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From K H. O U T. V. Houston, the spirit of texas. This is 11 news with steve smith, Marlene McClinton dr Neil frank with weather and give Nielsen on sports 11 news at six. Well if you can't stand that daily combat drive from the burbs to

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downtown Houston and back again, you need to pay attention to our next story. Some developers here are trying to convince people to live downtown by building apartments in some Houston landmarks, including a very famous one. Michael Barnes has the story every day. Thousands of people pour

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in from the suburbs to work in downtown Houston. Now there's a new effort to also get them to stay by having them live downtown in converted apartments. They don't want to make commuter trains to take people to and from the sticks. So why not you think

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about living downtown? I think would be nice if I live closer to work. Yeah, it's good for people that don't, that don't have to have a house in a, in a yard to Houston landmarks are about to be converted into apartment buildings. The historic Rice Hotel

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on Travis and Main and the Jefferson Davis Hospital on Allen Parkway Today, the Harris County Hospital district approved the sale of the hospital to a Dallas developer who will turn the 11 story building into 550 apartments downtown is definitely seeing a resurgence and I think that's

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from the Mario world and the city leaders are Behind this movement. Houston developer has the same idea for the Old Rice Hotel which opened in 1913 and closed in 1977. I believe without a doubt it is a national trend for people to return to an urban

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environment, an urban living setting. The rice has A rich history built on the site of one of the early capitals of the Republic of Texas. It was the in place to be in the 40s, 50s and 60s. According to Houston historian Ray Miller Gus Wortham once

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lived here, John Freeman once lived here, who engineered the Texas Medical Center or helped to do so. President Kennedy and mrs Kennedy spent several hours here on the last evening before the assassination for either the Rice Hotel or hospital conversions to succeed. Many people agree that

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along with the apartments must come brand new grocery and retail store. In order for people to truly live and work here in the downtown. The developer of the rice apartments is promising all that will happen that people will have all the conveniences of living in the

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city while being able to also enjoy a part of Houston's history. Michael Barnes 11 News Channel 13 Ktrk TV Houston we care about texas live with the entire eyewitness news team. This is channel 13 eyewitness news long vacant Houston landmark is facing a rebirth this evening.

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The old Jefferson Davis Hospital building on Allen Parkway has been sold to JP I texas development of Dallas. The developer bid $5,860,050 for the property. It will be renovated into an apartment complex and may even be called the jefferson Davis Plaza. The hospital opened its doors

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in the 19 forties but was condemned six years ago by the fire chief. It has been empty ever since the old Jefferson Davis Hospital has been sold. The Harris County Hospital District accepted an offer of $5.8 million for the property. Dallas based JP I texas Development

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Corporation plans to build a 550 unit apartment complex on the site. In about a year J. P. I. Will begin renovating the old building the Jefferson Davis site just west of downtown on Allen Parkway has been abandoned for more than five years from K. H. O.

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U. T. V. Houston. The spirit of texas this is 11 news with steve smith, Marlene McClinton dr Neil frank with weather and gift Nielsen on sports. 11 years at 10 have a pair of local real estate developments of considerable note tonight. The hospital district finally cut

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a long pending deal to sell the old Jeff Davis Hospital property just west of downtown. A Dallas developer will turn it into apartments and the long shuttered rice hotel downtown will finally see new life also as an apartment building, loft apartments. You're watching channel 13. Eyewitness

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news Live with the entire eyewitness news team. This is channel 13 eyewitness news, we care about Texas to Houston landmarks are getting new life. The old Jefferson Davis Hospital building on Allen Parkway will soon be part of an apartment complex. A Dallas developer paid over $5

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million for the property that's been vacant for some six years. The new owners may name that complex, the Jefferson Davis Plaza, Channel 13 Ktrk TV Houston. We care about texas live with the entire eyewitness news team. This is Channel 13 Eyewitness News at 5:30 a.m. A

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couple of Houston landmarks getting a facelift and a new beginning. The old Jefferson Davis Hospital building on Allen Parkway will soon be part of an apartment complex. A Dallas developer has paid more than $5 million dollars for that property. It's been vacant for some six years.

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The owners say they may name the complex the Jefferson Davis Also, the historical Rice Hotel will soon be sporting a new look. That building has been sold to a group of developers that plan to convert it into upscale apartments. Construction on the 83 year old structure

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is slated to begin in about 10 days completion slated for the end of 1997