In 1996, First Colony Mall opened in the suburb of Sugar Land, which resulted in Sharpstown losing many of its national retailers and a core customer base in Fort Bend County that had long been critical to the mall's survival. SHarpstown is still a great placequiet and with many original residents still there. I, too could have been in that Clock pic (but was probably at Gene's Model shop!!). I remember wathcing movies from the back of our station wagon in my p.j.'s. I quickly witnessed the mall change from a standard suburban retail destination to a struggling urban shopping center. The period correct homes were mostly single story and anywhere from 1600-2200 sq ft. We have a few structures over 3000 sq ft. going up in this area. 61. Maybe that's it? Cities occasionally need to make certain improvements to their infrastructures to help economic. Or, maybe it is that the area between the Galleria and Sharpstown is a no man's land. I remember that Sinclair station too, did you notice the price in the color picture was 24 cents/gallon? But, since most of the homes were custom built there the housing stock just has a better quality fit & finish in the details than what they see in Sharpstown. I don't even know how many 'original' stores exist. Ok, the interior might be awesome but what about the food? However - I don't wish for all the old Sharpstown homes to be torn down and replaced with McMansions - they are great, solidly built homes. SL. Whats the biggest shopping mall in Houston? Is the Heights' success pumping up the northern suburbs firstwe'll get to Sharpstown after we finish Oak Forest? Hmmm. a car that could go back in time!! local news and culture, Chris Lane Sharp planned a large zone of high rise condos north of Sharpstown mall, but only 3 towers were built and there is still really nothing to compare to them outside of the loop and uptown. I grew up there and stayed after the decline. The original anchor stores were Weingartens, Foleys, and Palais Royal. (You can imagine what we kids used to call it). 09/27/2021 It's easy for modern residents to forget how small Houston was half a century ago, but Sharpstown was considered a suburban escape from the hassles of living in the big city, while still conveniently only 15 minutes or so from the downtown area. "[20] Chris Chumley, a spokesperson for PlazAmericas, stated that "Anybody who knows the back story to the mall knows that it's been distressed for a number of years." 20, created by the city of Houston in 1999 and governed by the Authority. Dec. 13, 2014. KPRC 2s Amy Davis took a stop at her old stomping grounds, Greenspoint Mall in north Houston, during a Facebook Live Wednesday. Now those area awesome! What are the best restaurants with outdoor seating? YEARS. It was flight to the "safety" of the 'burbs that got SharpstownI am waiting for the redev. I'm waiting, too. What is the first shopping mall in the world? that's my hoem turf--I'll see what I can come up with. The sign sums it up: You can get both here, though we prefer the former, whose skinny batons of dough are fried fresh to order, then coated in cinnamon-sugar. The mall remained successful throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. It is also home to 120 retail stores and restaurants, a department store, and a food court founded in 1995 which is perfect for family dining. Signs posted before the intersection indicate this. And loved going to God Father's Pizza in the same strip mall as Safeway. In the 1949 City Directory, Frank W. Sharp is shown residing on Meadow Lake Lane, just off San Felipe and Weslayan. The Galleria mall in Houston is Texas largest mall. The homes are of good quality and it has LOCATION.easy access to the rest of the world. I knew a lot of guys from Sharpstown High School that worked there as well. Yes, Sharpstown High School had 2 smoking areas. Web9307 Harwin Dr. Houston, TX 77036. So many great memories. Sharpstown's drive-in theatre was the Lowe's Sharpstown on Bellaire Blvd. It was supposed to open "way in the future.like the year 2000." 20, said the pilot project will set the tone for roadway improvements to rival those those in the downtown and Galleria areas. I can recall that the floors in the mall were done in these small red circular tiles with the railings and metal stairs painted brown. She stopped and experienced a burst of nostalgia after hearing from a viewer post that some area of the property may have been demolished. Those were the days! Unfortunately I see bulldozers in it's future just like AstroWorld R.I.P. A fourth anchor, Sears, was added in 1962. Every-time lunch or dinner it does not disappoint. This mall in Houston is an outdoor shopping center that features numerous retail shops, dining options, and entertainment areas for the whole family. Anyone know the history of the land that is across the street from Sharpstown mall where the Gillman Mitsubishi/Honda used to be before it moved out? I would think that this area has reached this point as land values have to be attractive to land developers looking to make plays on its proximity to the galleria. Sharpstown's Gaylynn Theatre had more square footage in area per patron than any motion picture theatre in the world. The tteokbokki, bulgogi, and pork bellymore, American (Traditional)MediterraneanGastropubs$$, This place has always been one of my favorites. His Oak Forest Construction Co. is listed on Rosslyn. By 2001, the mall was seized in a foreclosure, and Travelers Insurance took ownership of the mall, whose JCPenney anchor space remained vacant when it was announced that Montgomery Ward would close all its locations, including the Sharpstown store, as part of its liquidation process. [citation needed], Early on, transportation concerns became a threat to the mall's success, and consequently Frank Sharp decided to donate a 300ft (91 m)[6] wide strip of land to build the Southwest Freeway (Interstate 69/U.S. Adding a business to Yelp is always free. I heard from a woman at my church that the owners are going to tear down and rebuild a larger home. They totally gutted Neff over the summer and took out all the windows and are replacing them. While there are a number of factors that contributed to what Sharpstown has become today, one biggest ones no one has mentioned was the oil bust. This appears to be looking NE at the corner of Roos and Redding. You may want to check out the Southwest Freeway section of the Houston Freeways book. Chris Lane September 29, 2016 9:00AM. The bulldozers would be unfortunate. Food Delivery ServicesComfort FoodCaterersGalleria/Uptown, Sausage & Pepper, Meatball, and Chicken Bacon Ranch, Definitely order the popcorn chicken. It's Me, Margaret. I hear of how Sharpstown used to be a prominent middle-to-upper middle class area similar to such areas as Timbergrove and Meyerland back in the 60s and would be interested to hear of its history. I think that is Mr. Terhune - who I remember fondly from my parent's Sunday School class. Reading this really brings back memories. I don't remember which sidewalk it was on. This makes me sad we moved to the Aldine area In 1979, said KPRC 2 viewer Stephanie Longoria Mottu. The unconventional main entrance had **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. Good Time Charlie's was the place to be. Old "Sharp" himself may have even donated the land for this purphose ?? Totally recommend this.". WebWestwood Mall opened in 1975 with anchors Joske's and Sears, along with over 60 stores. Drove a '66 Ford Fairlane with an "ooooga" horn on it. When Sharpstown's potential customers who had disposable incomes left because of problems, the replacement low income families and thugs had much less money to spend. [9] In 1993, the mall underwent a $50 million renovation,[5] with the largest addition being a new ten-screen Cineplex Odeon movie theater. If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. Maybe a similarly named one? PlazAmericas was the name given to it in 2014. (Elsik class of 85). Then Westwood Mall opened a little further down 59. A neighborhood staple since the area was anchored by the still-new Sharpstown Mall, this friendly taqueria has even retained the same colorful dcor over the decades. But it never got that far. Macys, Sears, and many other well-known brands can be found at the mall. Ok guys.I am 42. [2] The anchor stores are Burlington, SuperNova Furniture, America Cinemas, La Sorella, Gold Factory & Imports, and Clarewood Supermercado. Glenbrook is closer to downtown, but on the "wrong side of town" for most people. WebSharpstown Sections 1, 1A, 2, 3, and 5 form the original sections of Sharpstown. And loved going to God Father's Pizza in the same strip mall as Safeway. I grew up mainly in Alief. Back then, their electronics section was the bomb. As a publicity stunt, Sharp donated homes on Rowan street to the original 7 astronauts when NASA was located in Houston. [citation needed] The mall was also re-branded as Sharpstown Mall, and would be referred to as such until reverting to the original name in 1993. The project's engineer, HNTB Architects Engineers Planners, estimated the outlined improvements would cost between $2.5-$3 million. There was that big clock thing in the middle that was a time capsule. There is a proposal for a retractable-roof mall in Phoenix AZ. What was Sharpstown mall like before it was torn down? Sofia Gonzalez In 2009, with the mall under the ownership of Philadelphia-based RAIT Financial Trust, the manager of the mall's interior core, Boxer Property, announced that the mall would be renamed "PlazAmericas. Seems the in thing now is going back to the open air mall style a la Meyerland and Gulfgate. The mall was renamed Sharpstown Center at this time. This new pipe will be about 1,800 feet in length. We knew there was a whole foods in the area but didn't explore until last weekend. We used to eat at the Del Taco that's a sandwich shop now. And yes, the theater on Gessner and Beechnut was the Southway 6. The Sharpstown Mall was Houston's first indoor, air conditioned shopping mall. Remember Peppermint Park? He started putting the quarters in his suit pockets, but they were heavy and overflowing so he was taking handfulls and handfulls and handfulls of quarters out of his pocket and tossing them on a table. And, Strake and St. Agnes offer incredible educations. The oblong corn masa cakes at this PlazAmericas favorite come topped with everything from pork al pastor to beef fajitas, plus plenty of toppings: radishes, queso fresco, crema, tomatoes and crispy lettuce. Not dead enough? Don't know their names. My assumption for Sharpstown High School being placed where it was is that it could not be further out West (it would be nearly in Alief) and besides, few homes were built past what is now Corporate Drive. Share with us in the comments below! Sharpstown Middle School (formerly Sharpstown Junior High) was originally a consolidated junior and senior high in the beginning around 1971 to 1974. Sharpstown Country Club Estates. You can still see the original 1955 plaque for the time capsule at Sharpstown Park at Bellaire and Mary Bates. [17] Mere days after the Macy's announcement, on January 9, 2008, Finger Furniture announced that it would also be closing its Sharpstown location. On the east side of 59, there was a doctor's office on DeMoss. The mall itself opened in 1975 with a two-story floorplan, anchored by Joske's on the west end and Sears on the east end, with the freeway frontage, and featured 60 stores and a food court, with its most notable architectural feature being an unconventional main entrance on the Bissonnet Street side of the mall; this entrance housed an elevator I remember in the 80's when they added the 2nd floor with the big remodel. When Sharpstown Center opened, it was located on the edge of Houston's southwest suburbs. And the had a stage there? I'm sure a lot of people in Oak Forest, for example, are there not because they were jumping up & down to live in Oak Forest, but b/c their first choice areas such as Garden Oaks & Heights didn't offer acceptable homes in their price ranges, or maybe they were out of their price range altogether. The service from both our server and the bartender were also really good. Wow, when was the party? I guess based on the then current home building trends, a HS like Sharpstown HS needed to be built and the location was central enough. [5] While Sharpstown managed to gain back some shoppers after the addition of the Cineplex Odeon movie theater, Sharpstown would suffer its most significant blow within the decade. We went to the JC penny all of the time. I went to the mall under 5 times since those days and been sort of let down each time because it's just not the same. Are these SPEC home or high end CUSTOM homes? To be fair, Sharpstown Mall was about a mile east of the Alief boundary, but we still considered it ours, even if we shared it with the kids from Sharpstown. I thought that was what it must be like in Hollywood. I just got your email that you sent back in January. Went to the Astro Arena for graduation. Just drove past it the other day. I have yet to go to the South Park location so this new location on 59 andmore, What a great find. Sharpstown Time Capsule was opened March 11, 2000 at the country club. He profitted and we laughed! My hope for the future of Sharpstown is that it does not get infiltrated by developers that try to alter the 1950s type of home layout there in the residential areas. If I remember correctly we had 635 graduates that year. [23] But on December 21, 2018, Houston-based Baker Katz LLC, would purchase the main portion of the mall,[24] as the anchors have different owners. In the early 1960s, Sharp purchased 1,100 acres of land southwest of Houston with the intention of developing it into a master-planned community. Tags hpd ice cream incomes taxes Lucienne Bellefontaine nicolas chavez police shooting Political Roundup politics taxes. It was like going back in time 15 years when you walked in the parts dept. 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The mall has since been renovated and now includes a mix of retail, office, and residential space. He sold the land for Strake Jesuit and St. Agnes for a low price since he wanted those schools. I so wish I could go back in time, get in a car and drive around Houston. The arrival of railroad lines in the late nineteenth century, as well as Houstons development as a port city, aided the citys rapid growth. I also could have been one of those kids standing at the clock, I have a good memory of that thing. Man, that would make a great movie! Was it on the sidewalk near the temporary buildings on the Waldo side? Dream Merchant - A Look Back at Houston's Weird Retail Past. Get me a coke!". It will be managed by Matthew Lopez, an engineer with Cobb Fendley & Associates. The light has turned green for improvements aimed at increasing the Bellaire-Fondren intersection's safety, mobility, aesthetics and reducing flooding along Fondren. The other places were more exciting to shop in. The new windows look almost like the old (that 60's geometric style) but they look thicker and are able to be opened. WebMall Info. Houston police responded and confronted the suspect in the food court. I told her what we had done to Mr. Jackson when we graduated. I think if Sharpstown were to change the names of its still surviving neighborhoods to anything that didn't have the word Sharpstown in it, buyers would consider it. The Grandview Avenue Shopping Center in Ohio opened in 1928, followed by the Highland Park Shopping Village in Texas in 1931. I remember before. Motorists must proceed through the intersection and make a left or U-turn at the next break in the median, causing a backup in traffic flow. The statute authorizing the creation of PIDs is found in Chapter 372 of the Local Government. growth within an area. Ok, the interior might be awesome but what aboutmore, The corn cheese, kimchi fried rice (w spam) and soju blends (esp orange creamsicle and gummy bear) were all awesome. Royden Oaks - SW corner of River Oaks between Westheimer and San Felipe, 46a tract, construction to start in 1947. [5] Online shopping began and started to take away from mall shoppers as well. We ended going the long way and noticed the neighborhood reminded us of Chicago.more. Samir Dharia moved to Houston from New York in 1985. It said that ''After nearly 40 years of serving you in Sharpstown, the Finnger Furniture Company is closing our Sharpstown Mall location''. assessments on property that is within the city or within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Get yours drizzled with a thick glaze of melted milk chocolate, stuffed with sticky dulce de leche, or transformed into a sundae topped with Blue Bell ice cream. I grew up close byit has always astounded me that an area this close to town has escaped redevelopmentit would seem that with all of the low rent apartments, etc. Hanging out at the arcade was the best one!, Used to work across the road at Exxon as a student, said Brooke Dousey Mullins, another KPRC 2 viewer. I had no idea Sharpstown was such an important development to Houston. Copyright 2023 Click2Houston.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.