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Examining the Neighborhoods
  
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Neighbors from Spring Branch welcomed the future Jane Cizik Garden Place, an 88-unit affordable housing complex for women, to their community Saturday
Several hundred people turned out on a bright, crisp fall afternoon for a festival-style event at the complex site at 1839 Jacquelyn.
Houston Mayor Bill White praised both the “perfect” weather and the people who were making the complex happen.
“I’m so proud of The Women’s Home and the neighborhoods that are supporting it,” said White.
The event was a celebration of cooperation and understanding, said Paula Paust, executive director of The Women’s Home.
“We’re just thrilled to be here (in Spring Branch),” said Paust. “We’re so happy to have neighborhood support.”
That wasn’t always the case. Resistance to the complex was initially swift and intense.
“It took many hours convincing groups (in Spring Branch) that no, (the new building) is not a treatment facility,” said Praust.
The Women’s Home operates a residential treatment facility at its Montrose location. For more than 50 years, The Women’s Home has offered long-term rehabilitation to women in crisis through an 18-month program.
The Jane Cizik Garden Place will be affordable, permanent housing for women who meet qualifying criteria, Paust said. Residents must abide by certain rules, including no alcohol on the apartment grounds.
Spring Branch neighborhoods had seen and heard it before, or so they thought.
“We’ve just been conditioned to say ‘no’ to affordable housing out here,” said Bart Harris, president of the Spring Branch East Super Neighborhood. “When (Praust) showed up, people were just conditioned to say no.”
Harris said the area has a history of developers who get low- or no-cost loans, build housing and then disappear, leaving the properties to decline.
His and other Spring Branch neighborhood groups formalized their resistance to the projects through votes.
Harris and others were shown around The Women’s Home in Montrose and came away with vastly different opinions.
“(The Women’ Home is) well-managed and well-funded,” said Harris, who now sits on The Women’s Home board. “Everything is paid for. This land is paid for. They operate debt-free. They’re not going to flip this property in 15-20 years.”
Jo Lightsey was one of those early non-believers.
The president of the Old Spring Branch Civic Association said her group thought the apartments were going to be a halfway house, a place for recovering drug and alcohol addicts.
Her group even sued to stop the project, but learned that nothing could be done.
“So I said, ‘why don’t we help,’ said Lightsey.
“(The apartments) are going to be an asset,” she said. “(The Women’s Home) has been wonderful to us. They’re really trying to rebuild this community.”
She said she’s trying to “re-educate” what she calls “pockets of resistance” that linger.
“I tell people that these people are probably going to be better neighbors than what you have now,” she said.
The neighborhoods’ support also cleared the way for Toni Lawrence, who represents District A on the Houston City Council, to support the project. That support has allowed The Women’s Home to apply for a $2.5 million federal grant.
The Jane Cizik Garden Place recognizes The Women’s Home longtime volunteer board member Jane Cizik. A former dressmaker, Cizik first taught sewing to Home residents, then found herself raising funds for the Home’s Cottage Thrift Shop at 607 Westheimer.
Paust said The Women’s Home looked at 21 sites around Houston before settling on the Spring Branch location.
Criteria such a proximity to libraries, bus lines and shopping were considered. The Spring Branch site also faces a park and a Trasure Forest Elementary, which is a real plus, said Paust.
“It’s all about community,” she said.
Reported by Rusty Graham
rgraham@hcnonline.com
A perfect storm of business and charity blew into the Memorial area last week when 300 Houston teamed up with Child Advocates to host a volunteer appreciation party that was “strikingly different.”
The scene Thursday evening was more nightclub than bowling alley, all part of 300’s design. Low lights, pulsing music with a driving, persistent bass line, atttentive black-vested servers, drinks, food, small groups gathered in conversation, security, even some spontaneous dancing. There’s a private room for the big spenders. And yes, bowling. Lots of bowling.
300 Houston, the former Bunker Hill Lanes at 925 Bunker Hill, was looking to make a splash with its grand opening. Chjld Advocates was looking for a way to recognize its nearly 600 volunteers. The two found each other through Houston businesswoman Page Parkes, who’s active with Child Advocates.
“Somebody” told us to contact Page Parkes,” said Shawn Shahnazi, general manager of 300 Houston. He did, and Parkes took the idea to Child Advocates, and the “Pins and Play” idea was hatched.
300 Houston donated the venue, the food and the drinks for the evening. Child Advocates provided the revelers -- 400 or so of its 580 volunteers, said Sonya Galvan, chief executive officer of Child Advocates.
Child Advocates trains and provides court-appointed advocates for children in protective situations.
“Our volunteers speak up for abused children in foster care in Harris County,” said Galvan. “We make sure those kids have a voice.”
The main bowling lanes were packed with staff, volunteers and board members, while corporate sponsors paid “big money” (which went to Child Advocates) to bowl on the six private “Club 300” lanes.
“We’re very grateful to 300 Houston,” said Galvan.
300 Houston had been quietly open for a couple of weeks before Thursday’s grand opening party with Child Advocates, said Shahnazi.
300 Houston recreates the bowling experience, making it a more personal experience. Bowlers are custom-fitted their ball and shoes, then escorted to their lane. Their escort sets up the electronic scorekeeping system and is on hand for the bowlers’ stay. Food and drinks are ordered off menus and brought to the lane by servers.
Music videos, sporting events, whatever are shown on large screens over the pins. Seating areas are sleeker and more comfortable than the traditional molded plastic seats. There’s even a lounge area with flat-screen high-defintion televisions if the bowling gets to be too much.
Reported by Rusty Graham
rgraham@hcnonline.com
Several hundred people turned out on a bright, crisp fall afternoon for a festival-style event at the complex site at 1839 Jacquelyn.
Houston Mayor Bill White praised both the “perfect” weather and the people who were making the complex happen.
“I’m so proud of The Women’s Home and the neighborhoods that are supporting it,” said White.
The event was a celebration of cooperation and understanding, said Paula Paust, executive director of The Women’s Home.
“We’re just thrilled to be here (in Spring Branch),” said Paust. “We’re so happy to have neighborhood support.”
That wasn’t always the case. Resistance to the complex was initially swift and intense.
“It took many hours convincing groups (in Spring Branch) that no, (the new building) is not a treatment facility,” said Praust.
The Women’s Home operates a residential treatment facility at its Montrose location. For more than 50 years, The Women’s Home has offered long-term rehabilitation to women in crisis through an 18-month program.
The Jane Cizik Garden Place will be affordable, permanent housing for women who meet qualifying criteria, Paust said. Residents must abide by certain rules, including no alcohol on the apartment grounds.
Spring Branch neighborhoods had seen and heard it before, or so they thought.
“We’ve just been conditioned to say ‘no’ to affordable housing out here,” said Bart Harris, president of the Spring Branch East Super Neighborhood. “When (Praust) showed up, people were just conditioned to say no.”
Harris said the area has a history of developers who get low- or no-cost loans, build housing and then disappear, leaving the properties to decline.
His and other Spring Branch neighborhood groups formalized their resistance to the projects through votes.
Harris and others were shown around The Women’s Home in Montrose and came away with vastly different opinions.
“(The Women’ Home is) well-managed and well-funded,” said Harris, who now sits on The Women’s Home board. “Everything is paid for. This land is paid for. They operate debt-free. They’re not going to flip this property in 15-20 years.”
Jo Lightsey was one of those early non-believers.
The president of the Old Spring Branch Civic Association said her group thought the apartments were going to be a halfway house, a place for recovering drug and alcohol addicts.
Her group even sued to stop the project, but learned that nothing could be done.
“So I said, ‘why don’t we help,’ said Lightsey.
“(The apartments) are going to be an asset,” she said. “(The Women’s Home) has been wonderful to us. They’re really trying to rebuild this community.”
She said she’s trying to “re-educate” what she calls “pockets of resistance” that linger.
“I tell people that these people are probably going to be better neighbors than what you have now,” she said.
The neighborhoods’ support also cleared the way for Toni Lawrence, who represents District A on the Houston City Council, to support the project. That support has allowed The Women’s Home to apply for a $2.5 million federal grant.
The Jane Cizik Garden Place recognizes The Women’s Home longtime volunteer board member Jane Cizik. A former dressmaker, Cizik first taught sewing to Home residents, then found herself raising funds for the Home’s Cottage Thrift Shop at 607 Westheimer.
Paust said The Women’s Home looked at 21 sites around Houston before settling on the Spring Branch location.
Criteria such a proximity to libraries, bus lines and shopping were considered. The Spring Branch site also faces a park and a Trasure Forest Elementary, which is a real plus, said Paust.
“It’s all about community,” she said.
Reported by Rusty Graham
rgraham@hcnonline.com
A perfect storm of business and charity blew into the Memorial area last week when 300 Houston teamed up with Child Advocates to host a volunteer appreciation party that was “strikingly different.”
The scene Thursday evening was more nightclub than bowling alley, all part of 300’s design. Low lights, pulsing music with a driving, persistent bass line, atttentive black-vested servers, drinks, food, small groups gathered in conversation, security, even some spontaneous dancing. There’s a private room for the big spenders. And yes, bowling. Lots of bowling.
300 Houston, the former Bunker Hill Lanes at 925 Bunker Hill, was looking to make a splash with its grand opening. Chjld Advocates was looking for a way to recognize its nearly 600 volunteers. The two found each other through Houston businesswoman Page Parkes, who’s active with Child Advocates.
“Somebody” told us to contact Page Parkes,” said Shawn Shahnazi, general manager of 300 Houston. He did, and Parkes took the idea to Child Advocates, and the “Pins and Play” idea was hatched.
300 Houston donated the venue, the food and the drinks for the evening. Child Advocates provided the revelers -- 400 or so of its 580 volunteers, said Sonya Galvan, chief executive officer of Child Advocates.
Child Advocates trains and provides court-appointed advocates for children in protective situations.
“Our volunteers speak up for abused children in foster care in Harris County,” said Galvan. “We make sure those kids have a voice.”
The main bowling lanes were packed with staff, volunteers and board members, while corporate sponsors paid “big money” (which went to Child Advocates) to bowl on the six private “Club 300” lanes.
“We’re very grateful to 300 Houston,” said Galvan.
300 Houston had been quietly open for a couple of weeks before Thursday’s grand opening party with Child Advocates, said Shahnazi.
300 Houston recreates the bowling experience, making it a more personal experience. Bowlers are custom-fitted their ball and shoes, then escorted to their lane. Their escort sets up the electronic scorekeeping system and is on hand for the bowlers’ stay. Food and drinks are ordered off menus and brought to the lane by servers.
Music videos, sporting events, whatever are shown on large screens over the pins. Seating areas are sleeker and more comfortable than the traditional molded plastic seats. There’s even a lounge area with flat-screen high-defintion televisions if the bowling gets to be too much.
Reported by Rusty Graham
rgraham@hcnonline.com
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