Is Kirby the new Wash Ave.?
Bar/restaurant complex slated for former Upper Kirby funeral home: Where willthey park?
Construction has been underway on the lot at 3320 Kirby Drive.Photo by Caroline Gallay
Developer and City Planning Commission member Blake Tartt III is involved inproject.Photo by Caroline Gallay
There is expanded parking behind 3320, but not enough for some 2,000 cars.Photo by Caroline Gallay
The former Settegast Kopf funeral home at 3320 Kirby, which has sat empty for several years, is back from the dead.
The space is to be converted into four separately leased restaurant/bar/club concepts, gunning to open by May. Several conversion permits for the space are active with the city of Houston, although at least one has a hold on it from the City Planning Commission.
Coincidentally, it's the City Planning Commission's Blake Tartt III whose name is emblazoned on the signage out front. We interrupted two gentleman chatting on their cell phones outside of a Range Rover in the parking lot to ask about the construction. They said that they were converting the old funeral home as well as the out-of-use bank building next door into a number of bar and restaurant concepts.
They also confirmed that, not to miss out on the sudden surge of action, we assume, Mitchell Gold + Bob Mitchell is looking into leasing their rooftop for additional patio drinking across the street.
The owner of a nearby bar tells CultureMap that he wandered over to the old Settegast Kopf lot to see how construction was going and took a look at the interior of the one-story ranch-style building. With multiple levels and what looks to be a planned interior pool, he said it brings to mind a Las Vegas-style club. He spoke to the same fellas we interrupted (small world, no?) and they told him they're aiming to bring 2,000 people into the combined space per night.
(They also said they intended to charge a $50 cover for guys and a $20 cover for girls — Vegas indeed).
But the modest funeral home parking and residential surroundings don't leave much space for that kind of traffic.
A representative for council member Anne Clutterbuck (who represents the district where the proposed bar complex is located) insisted that the city would never approve the construction or conversion of any commercial or residential property that doesn't have ample parking. (It was silly of us to even ask, really, because that's never happened.)
Blake Tartt was out of the country and unavailable for comment.
