Star Engraving building

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The Star Engraving building is a building at 3201 Allen Parkway in Houston, Texas, built in 1930 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by the Star Engraving company to house its engraving factory.[1] It is currently (as of 2007) owned by the city of Houston and serves as the Houston Center for the Arts, housing the Stages Repertory Theatre, the Houston Arts Alliance, and the Bayou Preservation Alliance.[2] It was designated a local historic landmark in 1986,[3] and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[4]

The Stages Repertory Theatre has resided in the building since 1985, and the Children's Museum of Houston resided there until 1992.[5] The building became the subject of controversy in 1992 when then-owner 3201 Allen Parkway Ltd. indicated its intent to evict the Stages Theatre and the Children's Museum in order to develop the building into loft condominiums in partnership with developer Gross Investments.[5] The Children's Museum had long been planning a move to the Museum District anyway,[5] but Stages and its supporters protested that a move would greatly harm the theatre, and requested local-government assistance in buying the building.[6] A few months later, the development deal with Gross Investments fell through, and 3201 Allen Parkway Ltd. offered to sell the building to Stages.[7] However, Stages couldn't meet its asking price and negotiations broke down; the City of Houston eventually purchased the building, after a controversial threat to use eminent domain powers to confiscate it, and turned it into a municipal arts center.[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Star Engraving - Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Arrow Rock Architects. Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
  2. ^ Houston Center for the Arts. City of Houston. Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
  3. ^ Gram Gemoets. "Big, Bad Wolf Huffing at Local Theatre's Door", Daily Cougar (University of Houston), June 9, 1992.
  4. ^ National Register of Historic Places search engine. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
  5. ^ a b c "Stages fans urge council to save theater", Houston Chronicle, April 15, 1992, p. 6 (Houston section).
  6. ^ "Stages says move would be devastating", Houston Chronicle, May 15, 1992, p. 8 (Houston section).
  7. ^ "Stages offered chance to buy theater's home", Houston Chronicle, July 28, 1992, p. 1 (Houston section).
  8. ^ "City to purchase home of Stages theater group", Houston Chronicle, October 22, 1992, p. 25 (section A).
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