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| Photo by Nena Barton |
Neutra designed the house for Pan American Pilot George Kraigher in 1937 without setting foot in Brownville. His architectural plans were implemented by Brownsville contractor A.W. Neck and architect Frank L. Godwin.
Although the City of Brownsville purchased the house in 1999 for $140,778, over the years the house fell into extreme disrepair and, in 2004 was placed on a list of the "Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places."
In 2005 the City of Brownsville leased the property to UTB/TSC. A group led by Larry Lof orchestrated the remodeling, completed in 2008, but no appropriate use was ever found for the property. The extensive use of H.U.D. funds in the renovation greatly restricts how the property can be utilized without repaying those funds.
The separation of UTB/TSC in 2014 terminated the lease and put the property back under city control. Currently, the city is negotiating with a possible tenant, a non-profit, as a potential lessee.
Since the 2008 remodel, the building is in some danger again. The AC units have been stripped. There is evidence that the homeless have been occupying the wrought iron cage once housing the AC units. All the windows are boarded up.
A building permit issued June 14, 2014 is tacked to the front door.
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I hope they can bring this revive this house to its former glory. I've seen this house occasionally when I drive up Parades and always wondered who owned the house and why it stayed empty all these years. I'd also like to see the inside.
ReplyDeleteHey, let's just inject another $500k or so, bring it back up to snuff and then board up the windows again. This is a classic example of ineptitude and incompetence in government! Maybe this time we can build a little shelter of some kind nearby so the homeless druggies and bums won't have to vandalize the building.
ReplyDeleteGuillermo is this you stirring the sink.....otra vez? Tsk. Tsk.
ReplyDeleteI'll buy it and move it to LA.
ReplyDelete