Hair Ye, Hair Ye! (Again), Black Swan Yoga, Juiceland - The Houston Heights Becoming Austin East

In August, plans on the Mosley Commercial website included the "Heights Plaza" property at 420 E. 20th Street in the Houston Heights. The website listed the popular Austin-based Birds Barbershop as its first tenant. It's taken a while, but it looks like plans are starting to roll again for the shopping center, which is now being developed by Radom Capital, the same group responsible for Heights Mercantile between Yale and Heights Blvd. at 7th Street. I rode by last night and noticed that the parking lot had been resurfaced, likely pointing to interior renovations to starting soon. (The rest of this post is kind of old news, but still worth a refresher.)

420 East 20th Street in August, 2015.

420 East 20th Street in December, 2015.

Proposed: 420 East 20th Street

The plans are significantly different than those originally posted by Mosley Commercial back in August, and for the better I might add. A sophisticated classiness is brought to the shopping center, clad in bright white paint and simple lines. The potential restaurant depicted has a classic early 1960's Corvette convertible (perhaps imported from Europe, given that the steering wheel is on the right side of the car?) parked in front. The renderings look great. Also noted in the Historic Commission notes are a suggestion to include a 5-foot sidewalk along Columbia Street, which currently terminates at the site's parking lot. 

Radom Capital received approval for plans from the City of Houston's Historic Commission back in late October, which helps to further explain some of the delay in the site's development. (Birds Barbershop still does not have the Heights location listed on the company's website, nor are there any current job openings, so it may be further off than expected.) 

420 East 20th Street

Radom Capital is also responsible for the soon-to-be-renovated space at 3210 White Oak Boulevard, which reportedly will include Austin-based chains Black Swan Yoga and Juiceland (as reported by Eater earlier this year.) 

Juiceland is pictured having a walk-up smoothie bar, important for those strolling down White Oak Boulevard or rolling past on the adjacent Heights Bike Trail. Permeable pavers also line the sitting area in front of the building.  It appears that the Heights is becoming an eastern outpost for Austin's successful local chains. They'll fit right in between Austin-inspired Dry Creek and Onion Creek, both on White Oak.