DT: Joe Daiches Jewelers Building
#1
Posted 07 March 2010 - 07:55 PM
I am very sorry to see that apparently Joe Daiches Jewelers is moving. I do not know what that means for this building. (He should contact me if he wants to sell it.) Surely it is some prime real estate for a simple jewelry store. (or convenience store) I bet somebody on the Forum knows the whole deal about the move. I believe I took the very last picture of the Jewelry story while is was still looking great. (All the old metal awnings in place.) I have two pics here. The first I took in a snow storm on February 11th. Minutes before total darkness. At dawn, the Northern awning had fallen off due to the weight of the snow. So here is your before and after picture of a great store not long for that location.
Last photo with all metal awnings.
Yesterday afternoon walking home from the Trinity.
#2
Posted 07 March 2010 - 09:06 PM
#3
Posted 08 March 2010 - 08:21 AM
#4
Posted 14 March 2010 - 03:52 PM
#5
Posted 14 March 2010 - 07:13 PM
Better Business Bureau: A place to find or post valid complaints for auto delerships and maintenance facilities. (New Features) If you have a valid gripe about auto dealerships, this is the place to voice it.
#6
Posted 19 March 2010 - 10:48 PM
#7
Posted 19 March 2010 - 11:14 PM
#8
Posted 22 March 2010 - 02:21 PM
--
Kara B.
#9
Posted 22 March 2010 - 03:22 PM
#10
Posted 23 March 2010 - 10:20 AM
The story is by Sandra Baker and here's the link:
http://www.star-tele...s-longtime.html
#11
Posted 24 March 2010 - 10:55 PM
Also didn't know the upper floors were a hotel. Anyone know what name the hotel operated under?
#12
Posted 01 April 2010 - 04:35 PM
I applalud the concept and hope they can make it work, but to bring it to code will be very, very expensive. Besides ADA, their are fundamental issues like vertical clearance in the stairwell. Perhaps the stairs can be dismantled and moved intact, but the dollars will add up quickly.
Hopefully, they can make a deal with Jerry Loftin for parking (lot to the south), as the other major flaw is that is has no parking of its own. Great idea, I hope to see it come to fruition.
#13
Posted 16 April 2010 - 12:25 AM
#14
Posted 28 May 2011 - 08:04 PM
I considered buying this building. (I know, who hasn't) It has a great look, is in the greatest of locations and is cheap.
Working with a local Realtor about 6 months ago, I went in and investigated. Was in the building 3 times. No surprise that it has its pluses and minuses. The building is rough. No, I mean real rough. I was kind of coming from the same angle as the dozens that came before me. Buy the building, continue the two leases on the first floor and hold as an investment. Originally, as all the others, I considered restoring the building. I am like the hundredth person to figure you could make little offices out of the second and third floors for offices. surely all those attorneys working at the court buildings need a cheap little office nearby. As everybody knows, the second and third floors used to be a Hotel. Surprisingly I find very little on the hotel. I think the building was built in 1910. As pointed out earlier in this thread, many decades ago (I was told in the 20's) there was a fire on the third floor. Amazing, as you walk around the third floor, much of it had burned. But no smell of smoke. That's how long ago it was. It stopped giving off smoke molecules in the 40's likely. As a prospective purchaser, I was scared less by the fire damage than the water damage. Something put that fire out...
When it all boiled down to it, if I bought it, I would most likely demo the building. I think it is 3mm bucks away from renting out offices on 3. Of course there is not one parking space deeded to the building. It sits on less than a tenth of an acre. I think the best use would be to remove the building and build a 6 story office building with parking on the ground level. I know nothing about such things of course. But know even less about refurbing a building in such poor condition.
I don't need to mention that I would surely be the bad guy in town for tearing the structure down. That is what has kept me, and surely others from purchasing the building. The building is listed for 750k. I think the lot is worth more. I was surely not man enough to refurb a building in that condition. I would not want to spend 3mm plus for a building that is then worth 2mm. And of course, a guy like me that knows nothing of of the ordinances could only pay a bunch of people for advice. (Is the building strong enough? Would half the building have to become retarded ADA bathrooms? How much to install sprinkler systems? How much to lease 40 parking space from a nearby garage? Are there environmental hazards beyond asbestos and LBP? And on and on.
I took dozens of photos of the building. I am a bit afraid to show many as I signed a NDA. But I hope I am in good graces with the owner as I believe at the current selling price, this is good value. We can all hope that somebody with really deap pockets buys this building to refurb it. It would need to be somebody that could lose some money and still be happy about his purchase. Like a pet project.
If the building sits for a while I may make an offer just the same. The location will be very hot when they demo the Civil Courts building.
Or if the owner pays for a study concerning getting it up to code etc... and it is more reasonable then I think.
#15
Posted 28 May 2011 - 09:52 PM
Better Business Bureau: A place to find or post valid complaints for auto delerships and maintenance facilities. (New Features) If you have a valid gripe about auto dealerships, this is the place to voice it.
#16
Posted 08 May 2012 - 05:49 AM
Like a hundred other people, I was considering buying this building. The reason I did not was that I would likely want to tear it down. It is a very nostalgic building for me and others and that would not have been fun. I think the value is in the lot. I have seen good estimates for restoring. 2.6 million if all went right. You would pay a million for the building and so you would have over 3.5 million in a building then worth 2.5 million. (This is how I see it and may have absolutely no relationship to reality.)
I drive by the building every day saying, "I better go ahead and buy that building before it is too late." My wife laughs at me after pointing out that there are a hundred other people saying the same thing every time they drive by it.
The article does not have any info as to what will become of the building. My guess? It comes down. Will be sad for sure.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, it was my wife that pointed out to me, "we know there was a big fire on the third floor in the 1920's. The only way it could have been put out is with a massive amount of water. Why would that water not effect the building forever on lower floors?" I think she nailed it. I had no good response to that but, "Sure enough."
Article in today's Star Telegram
http://www.star-tele...s-building.html
#17
Posted 08 May 2012 - 10:21 AM
#18
Posted 08 May 2012 - 10:24 AM
#19
Posted 08 May 2012 - 10:45 AM
I hope it won't be demo'd, but maybe at least something will be done with it now that it is bought.
I agree. It is an eyesore currently as an abandoned building with big windows displaying only trash.
#20
Posted 08 May 2012 - 11:43 AM
As I mentioned earlier in this thread, it was my wife that pointed out to me, "we know there was a big fire on the third floor in the 1920's. The only way it could have been put out is with a massive amount of water. Why would that water not effect the building forever on lower floors?" I think she nailed it. I had no good response to that but, "Sure enough."
But is it known just how massive that fire was?
I have a friend that lives in a fully restored two story 1920s apartment building in Dallas - the restoration of the building won several awards. I was talking with one of my friend's neighbors who mentioned to me that in the attic it is very obvious that, at some time, the building suffered a fire as some of the rafters clearly have fire damage. Clearly that did not prevent somebody from putting in good money to fully restore the place. (On the other hand, the place does not sit on such an expensive piece of real estate - which is the BIGGEST problem for this building.)
Have you been able to find out just to what extent the third floor of the Daiches building was damaged by the fire? Or is the description of it being a "big fire" something that has merely been passed down over time? For example, if the walls were made out of plaster, it is possible that perhaps the contents of one or two rooms were consumed by the fire and generated a whole lot of really nasty and dirty smoke - but, if the flames did not penetrate the plaster or burn long enough or hot enough to catch the wooden parts of the building itself on fire, it occurs to me that it is conceivable that the the fire might have died down somewhat after the more flammable contents were consumed. If so, the amount of water required extinguish it would not have been as great as if the structure itself was on fire. If so, it would have been an awful mess and would be understandable that someone might describe it as a "big fire" when, in fact, as fires go, it might not have been all THAT bad.
My other question is this: Regardless of how intense the fire was, unlike, say a roof or plumbing leak, any water from it going down to the lower floors would have been a one time only thing. Eventually, everything that got wet would have dried out. Obviously, any cosmetic damage that wasn't visible would have been fixed years ago. So all that really matters is the structural supports behind the walls. Question: does such a one time wetting cause ongoing structural damage to a building? My understanding is that the big concern is usually with ongoing moisture problems. On the other hand, I really don't know all that much about such things - which is why I ask.
#21
Posted 08 May 2012 - 09:48 PM
I got ya, on the damage. For sure very difficult for somebody to determine how much damage a fire would cause. Or the related water damage. Sure could be that somebody that knows about old structures would think it was a piece of cake. Surely not how my luck goes, at least in real estate. It does kind of seem like that if the damage could have been repaired for 10 thousand dollars they would have fixed it 90 years ago. Here is a shot from the third floor. Not a very good shot as I did not have a flash with me. (That, and not being interested in putting the building in a poor light) I sure would like to know what was paid for the building to see if my bid would have likely been accepted.
I wish that the new owner restores this building. But I am guessing it comes down.
Scroll up to my snow photo of the building. This would have to be the very last photo of the building when it was occupied and looked nice. I took this shot in the dark in a snowstorm. The next morning on my way to work I saw that the snowfall had brought down the nice metal awning. That was the beginning of the end.
#22
Posted 08 May 2012 - 10:23 PM
#23
Posted 08 May 2012 - 10:44 PM
#24
Posted 08 May 2012 - 11:07 PM
Obviously there is some some sort of damage going on in that photo. Did you have a feel for what it was? Surely it couldn't be from a 1920s fire - could it? I would think that damage from such a fire way back then would have been repaired decades ago, especially given that it functioned as a hotel through the 1970s. Perhaps smoke damage from a more recent fire? Also looks like whatever was on the hallway ceiling has come down. Do you recall noticing it it had once been plaster up there or perhaps wallpaper? Did you notice whether there was any indication that the roof was leaking? That is one thing that can ruin a building very quickly.
I sure hope someone restores it. It is actually a very pretty and charming building - especially from the Houston street vantage point. Imagine what it would look like after taking that awful botched up ground floor facade that was added I'm guessing in the 1950s and bringing back the original plus with the the exterior bricks being cleaned.
#25
Posted 09 May 2012 - 10:31 AM
#26
Posted 09 May 2012 - 01:36 PM
One thought about historical preservation that has lingered in my mind since I lived in Norman, Oklahoma, back in the 1970s. And this may be relevant to the Daiches building. City leaders conjured the idea of turning two whole blocks in the central business district of Norman into a historically designated area (circa turn-of-the-century). This area wasn’t on the fringe, it was much of the downtown area. A quaint romantic idea, no doubt. But if enacted, it would have turned much of the downtown into a museum. In my opinion, that would have stunted the city’s central growth and modernization.
I don't know anything about the specifics of what you saw in Norman - but in a lot of cities, most especially during the 1970s, "modernization" of downtown areas generally translated into tearing down architecturally beautiful and/or distinguished buildings and replacing them with parking lots and buildings that looked just like the generic stuff being built in the suburbs.
Unlike some here, I do NOT have a problem with parking lots or with suburbs or the sorts of businesses that exist in the suburbs. They all serve a function and they serve the actual demands of their customers or else they wouldn't exist. But the problem is that a downtown is NOT going to be able to effectively compete with suburban type development by trying to imitate suburban type development. They will fail almost every time because downtown areas lack certain advantages that the outlying areas have - plenty of space, lower real estate prices, easy access to highways, etc.
To effectively compete with outlying areas, a downtown needs to differentiate itself - not try be something that it isn't. There are many ways that a downtown area can competitively differentiate itself. But one of them is the beauty and character of its vintage buildings - buildings that have an artistic quality that few if any developers today can afford to match. People don't patronize "modernized" style developments because they are special - they go for reasons of convenience and practicality. Everybody has a need for convenience and practicality. But people also want "special." If there is nothing particularly special about downtown - if it is merely a more cramped and inconvenient version of what they can already find in the outlying parts of town, why bother going at all?
A number of downtowns, large and small, have been revitalized across the country with great success - and in almost all of those cases, the core around which the revitalization was centered was the preservation of the buildings that made them special in the first place. They are proof that it can be done. The "urban renewal" efforts to revive downtowns via "modernization" in the '60s and '70s were almost universal failures. Not only that - take a look at the sort of developments that have been going up in the suburbs in recent years. Look at Southlake Town Square and Firewheel Town Center - they are going out of their way to NOT be "modern" but rather to be OLD FASHIONED and imitate the very downtowns that some have been claiming for years need to be "modernized."
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#27
Posted 10 May 2012 - 12:17 PM
One thought about historical preservation that has lingered in my mind since I lived in Norman, Oklahoma, back in the 1970s. And this may be relevant to the Daiches building. City leaders conjured the idea of turning two whole blocks in the central business district of Norman into a historically designated area (circa turn-of-the-century). This area wasn’t on the fringe, it was much of the downtown area. A quaint romantic idea, no doubt. But if enacted, it would have turned much of the downtown into a museum. In my opinion, that would have stunted the city’s central growth and modernization.
I don't know anything about the specifics of what you saw in Norman - but in a lot of cities, most especially during the 1970s, "modernization" of downtown areas generally translated into tearing down architecturally beautiful and/or distinguished buildings and replacing them with parking lots and buildings that looked just like the generic stuff being built in the suburbs.
Unlike some here, I do NOT have a problem with parking lots or with suburbs or the sorts of businesses that exist in the suburbs. They all serve a function and they serve the actual demands of their customers or else they wouldn't exist. But the problem is that a downtown is NOT going to be able to effectively compete with suburban type development by trying to imitate suburban type development. They will fail almost every time because downtown areas lack certain advantages that the outlying areas have - plenty of space, lower real estate prices, easy access to highways, etc.
To effectively compete with outlying areas, a downtown needs to differentiate itself - not try be something that it isn't. There are many ways that a downtown area can competitively differentiate itself. But one of them is the beauty and character of its vintage buildings - buildings that have an artistic quality that few if any developers today can afford to match. People don't patronize "modernized" style developments because they are special - they go for reasons of convenience and practicality. Everybody has a need for convenience and practicality. But people also want "special." If there is nothing particularly special about downtown - if it is merely a more cramped and inconvenient version of what they can already find in the outlying parts of town, why bother going at all?
A number of downtowns, large and small, have been revitalized across the country with great success - and in almost all of those cases, the core around which the revitalization was centered was the preservation of the buildings that made them special in the first place. They are proof that it can be done. The "urban renewal" efforts to revive downtowns via "modernization" in the '60s and '70s were almost universal failures. Not only that - take a look at the sort of developments that have been going up in the suburbs in recent years. Look at Southlake Town Square and Firewheel Town Center - they are going out of their way to NOT be "modern" but rather to be OLD FASHIONED and imitate the very downtowns that some have been claiming for years need to be "modernized."
Very well said, Dismuke. Nothing I could add that you haven't already stated clearly but I feel the location value guarantees the Daiches building will soon come down and be replaced with a new high value building. (certainly not a parking lot) Maybe a multi-story stack of law offices or something similar.(but limited in height due to the nearby courthouse) Hard to do that now with a building from over a century ago when downtown real estate was much cheaper and available. Moving it might be feasible,(and very costly) but the limited end uses make that prospect unlikely.
#28
Posted 02 July 2015 - 11:36 AM
Since I walk by this building frequently on the way to courts buildings, thought I'd snap this shot of the historical marker (I'm still a novice at downloading photos on the Forum). The website below is about the first location of the Fort Worth National Bank in 1873, a two-story building at 109 W. Weatherford.
http://fortworthtexa...t.aspx?id=12724
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#29
Posted 05 July 2015 - 08:07 AM
A lot of you have already seen my suggestion for this building, it being part of a larger project.
But I think the more realistic possibility would be to reuse this as a bouquet hotel or apartments. Maybe even offices for a law firm?
#30
Posted 07 July 2015 - 10:35 PM
A lot of you have already seen my suggestion for this building, it being part of a larger project.
But I think the more realistic possibility would be to reuse this as a bouquet hotel or apartments. Maybe even offices for a law firm?
You mean a hotel for flowers? Or a boutique hotel?
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#31
Posted 08 July 2015 - 06:14 AM
A lot of you have already seen my suggestion for this building, it being part of a larger project.
But I think the more realistic possibility would be to reuse this as a bouquet hotel or apartments. Maybe even offices for a law firm?
You mean a hotel for flowers? Or a boutique hotel?
FYI, I also noticed that a small convenience store is now a tenant in that building.
#32
Posted 09 July 2015 - 09:09 AM
As for the convenience store, it could expand. There's room for it...
#33
Posted 01 February 2017 - 09:44 AM
Anyone know anything about what's happening in this building? Over the last week or two, I've seen them cleaning out the old convenience store area and the area next to it; they combined the spaces and it appears that they may be about to put something in there after a build-out. Also, they added some wood and painted it white on the exterior...I think to cover up some of the decay on the building.
#34
Posted 03 February 2017 - 02:51 PM
#35
Posted 07 February 2017 - 03:46 PM
I had jury duty last week and didn't notice the convenience store - but all 3 floors seem to be available for lease (from Colonial) so I'm guessing it's gone.
I would love to see this back to productive use, but - as several have pointed out - parking is still an issue.
#36
Posted 07 February 2017 - 04:04 PM
#37
Posted 07 February 2017 - 04:20 PM
There's definitely a lot of foot traffic several times a day on weekdays. At $25/SF/Year + NNN on 8,300 SF, though, you'll need to sell literally a crap ton of breakfast burritos.
Edit: Sorry, 2,300 SF (as you'd only be leasing the ground floor).
#38
Posted 08 February 2017 - 06:49 AM
The area being renovated includes the two spaces on the south end of the building: one was the old convenience store. It looks like the two spaces were combined and the windows are now covered with paper from the inside. I walked past last week and a worker said that a coffee shop was going in...not sure if that is a chain, independent or a convenience store-type shop.
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#39
Posted 08 February 2017 - 11:22 AM
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#40
Posted 29 September 2017 - 04:59 PM
#42
Posted 30 September 2017 - 07:48 AM
You guys are correct! My name is Jonathan Heath and am the new tenant in the now combined two smaller spaces at the south end of the Diaches Building.
While this endeavor started January 20th for myself, we have finally been approved by the City of Fort Worth's permitting departments to move forward with construction/buildout. The delay was due to the infrastructure of the building and meeting electrical code requirements to run the coffee shop off of the existing service from Oncor as well as sanitary sewer issues/grease trap variances. Our best outcome from the delay is all new utilities for two items are being put in at the building - new service/service sockets from Oncor and new gas lines from Atmos. The plumbing inside the building remains cast iron and will be the majority of the headache for any new tenant that takes over the larger space where Joe Diaches used to actually occupy. From my understanding, the owner of the building, Harvey Mueller, is looking to have some sort of restaurant put in where the jewelry store used to reside. As credence to that, I have just involved another business owner I know to see if the space would work for him - he owns a Chicago style deli called Weinbergers Deli.
As for the coffee shop, we are preserving as much of the space and its original appearance as possible (e.g. tin ceilings, tile floor, and interior brick). Harvey has mentioned to me that the upper two floors will be vacant indefinitely because the cost to renovate and bring them up to "code" is too costly. My thoughts are that if he gets the ground floor leased it will ease the financial burden to renovate the upper two floors - but I've been wrong before!
Attached are a couple of pictures of the original tile we are trying to breathe new life into as well as the original tin ceiling we are keeping. Neither of the images have been modified, they simply do just look that way!
***EDIT***
Sorry about the pictures not showing up - I am no forum wizard and do not intend to go through whatever wizardry it takes to understand how or what system to use in order to show a few simple photos, haha. If you guys would like to see progress, shoot me a message of a time you have available and I can show you the space - jonathanrheath@gmail.com
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#43
Posted 30 September 2017 - 07:52 AM
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#44
Posted 30 September 2017 - 08:12 AM
Welcome to the forum. However, I wanted to say that your photographs do not show up due to Photobucket's changes.
#45
Posted 30 September 2017 - 08:21 AM
Photobucket is the Debil.
#46
Posted 30 September 2017 - 09:33 AM
I kinda wish that block would be used for a new public library with the old Joe Daiches being integrated with the rest of the building.
#47
Posted 30 September 2017 - 01:41 PM
I think a coffee shop and hopefully a cafe combination would work great there. I think making that intersection safer and more pedestrian friendly needs to be taken into account. I do a lot of walking around downtown and I rarely use that corner because of how dangerous it feels.
You nailed it.
#48
Posted 30 May 2018 - 07:34 AM
I thought I heard a rumor last year about the ground floor getting a remodel and the possibility of Weinbergers Deli opening a downtown location.
Did I just dream this? Did this redevelopment project die? Or is it still in the pipeline?
#49
Posted 30 May 2018 - 01:43 PM
Wow. What a venture. Were getting final inspections done for the coffee shop in order to obtain certificate of occupancy- its only taken 18 months *laughs, then weeps*.
I know Dan Weinberger and proposed this location (the front space of the Diaches building) as a perfect third location for his fantastic food. Hes got his hands full with another store in Denton and decided to pass from my understanding. There have been two other potential tenants view the front space but, from the owner of the building, there has not been any action on actually signing a lease.
Id love to say that my doors will be open in about two weeks if everything went right, but nothing so far has gone to plan with this space and job.
Im normally down here during the morning and early afternoon hours if you are around and would like to take a look at the progress so far - or - I can send some photos via email to someone who is competent with this site and uploading photos (it seems beyond my brain capacity haha).
Cheers,
Jon
817-845-7884
Jonathan@vaquerocoffeeco.com
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#50
Posted 26 July 2018 - 09:29 PM
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