I rescued this little gem from the chopping block in August of 2006. The tenants had all been evicted, the gas meters pulled & the main lines terminated, and the water shut off at the main... the wrecking ball was on its way!

But I felt like she had a lot of life left in her. So I got out the pencil & pad and started sketching. Then I got out the sledgehammer and starting demoing. 14 months later the first new tenants started moving in.

Before I bought the property the building had been owned by the same family since it was built in the late 1940s. The entire street used to have many similar properties on it; all but this one had been torn down over the years. (Well, actually the Fish Gallery down the street is two buildings like this one combined into one big building.) The 67 yr old woman who sold me the property had lived there with her family when she was a child. Fortunately for me she had no interest in restoring the building. Getting on in years, she had been living off the rents & letting the property run down for the past few decades.

This property is just off Kirby, between 59 & Richmond--making it one of the shortest commutes to just about anywhere in the city. 10-15 minutes from every university and college in town; 5 minutes from the Medical Center; walking distance to River Oaks, Greenway Plaza, movie theaters, shopping, and many great restaurants. (Japon & Miyako are both across the street... mmm... sushi!) (Haven, a $5,000,000 new \"green\" restaurant just went in next door.)

The property has six units total: four larger one bedrooms in the main building and two apartments over the garages.

The look is 50/50 vintage/modern--but definitely not \"traditional\", \"contemporary\", or cookie cutter in any way. I guarantee that you will not find ANY units at ANY property, in ANY price range that have the kinds of fixtures and finishes that I have in these units.

The two lower units in the main building (#1 & #2) have stained concrete floors & large private patios in the front. The two upper units are all hardwoods with a large private decks off the back. Kitchens & baths are completely custom & high-end with all stainless steel appliances from Bosch (dishwashers), Siemens (dual fuel ranges), GE (microwaves fridges & washers & dryers) + natural stone counters, and built-in laundry. Very modern but with a shout out to the buildings 1940s heritage.

Medusa Properties is a very eco-friendly preservationist. We recycle everything we possibly can when restoring these old buildings--and use high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, sprayed-in foam insulation, insulated windows with low e coatings, etc. And we stick to the basics when building back: glass, steel, wood, concrete. That\'s about it. We like to keep it simple.

(Project Resources)
- M&M Lighting - fixtures & fans
- Thorntree - natural stone
- Detering Company - trim, moulding, doors, & windows
- Custom Precision Stainless - stainless sinks & shelves
- Montalbano Lumber - building materials
- DalTile - subway tile, etc.
- West End Roofing
- Ferguson Plumbing Supply
- Pedro Morales - HVAC
- Custom Cabinets & Trim Carpentry
- Houston Hardwood Floors
- EnergyGuard - expanding spray foam insulation
- Renovation Innovation - interior design & project management

For more details about these units send an email to upperkirby1@medusaproperties.com .

Algerian Way
Houston, TX 77098
(map)