Houston’s Kirby Mansion is gone. Why wasn’t it a historic landmark?

Houston Chronicle · Michael Garcia · 2026-11-02 20:45 UTC

Houston’s historic Kirby Mansion was demolished after a permit dispute. Here’s how it happened and what preservation advocates say comes next.

Houston’s historic Kirby Mansion, which drew calls for preservation from the community in recent months, was fully demolished Monday after city officials briefly halted work Friday because the operation lacked a permit.

Concerns over the fate of the 19th-century Tudor Revival mansion grew among preservationists and community members after the property was sold in late September to OB Texas Properties LLC, which is owned by Omair Bashir, whose business interests include the Brake Time gas station chain, according to public records.

Usman Bashir, CEO of Houston-based BrakeTime Corner Market, co-owns the convenience-store and gas-station chain with his brother Omair, who serves as its president. Usman Bashir is also an investor on Shark Tank Pakistan.

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