Goodbye Studewood Fiesta; hello boutique senior living

by Charlotte Aguilar
charlotte@theleadernews.com
The Fiesta Mart on the corner of 14th and Studewood in the Heights has been sold to Bridgewood Properties of Houston for a multi-faceted senior housing development.
Jim Gray, president of Bridgewood, told The Leader his company — which he describes as a “boutique senior living developer” — will start construction in the second quarter of 2013, after Fiesta’s lease runs out. The 2.09 acre property was owned by Weingarten Realty and had been listed by Moody Rambin properties for $3.28 million.
Gray described a four-story structure with independent living on the top floor, two middle floors of assisted living, and a bottom floor with memory care and amenities for all residents.
He said the architecture will be Craftsman-style, in keeping with the architectural sensibilities of the Heights.
Gray said Bridgewood had eyed the Heights for a while before finding the right location and expects to draw residents from the nearby neighborhoods. “We look for markets where you have a senior population as well as adult children caring for parents,” he explained. “There’s not a lot right now in the Heights that serves that market.”
Bridgewood has several larger developments in the Houston area, including in Meyerland, The Woodlands and Tanglewood, and has developed 2,710 housing units in all in Texas, Oklahoma, the Midwest and South.