An Upper Kirby property built to house farm-to-table restaurant Haven a decade ago will get new use as law office and mediation center. And there will be plenty of room for wine.
A local law firm, which did not reveal its name, purchased the 5,350-square-foot building at 2502 Algerian Way, said Chris Dray of NewQuest Properties. The location, near U.S. 59 and Kirby Drive, capped off his client's months-long search for a place to relocate.
"It's really a special building," Dray said in an announcement. "It will be a great office building."
Haven, which gained national recognition as one of the nation's top 20 new restaurants by Esquire magazine in 2010, closed in mid 2014. That year, the LEED-silver certified building reopened as Paul's Kitchen, and later events venue Merrill House, both concepts of Paul Miller's Gr8 Plate Hospitality.
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The buyer has hired James Herd of Collaborative Projects, the building's original architect, to redesign the interior for law offices and mediation rooms, according to NewQuest Properties.
The firm will use the former restaurant's 4,500-bottle wine cellar, Dray said. The exterior and landscaping will also remain intact, while a 1,200-square-foot patio will be enclosed.
Dray represented the law firm, which purchased the building under the name Oficina de Vino LLC. David Littwitz of Littwitz Investments represented the seller, BGM LLC.