The demolition of the historic Kirby Mansion in Houston has ignited public anger, as the $9.3 million property is reportedly slated for a new convenience store. The 36-room mansion, a rare example of Tudor Revival architecture in the city, was flattened in late October, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Public records link OB Texas Properties LLC, a company associated with Omair and Usman Bashir, co-owners of the national gas station and convenience store chain Brake Time Corner Market, to the purchase of the landmark property around October 1. Omair Bashir is listed as the president and co-owner of the business, which began with his father's first convenience store in Houston in 2004.
Since then, the Bashir brothers have expanded their business significantly, acquiring numerous locations and now operating approximately 300 stores nationwide, including CEFCO and EG America outlets. In September 2025, Brake Time announced plans for about 35 new convenience stores by the end of that year, with three of them designated for Houston.
Permits filed in June with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation detail a $2 million project for a "Braketime Smith Road" to be constructed on the mansion's grounds. The proposed development includes a single-story, 6,143-square-foot convenience store on the 13,254-square-foot property. These plans, filed by Hi Tech Auto Reality LLC with Omair listed as a contact, project completion by October 2028.
However, representatives for Omair Bashir had previously suggested the property might be leased for law firms and office spaces, according to Preservation Houston. Jennifer Kapral, Executive Director of Preservation Houston, expressed disappointment, stating, "We wish the owner had been transparent and honest about the plans for this property and willing to discuss preservation options." She added that Preservation Houston received no response to offers to document the building or salvage materials.
Jim Parsons of a local non-profit echoed these sentiments, noting that the mansion occupied only a portion of the land and development could have potentially occurred alongside the historic structure. He believes the property is almost certainly destined to become a gas station and convenience store, a prospect he described as "salt in the wound."
The Kirby Mansion, originally built in 1894 by JS Price and later acquired and rebuilt by lumber mogul John Henry Kirby, was one of the last remaining structures of the old South End neighborhood. The Daily Mail has reached out to Brake Time Corner Market for comment.