Rice Village strip mall owner sues high-rise developer after sidewalk closures and property damage

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The quaint storefronts of Rice Village will soon stand shoulder with a new high-rise, and businesses say it’s already causing problems.

The Chaucer, which is set to house 32 multi-million-dollar condos, is being built on a 17,500-square-foot plot of land on Rice Boulevard.

Last month, David Gibbs Associates, which owns the Village Square shopping center next door, filed a lawsuit against the developer, the Randall Davis Company.

The suit claims construction crews damaged a sign, destroyed part of the concrete parking lot, and erected a fence one foot beyond the property line.

Village Square tenants like British Isles owner Guy Streatfeild point out that the new fence encroaches on an already narrow driveway.

“It sounds like a small amount of property, but it’s actually quite important,” Streatfeild said.

Other business owners Eyewitness News spoke with complained about the closed sidewalk along Rice Boulevard and a closed lane of traffic.

“It seems so ludicrous that a 20,000, less than 20,000 square foot plot, could house a 12-story condominium,” Streatfeild said.

David Gibbs Associates declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Neither the Randall Davis Company nor Leach Constructors responded to requests for comment, but in a court filing, Randall Davis said it denied all allegations laid out in the lawsuit.

However, court records show that last week, Randall Davis agreed to a temporary injunction barring the company from encroaching on David Gibbs’ property.

Construction continues on the high-rise itself, which Streatfeild labelled a “pretentious abomination.”

“I rather wish that JK Rowling could bring Harry Potter along and wave his magic wand, and the whole thing would disappear,” he said.

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