from drab to fab?

Montrose makeover? Key lower Westheimer block is up for sale

You know the nondescript, half-filled eye-sore of a shopping center on the corner of Westheimer and Montrose, home to Half Price Books and Spec's Liquors?

Swamplot is reporting that the full city block of property — including the Jack-in-the-Box on the corner of Montrose and Lovett — is up for sale, with an indicated "'price guidance' of $10 million or higher."

The 41,838 square foot building on the lot was once the Tower Community Center, a counterpart to the Tower Theater that now houses El Real Tex-Mex, but the colorful art deco design has long since been covered with spray-on stucco, resulting in, well, a bland building on a block nearly devoid of vegetation.

Commercial real estate intermediary HFF cites the listing as "an excellent opportunity to acquire a value add retail center or a prime redevelopment opportunity ideal for multi-family, hotel, retail, medical, or mixed use development."

What would you like to see on that busy corner? A revamped facade a la Melcher Crossing, or something new altogether?

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warehouses to wow

New development with 1-acre green space coming to Memorial City area

Courtesy of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

Greenside will feature a one-acre greenspace.

The rapidly-growing area around Memorial City Mall will soon add another new development. Called Greenside, it will transform a group of industrial buildings into a mix of restaurant, retail, and other family-friendly businesses.

Located just north of Memorial City Mall at 1085 Gessner Rd., Greenside unites Memorial City owner Metronational with Radom Capital, the Houston-based developer behind M-K-T Heights, the Montrose Collective, and the ongoing redevelopment of the historic Tower Theater. They’ve retained the Texas-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to transform a group of industrial warehouses into 35,000-square-feet of new businesses.

Plans call for a one-acre green space that includes a mix of seating options and strings of lights. Walkways will connect Greenside with nearby restaurants and bars such as Torchy’s Taco, Mia’s Table, and Kirby Ice House.

“The community continues to ask for more unique retail and restaurant offerings, and with the help of Radom Capital and Michael Hsu, we will deliver a one-of-a-kind offering to the Memorial City area with a great outdoor experience,” MetroNational president and CEO Jason Johnson said in a statement. “This project represents MetroNational’s commitment to creating spaces that foster community and deliver long-term value for Memorial City and the surrounding neighborhoods.”

Construction is expected to begin in the spring. If everything goes according to schedule, the first tenants could open in summer 2026.

The past year has seen a number of new additions to the Memorial City area. They include Texas comfort food restaurant Haywire, Detroit-style pizzeria Via 313, live fire restaurant Credence, and a second location of Montrose barbecue favorite The Pit Room. Next year, new locations of The Burger Joint and the Taco Stand will open nearby at 1016 Gessner Rd.

memorial city greenside openings