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Old Borders on Kirby spot getting prepared for two new tenants: Books give wayto makeup

The old Borders space will be filled by two new tenants, Ulta cosmetics andoffices for Texas Children's Hospital.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Construction crews are currently gutting the former two-story store.Architectural plans will be available by summer, said Mack Shakespearewith Tribble & Stephens, the construction firm behind the renovation.
Photo by Tyler Rudick
Fondly remembering her many trips to the Kirby Borders, CultureMap's own SarahRufca aided in the research for this article with a map of the old bookstore shedrew from memory.
Map by Sarah Rufca
Next door to the old Borders, the former Pesce site is under construction asBrio Tuscan Grill prepares to take over the corner space.
Photo by Tyler Rudick

Construction crews started clearing out the interior of now-defunct Borders on Kirby this week, in preparation for two new high-profile tenants — the popular cosmetics store Ulta and Texas Children's Hospital.

"We're removing all the old Borders stuff right now, just gutting out the building before we redo the shell in the front," Mack Shakespeare of Tribble & Stephens told CultureMap Friday. Tribble & Stephens is the construction firm behind the Houston IKEA and the new BLVD Plaza in the Galleria area as well as renovation work at the Rice Lofts and the Astrodome.

"There aren't plans draw up yet, but they should be ready towards the end of the summer," said Mack Shakespeare of construction firm Tribble & Stephens.

"Ulta is going on the first floor and Texas Children's on the second," Shakespeare said. "There aren't plans draw up yet, but they should be ready by the summer."

The large two-story atrium that once greeted carefree Borders customers with bestsellers and magazines will get filled in with floor space for the upstairs pediatric offices.

"We'll be increasing the total area of the second floor and adding an elevator," Shakespeare said. (By the way, yes, that is his real last name. And, yes, he says he is related to Williams Shakespeare through the playwright's brother's line.)

Next door at the old Pesce, Shakespeare noted that Peterson Construction is currently underway on a multi-million-dollar renovation to convert the empty corner space into a branch of national restaurant chain Brio Tuscan Grille (as previously reported by CultureMap).

"There's quite a bit of stuff going on around here at this intersection," he said. "Only thing I've heard right now [about the old Borders space] is that they plan to begin working on the interior at the beginning of July or possibly sooner, depending on architects and permitting."

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housing in HOU

Houston new home prices fell during January sales slump

iStock

New home sales fell in Houston in January, the report said.

A new statewide real estate report has shown a slow decline in new home sales across Texas, including in the Houston metro area.

The latest New Home Sales Index by HomesUSA.com discovered Houston saw the most new homes sold in January out of the four biggest metros in Texas, despite being in an overall sales slump compared to December 2024. The three-month moving average of new home sales in the metro was 2,046 last month, versus 2,184 sales in December.

Housing prices also declined in January, with the average new home in Houston dropping to $395,515. That's about $6,200 less than the average price in December, which came out to $401,678.

While these declines may seem atypical, a sales slump is actually normal during the winter season, according to HomesUSA founder and CEO Ben Caballero.

Active new home listings in Houston flattened from December to January, with 13,127 active listings on the market last month.

New home sales in January throughout Texas
The report found new home sales dropped not only in Houston, but also in Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Dallas-Fort Worth's three-month moving average of new home sales was the second-highest out of all four metros with 1,847 sales made in January, but that figure technically decreased by 43 homes from December.

San Antonio saw 67 fewer homes sold from December to January, totaling 1,008 sales last month.

Austin the fewest new homes sold last month out of the four major Texas metros: At 809 homes sold.

"January sales are often lower than December in Austin as builders push hard to close the year with as many sales as possible, as I mentioned in last month’s report," Caballero said. "Austin builders were offering discounts, buyer incentives, and Realtor bonuses for December closings. A slower January is not unusual for that reason."

January housing prices fell in San Antonio to an average $337,414, and Austin's average new home price fell to $483,056. This wasn't the case in Dallas-Fort Worth, however, as prices increased by nearly $2,600 to $496,498 last month.

New Home Sales Index for January 2025 by HomesUSA.com Average prices for new homes fell in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, but increased in Dallas-Fort Worth.Courtesy of HomesUSA.com

housing market real estate report home sales san antonio