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Preservation groups urge saving 75-year-old Sears pylon as Shepherd Garden redevelopment is deferred
Summary
Preservation Houston and local preservation advocates asked the commission to preserve a 75-year-old mid-century Sears pylon on North Shepherd Drive. The commission deferred the commercial redevelopment item to allow additional neighborhood outreach and potential coordination with the developer.
Preservation advocates asked the Houston Planning Commission on Feb. 6 to preserve a distinctive mid-century street pavilion and "Sears pylon" on a redevelopment site along North Shepherd Drive, and the commission deferred the related commercial plat to allow time for neighborhood discussion.
Emily Ardoin of Preservation Houston told commissioners the structure "is a distinctive, well known, and well loved piece of Garden Oaks and Houston that has stood in its spot for 75 years" and described it as "an important example of mid century modern architecture in Houston." Ardoin urged the developer to explore keeping the concrete pavilion because it "provides seating, shelter, shade, and a sense of neighborhood history, identity, and pride that would be lost if the structure is removed."
Architect Steve Curry, representing a local mid-century preservation group, said the pavilion is "all cast concrete" and observed that the structure appears structurally intact and could be integrated into the developer's planned streetscape. Curry said saving the feature likely would affect only a few parking spaces on the proposed site plan.
Nathan Diedrich, the applicant's representative, said the development team was meeting with neighborhood groups the same day and offered to connect neighbors with the property owner for additional discussion. Commissioners acknowledged the neighborhood interest and voted to defer the item to allow further coordination.
Why it matters: the structure is not designated historic and sits on private property, so preservation would require the owner's cooperation or a specific mitigation strategy. Advocates said retaining the pavilion would preserve a unique element of mid-century commercial streetscape in Garden Oaks and could support the developer's stated goal of creating a pedestrian-oriented site.
Next steps: the commission's deferral gives staff, the developer and neighborhood groups time to explore options for retention, relocation on-site, or other mitigation; the item will return when the applicant and neighborhood report back.
Provenance: first public comment on the structure begins at the Preservation Houston presentation (03:10:13 in the meeting transcript) and developer responses and commissioner discussion conclude the topic at about 03:13:58.
