Swamplot noted that a demolition permit had been pulled for the Arabia Shrine Center on Braeswood near Kirby. Nancy Sarnoff tells us what is to come once the buildings have been razed.
Three years after an apartment developer bought the Arabia Shrine Center on North Braeswood, the company has started to redevelop the site.
Colorado-based Archstone said it will build 474 apartments on the property, at the northeast corner of North Braeswood and Brompton Road. The company acquired the nearly 8-acre tract in 2008 after the owners said the tax bill was too high for them to stay there.
The Arabia Shrine Center was first put up for sale four and a half years ago; that sale was finalized a year later. The property appears to have changed hands at least once more since then. It’s a good location for apartments – actually, a mixed-use development would have been nice, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards – but it’s still a shame to see that funky old building go away. That’s Houston for you.