Upper Kirby is a commercial district in Houston , Texas , United States . It is named after Kirby Drive, so indirectly takes its name from John Henry Kirby .
33-549: Upper Kirby contains many businesses, including restaurants. Upper Kirby is east of the Greenway Plaza , southwest of Neartown , north of the city of West University Place , and south of River Oaks . Upper Kirby is considered to be in an area west of South Shepherd Drive, east of Buffalo Speedway , north of Bissonnet Street , and south of Westheimer Road . The River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics , located in Upper Kirby,
66-530: A nondenominational Christian church, which hosts one of the largest congregations in the United States. Lakewood's main campus , a venue originally known as "The Summit" and later " Compaq Center," is the former home of the Houston Rockets , a professional basketball team, as well as other sporting teams, concerts, and events. Lakewood Church purchased the property in 2005. The Greenway Plaza development
99-411: A 52-acre (21-hectare) campus. Noted for its expansive green spaces and consistent modernist architectural style, Greenway Plaza is widely considered a pioneering example of mixed-use development in the United States. The campus's ten office towers are connected by an extensive system of air-conditioned skyways , tunnels, and underground parking garages. Greenway Plaza contains Lakewood Church ,
132-550: A good variety of ethnic restaurants for the adventurous." The Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) has its headquarters in the Eastside Main Center in Upper Kirby. Lamar High School , a public secondary school, and St. John's School , an independent K–12 school, are located in Upper Kirby. Residents in Upper Kirby are zoned to schools in the Houston Independent School District . Upper Kirby
165-498: A house that was small. The company paid the money so it could secure the tract the house sat on. The grand opening took place in 1973. Schnitzer said that Greenway Plaza would become a "second downtown ". Bill Schadewald of the Houston Press said that Greenway Plaza, which housed office towers, retail operations, a basketball arena, a movie theater, and a hotel, "defined the multiuse concept in an original " Edge City "". In 1970,
198-544: A result of this change, and that in 2017 Greenway Plaza had a lack of activity during nighttime periods despite its heavy activity during the day; therefore, according to Sarnoff, Greenway Plaza "feels like downtown Houston did 10 or 20 years ago". In 2004 Crescent attempted to sell a 50% equity position in both Greenway Plaza and Houston Center . During that year, El Paso Corp. , a major tenant with 912,000 sq ft (84,700 m ) in Greenway Plaza, announced that it
231-571: A trauma surgeon named Best Doctor in America five times, is the head of the trauma department. With 409 licensed beds, it is one of the busiest trauma centers in the United States , caring for over 106,000 emergency patients during its last fiscal year (March 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011). Ben Taub is also the only hospital in Houston with a psychiatric emergency department open 24 hours a day. The hospital
264-800: Is a public hospital located in Houston , Texas within the Texas Medical Center . Having opened in May 1963, the hospital is owned and operated by the Harris Health System and is staffed by the faculty, residents, and students from Baylor College of Medicine . Ben Taub is a Level I trauma center , one of three in Southeast Texas , the others being nearby Memorial Hermann Hospital and University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston . Kenneth Mattox ,
297-640: Is a business district located along Interstate 69 ( U.S. Highway 59 ) within the Interstate 610 loop in southwestern Houston , Texas , 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Downtown and 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Uptown . The district is located immediately west of Upper Kirby , north of West University Place , and south of River Oaks . First envisioned in the late 1960s by local developer Kenneth L. Schnitzer, Greenway Plaza has evolved into one of Greater Houston 's largest employment centers, with over 4.4 million square feet (410,000 m ) of office space on
330-627: Is an option for Pershing-zoned residents. All of Upper Kirby is zoned to Lamar High School. The community is served by the Adele B. Looscan Neighborhood Library of Houston Public Library . The current Looscan Branch building opened in September 2007. The former Americans with Disabilities Act non-compliant library, which was established in 1956, closed on August 27, 2005 and was demolished in February 2006. The previous Looscan branch had around 61,000 visitors in
363-497: Is divided between Trustee District V, represented by Dianne Johnson as of 2008, and Trustee District VII, represented by Harvin C. Moore as of 2008. Johnson will no longer serve as a board member after 2009. Several elementary schools, including Poe , River Oaks , and West University serve sections of Upper Kirby. Lanier Middle School and Pershing Middle School serve separate sections of Upper Kirby. Pin Oak Middle School
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#1732849090910396-616: Is in Suite 805 at 3730 Kirby Drive. CBS Radio Houston which houses KHMX , KILT-AM , KILT-FM , KLOL , KKHH , KIKK , is also located in Upper Kirby. The Upper Kirby Management District is headquartered in Suite 250 in the Upper Kirby District Center at 3015 Richmond Avenue. Upper Kirby is a part of the Houston City Council District C. Upper Kirby also makes up a large portion of Harris County Precinct 139, which
429-695: Is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the "Forum of Civics" on October 13, 1988. Formerly a county schoolhouse, the building is currently the administrative center for the River Oaks Garden Club. The Texas Legislature created the Harris County Improvement District #3, also known as the Upper Kirby Management District, which governs the Upper Kirby area. In 1999 the Houston city council created
462-498: Is located in Upper Kirby [1] [2] . Upper Kirby is also home to Levy Park, operated by the City of Houston. Leon Levy gave the land that became Levy Park to the city government in 1941. The Upper Kirby district implemented a two-phase renovation project. The first, completed in 2003, included the installation of a community garden. The event to celebrate the completion of Phase II was held on September 30, 2006. Another $ 15 million renovation
495-458: Is named after Ben Taub (1889–1982), a real estate developer and businessman whose extensive behind-the-scenes philanthropic efforts helped transform Houston. As of 1998 the hospital district designated much of the county, including central, southern, and western portions, to Ben Taub. The original Ben Taub hospital opened in May 1963 and was closed when the current Ben Taub opened on January 12, 1990. The hospital district intended to renovate
528-412: Is part of a larger neighborhood, Greenway/Upper Kirby, which covers a 2.97-square-mile (7.7 km ) area roughly enclosed by Westheimer Road to the north, Bissonnet Street to the south, Uptown Houston to the west, and Shepherd Drive to the east. In 2015, Greenway/Upper Kirby had an estimated population of 21,120 and a population density of 7,111/sq mi. Kenneth L. Schnitzer, the chairperson of
561-671: Is the smallest political subdivision in Texas. The current Precinct Chair of Upper Kirby/River Oaks is Louis Molnar (D), and Mr. Molnar also serves as the Presiding Judge of Precinct 139. The community is within the Houston Police Department 's Central Patrol Division, headquartered at 61 Riesner. Two Harris County precincts, 3 and 4, serve sections of Upper Kirby. As of 2008 the precincts are represented by Steve Radack and Jerry Eversole, respectively. Patrol services are contracted to
594-438: The M. W. Kellogg Company had moved its headquarters from New York to Houston. After Kellogg moved its operations into Greenway Plaza, initially Kellogg occupied half of 3 Greenway Plaza and staffed the half with fewer than 600 employees. When the energy industry expanded worldwide, Kellogg occupied all of 3 Greenway Plaza and space in an adjacent building. Kellogg's lease on July 1, 1991 was up for renewal; if Kellogg had renewed
627-721: The M. W. Kellogg Tower in the Cullen Center in Downtown Houston . The swap satisfied Dresser's need for less space. Around 1996 T Mobile leased space in 2 Greenway Plaza. Circa 2003 the Houston Rockets moved out of what was the Compaq Center, and that building became the Lakewood Church Central Campus . Nancy Sarnoff of the Houston Chronicle wrote that the adjacent Greenway Plaza became "sleepy" as
660-482: The Century Development Corporation, envisioned Greenway Plaza, which became the first mixed-use development in Houston. Century took realtors from outlying towns around Houston and had them buy individual parcels for very inexpensive prices while trying not to attract attention. One homeowner found out about the plan and asked to have the house sold for $ 350,000. At the time it was a lot of money for
693-910: The Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Houston II Parole Office in Upper Kirby. At one time the Texas Youth Commission Houston District Office was located in Upper Kirby. Upper Kirby is in Texas's 7th congressional district . The United States Postal Service operates the Greenbriar Post Office in Upper Kirby. Harris Health System (formerly Harris County Hospital District) designated Martin Luther King Health Center for
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#1732849090910726-529: The Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 19, which covers 15 acres (61,000 m). Prior to the formation of these districts, the area did not have a distinct identity. The usage of the British decor and the name were calculated to give the area a specific identity. At one time the red phone booths were operational, and there was a double decker bus that shuttled patrons to various restaurants. In 2006
759-408: The Upper Kirby district had plans to establish a " teen center " at Richmond at Wake Forest geared towards students at Lamar High School , Lanier Middle School , St. John's School , and other Upper Kirby schools and schools near Upper Kirby. Funding issues have delayed establishment of the center. In 2017, about 53% of the housing units were constructed post-1999. Several businesses are located in
792-487: The ZIP code 77005 and Northwest Health Center for the ZIP code 77098. The nearest public hospital is Ben Taub General Hospital in the Texas Medical Center . Katharine Schilcutt of the Houston Press said that the founders of the district desired to "forge a connection with the U.K. based solely on sharing the same initials and installing anachronistic red phone booths on random street corners". The Upper Kirby YMCA Extension
825-451: The district. The studio for KTRK-TV ABC 13, the ABC station for the Houston area, is located at 3310 Bissonnet Street. Solvay America has its headquarters in the district. cPanel has its office in Upper Kirby. Restaurants Acquisition I, L.L.C., the operator of Black-eyed Pea restaurants in Texas, is headquartered in Upper Kirby. In addition a Pakistan International Airlines booking office
858-578: The fiscal year 2005. The original plans for Looscan called for the library to get a $ 5.37 million renovation. An Upper Kirby group proposed a new site near the Upper Kirby YMCA . Around that period the group Friends for Neighborhood Libraries began raising funds. The replacement library, with a cost of $ 6.2 million, had twice the staff and two and one half times the size of the previous facility. Friends of Neighborhood Libraries had raised $ 1 million in four months, and around $ 2.5 million in total to help fund
891-510: The lease, its rent payment would have increased. Instead Kellogg decided to swap office space with its parent company, Dresser Industries. Dresser took over a part of Kellogg's lease and renamed 3 Greenway Plaza to the Dresser Tower . After the swap Dresser occupied 163,000 sq ft (15,100 m ) of space on eight floors, while Kellogg continued to lease six floors in the building. In exchange Kellogg took space formerly held by Dresser at
924-866: The new library; the group spent about $ 30,000 for the expenses. The Jewish Herald-Voice has its offices in Upper Kirby. The River Oaks Examiner is a local newspaper distributed in the community. The Houston Chronicle is the area regional newspaper. KTRK-TV , the ABC News -owned news outlet for the Houston-area, is located in the neighborhood on Bissonnet Street. See also: List of companies in Houston See: List of colleges and universities in Houston [REDACTED] Category [REDACTED] Texas portal 29°44′10″N 95°25′08″W / 29.736°N 95.419°W / 29.736; -95.419 Greenway Plaza Greenway Plaza
957-458: The story in 2009. The theater is now a Trader Joe's . Most restaurants in Upper Kirby are chain restaurants . Shilcutt said that the restaurants in Upper Kirby were one of the aspects of Upper Kirby that she liked, that "there are some wonderful independent Houston restaurants in the mix, too" and that "while many of the restaurants are some variation on plain Jane American food [...] there's
990-598: Was buying the entire Greenway Plaza complex and a Downtown Fort Worth office tower. Nancy Sarnoff of the Houston Chronicle stated that Cousins was expected to pay $ 1.1 billion in cash. By 2017 the owner was Parkway Inc., which planned to renovate Greenway Plaza. In July 2017 T-Mobile announced it was moving to the T-Mobile Tower, formerly the River Oaks Tower. That same month Occidental Petroleum announced it
1023-483: Was completed in a two year period, with a grand reopening on February 25, 2017. The park also includes a dog park and a softball field. The park is located in the Greenway Plaza area. Constructed in 1939, the historic Alabama Theatre was a primary entertainment venue of the district until it was closed and later reopened as a Bookstop bookstore. Barnes & Noble acquired the Bookstop chain and, decades later, closed
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1056-711: Was vacating its space, and it put its space for sale. Prior to January 1, 2008, Landmark Theatres operated the Landmark Greenway, an " arthouse " theater inside 5 Greenway. Landmark's lease expired and the Greenway Plaza did not renew the lease. December 31, 2007 was the final day of operation for the theater. As of 2016 it will be replaced by a fitness area. At one time the building housed Rao's Maremma Ristorante. See also: List of companies in Houston See: List of colleges and universities in Houston [REDACTED] Category [REDACTED] Texas portal Ben Taub General Hospital Ben Taub Hospital
1089-483: Was vacating the property and moving its personnel to its Downtown Houston headquarters. A Houston Business Journal article stated that El Paso was expected to sublease the space until 2014, when its lease will expire. In 2005 the internet service provider Internet America had offices in Greenway Plaza. During the afternoon of Monday July 29, 2013, Cousins Properties , a company based in Atlanta , announced that it
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