kaboom!

Swamplot looks for best teardown

Swamplot, the cheeky Web site we love to read because it covers Houston real estate with attitude, has posted candidates for its annual Houston real estate awards and none gets us as excited as this year's "Best Teardowns."

The poor, hideous structures that made the list (we almost feel bad for them, almost) span everything from long decaying complexes like The Savoy Apartments to the 5-million-dollar teardown that is Giorgio Borlenghi's old pad in Sherwood Forest.

Other categories in this year's real estate roundup include Best Vacancy (the Alabama and Tower Theaters are nominees), Favorite Houston Design Cliché (last year's winner was "Tuscanization"), Grocery Store of the Year, Neighborhood of the Year, Most Over and Under-Appreciated Neighborhoods (We vote West U and Timbergrove, respectively), the "Only In Houston" Award and the Greatest Moment in Houston Real Estate — we think Ashby Highrise's flip floppage should be a contender.

Voting instructions, for those who care to add their two cents, can be be found here.

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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