Description: The recent demolition of a $24 million historic home by Astros owner Jim Crane renewed conversations about the preservation of the iconic River Oaks neighborhood. Since its founding in the 1920s, the high-income Houston enclave became a quiet retreat from the rest of the city where the wealthy invested in building beautiful, architecturally significant homes. One by one though, many of these historic mansions are getting demolished and replaced with more modern designs. A handful of owners have renovated and preserved some vintage houses, but at great cost and effort. In this episode of Looped In, co-hosts Marissa Luck and Rebecca Schuetz talk with architectural reporter Diane Cowen about Crane’s home, another $13.5 million mansion previously owned by billionaire Fayez Sarofim and why some preservationists are wary about changes underway in River Oaks.

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History of Houston’s iconic River Oaks is disappearing with tear downs

Astros owner Jim Crane demolishes $24 million historic River Oaks homes

1937 River Oaks home owned by late billionaire Fayez Sarofim hits the market for $13.5M

Renovation of River Oaks home that others owners gave up on

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