Former Rocket acquires historic site along Clear Lake

Boy that really came out of left field.

 

I recall about 10 years ago I heard they were going to demolish the mansion. I think it was a matter of time. I would hate to see this go. Its one of the few nice sites along the lake.

 

It was pretty obvious that you didn't consider it historic, and didn't care, and that's why you kept putting "historic" in quotes and called the area a "supposedly 'historic' site". The original article stated it was a Texas Historic Landmark. There was no absolutely no reason for you to question, deny or downplay it. Why then would you?

 

Because I didn't know that it was historic, and I do tend to slightly overuse quotation marks, just read some of my posts in the D&D or the Hangout.

Seriously though, historic is a pretty subjective term, so that's why I used quotations.

Anyways, I guess this is a 'sensitive' topic for you, so I will let it be...I might even drive down to Clear Lake to take a look for myself, don't know if the place will be around for much longer.

 

Here is a bit of personal trivia:

About 15 years ago, I knew the guy who worked as the caretaker and lived in the caretaker house out back. He organize a "hide and seek" party at the stroke of midnight on Halloween. The mansion was pitch dark. We played in there for hours. It was the best Halloween night I ever had. We hid in cracks in the walls, under carpets, in closets....and scared the living **** out of other players. It was a blast!

 

Cool. Like Updawg said it's more about the land than the house. I have tomorrow off. I might go take some photos/land and will post them. It is kind of sensitive to me. I have been in this area for 36 years, and I used to go camping/canoeing in the woods next door that are now condos. The development wont stop and it bums me out big time. Nothing is sacred...

It just seemed to me that you and adeelsiddiqui were a little too "supportive". adeelsiddiqui brought up the Muslim angle and I thought that's what it was about. Sorry.

 

It's cool, no hard feelings...

 

https://www.click2houston.com/news/2019/11/22/west-mansion-in-clear-lake-being-demolished/

 

Glad hakeem kept the mansion intact as long as he did. Made for a pretty drive home for work. I was drawn to the water and met my wife in seabrook. The $$ opps probably just got too great as it is really a great piece of property.

 

I’m disappointed with Hakeem. I also wonder if, in Texas, a structure being a Texas Historical Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places means anything. Apparently not, unless the building is connected, somehow, to the Texas Revolution.

 

I guess it wasn’t really a Dream house after all

 

Place looks creepy
Probably haunted by possessed dolls

 

It was a beautiful site but that property is worth a fortune now and eventually had to be developed. I buy a property now and again if I find it cheap and wait for the price to raise enough to resell and usually just rent it out till then.Of course I do mine more south where cheaper.

 

I agree it's none of our business what Hakeem does with his money . . . but because he is a capitalist? LOL. No. ROFL. I dare you to explain that.
Are we allowed to care about architecture and history and the landscape and stuff, when capitalists come around?

 

Mayor: City ‘bound by law’ to approve West Mansion demolition
Property’s historical designation lapsed, mayor says

Demolition crews on Thursday began tearing down the historic West Mansion in Clear Lake, and the mayor of Pasadena said Friday the city was “bound by law” to approve permits for that demolition.

The home was designated as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1993 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Those designations lapsed in 2014, according to Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner.

“To my understanding, none of the owners came forward in the time since to have those designations or restrictions reinstated,” Wagner said Friday in a written statement. “Because of this and the other requirements met, the City of Pasadena was bound by law to grant the demolition permit to current owner, Olajuwon Farms, LLC and the demotion company, Cherry Demolition. The state of Texas Constitution strongly protects the rights of property owners, and as much as we hate to see this piece of history razed, our hands were legally tied."

The mansion was purchased by former Houston Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon several years ago. The hall-of-famer turned the house into an exclusive fashion boutique that could be shopped only by appointment.

There were rumors that Olajuwon was trying to sell the property to developers. Preservation Texas said those developers want to slice up the land on which the home sits.

Wagner’s entire statement

“I am aware of and saddened to see the demolition of the West Mansion on E. Nasa Parkway. Both our City Permitting and Legal Departments have gone to great lengths to research the status of the private property and, unfortunately, the deed restrictions for historical designation lapsed back in 2014. To my understanding, none of the owners came forward in the time since to have those designations or restrictions reinstated. Because of this and the other requirements met, the City of Pasadena was bound by law to grant the demolition permit to current owner, Olajuwon Farms, LLC and the demotion company, Cherry Demolition. The state of Texas Constitution strongly protects the rights of property owners, and as much as we hate to see this piece of history razed, our hands were legally tied.”

 

He won us 2 championships. As far as I’m concerned he created way more historic memories in Houston for the majority of Houstonians. If he wants to tear it down I couldn’t care less. Let the man do whatever he wants.

 

There’s always at least one chump hiding in the weeds, waiting to make a fool of himself. That would be you. You are seriously telling me to, “Let the man do whatever he wants,” when I did nothing to prevent Hakeem from doing whatever he wants? I happen to think that far too many historic buildings in the Houston area have been torn down when they should have been preserved. This building is yet another.

Hakeem is free to do whatever he wishes with his property, whatever the law allows. I blame the utter lack of worthwhile zoning, including historical zoning, which is not Hakeem’s fault. The structure would likely have been torn down long ago had he not purchased it. I’m simply disappointed that he’s now allowed to it to be torn down. I think I’m allowed to have an opinion. I’ve also been a fan of Dream’s since he was a redshirt freshman at UH, not that that should make a dime’s worth of difference.

 

I don't follow why it should have been torn down at all? Did you see the current interior? It was gorgeous. That said, I've seen Hakeem's other estate's interiors and he has a very, ahem, "eclectic" idea of what a gorgeous house should look like.

In its current state, I'd much prefer he sold it and torn down a house or two close by.

Here's pics

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/li...storic-West-Mansion-a-remnant-of-14856600.php

 

Brightside: clear lake gonna be under water soon anyway

What a time to be alive

 

In America, there is no such thing as historic. Its truly sad, but the m.o. around here is and has always been, sell it > bulldoze it > build on top of it > profit