Tootsies rep says the store will continue its moving sale at the current location through the end of the month.

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Employees at Tootsies were surprised to arrive at work at the Highland Village shopping center Friday morning to discover that the windows had been blacked out, the sign had been obscured and the front door had been blocked off with orange cones, meshed netting and jackhammered concrete, so that customers could not enter the store.

"It's plain and simple: Their lease is up," said a Highland Village spokesperson. "Highland Village is trying to get them out because we need to move on to the next big thing. Tootsies is a chapter that was fabulous at Highland Village. It's time to close and everybody move on."

The chic womenswear store is moving to West Ave and its lease at Highland Village reportedly ended at the end of 2010.

Throughout the day, employees in Tootsies T-shirts and attractive knee-high black boots stood outside the store directing customers to a side entrance. Inside the store, the 75-percent sales racks appeared picked over, although some spectacular deals are to be had on special occasion dresses, handbags, and shoes — assuming customers can enter the store on Saturday.

The store was doing a brisk business when CultureMap visited Friday afternoon. PaperCity editor Holly Moore was seen removing artwork from a pop-up bookstore run by the glossy monthly that was in operation over the holidays.

A Tootsies representative said owner Mickey Rosmarin was conferring with lawyers. A Highland Village rep said no meeting between the two sides had taken place.

"The Highland Village management team and Tootsies have not had a meeting in several years," she said. "All I know is the Highland Village side of it. They just want their space back."

Early Friday evening, a Tootsies spokesperson released this statement:

Tootsies is gearing up for its exciting move to West Ave., where it will expand from its current 15,000 square foot store to 35,000 square feet. Occupying an entire city block, Tootsies will boast 900 feet of storefront at the gateway to River Oaks, on the corner of Kirby and Westheimer. Until the move, which is slated for late January, it’s business as usual at this landmark women’s store. Tootsies is currently conducting the “TOOTSIES TAKES OFF MOVING SALE” at their present location at 4045 Westheimer.

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HAUTE PROPERTIES

675-acre Hill Country ranch where George Strait rehearsed lists for $19.5M

Photo by Michelle Watson CultureMapSnap

George Strait developed his early sound at Lone Woman Ranch.

Lone Woman Ranch, the Hill Country estate where country stars like George Strait, George Jones, and Ace in the Hole Band rehearsed, is up for sale for $19.5 million.

Located 65 miles from San Antonio in Hays County on 675 acres, the secluded ranch once served as an artistic getaway for emerging Texas artists. The property, listed by Olmos Park firm Republic Ranches. is named after the nearby Lone Woman Mountain, and its elevation gives an incredible view of the county. On a clear day, you can see downtown Austin.

The land comes with two residences, both built near the entrance gate. The primary stone house has original hardwood floors, a recently remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, as well as a new HVAC system. The secondary residence was used as a rehearsal space. Both have had long-term residents who made improvements, and both have their own septic systems, wells, and electric meters.

The real appeal of Lone Woman Ranch, however, is the extensive woods, creeks, and natural setting. It is next to 6,000 acres of conservation land, including Storm Ranch. The entire mountain is also included in the property, making it a veritable mini-kingdom for the owner with unobstructed privacy on three sides.

Two ponds are on the site — a 4-acre and a 1-acre — both fully stocked. Runoff from the larger pond creates picturesque seasonal limestone waterfalls.The surrounding woods are full of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, turkeys, doves, and more. The property is under wildlife exemption.

It's little wonder the ranch was a muse to so many country musicians. A network of ranch roads provides access throughout the property, including most of the way up Lone Woman, giving views around every corner. Only Strait can tell you whether his 1996 hit "King of the Mountain" was inspired by the ranch.

Photo by Michelle Watson CultureMapSnap

George Strait developed his early sound at Lone Woman Ranch.

ranches hill country hays county celebrities george strait george jones listings