[WestGrayGuy]

The building I am referring to is the old bank building bounded by the streets: Webster, Milam, Travis and Gray. It is probably 12-15 stories and on the very Northern edge of midtown.

What can be done with this building? Can it be economically turned into resiential? Surely asbestos abatement would negate this. Can a business come in and renovate? Should it be another casualty of Houston's tear down craze?


To crater or not to crater?

[dbigtex56]

Just a few months ago I would have unhesitatingly said "Crater!".

But after some of the comments made on this board (especially in the Houston Mod section) I've gained a new appreciation for this building. The mosaic-like stonework on the south facade is especially pleasing.

The parking garage on the southwest corner does not relate to the building at all; if Central Bank was to be renovated, I'd hope a more sympathetic garage would replace it.

Someone once mentioned the name of the architect who designed this building - if anyone knows, please refresh my memory.

Aside from the asbestos abatement, another issue might be noise from the Pierce Elevated. I've heard that lower units on the north side of 2016 Main are plagued with that problem. I also wonder about the mechanical systems (heating-a/c, elevators, wiring, plumbing...)

Aesthetics aside, the economics look pretty daunting.

[The Great Hizzy!]

The problem is that it doesn't look like it would serve any other interests otuside of the commercial office market. It doesn't look like the best structure for a condo reconfiguration or a hotel. However, I could be wrong.

Otherwise, keeping it around seems to not really serve a purpose. It's sort of like an eyesore between downtown and Midtown.

I think of greater concern are the Savoy and old Days Inn hotels. They're better designed for condo/loft/what-have-you redevelopment, especially the Savoy.

[WestGrayGuy]

I thought the same thing about the old World Trade building next to Minute Maid park. I didn't think anything could be done with that building.

Thanks to the foresite for Tillman Fertitta, the building looks great as the Inn at the Ballpark.

[SpaceAge]

I believe this is the photograph you are referring to. Is this the Central National Bank Building or the Cenuury Building? Or are there two buildings connected?

They are nice looking- much better than what would be put up now. The quality of detail could not be duplicated today with the cheap curtain walls, foam stucco, fake stone, or the apartment complex like town house lofts they are filling this area with. I am concerned this area will be in decay again in 10 years due to the lack of quality of the new buildings.

The Central Bank Building was a real swinging place-the second location of Glenn McCarthy's Cork Club in 1957 after he sold the legendary Shamrock Hotel to Hilton. Glenn McCarthy was known as "King of the Wildcatters" and was played by James Dean in the movie Giant. The Cork Club featured the top entertainers of the era including Frank Sinatra. (The last location of the Cork Club was to be at the office tower on Highway 6 at Memorial Drive in 1983 but the economic bust left that building unfinished for years and the club did not open.)

The Central Bank Building is said to be haunted, especially the top floor where the club was. In the 1980's the radio staions KKBQ 93FM and KULF/KKBQ 790AM
had their offices there. The best and most popular morning radio show of all times- the Q Morning Zoo staring John Lander, Jackie Robbins, Rio, Mr. Leonard, and Clete Dumpster- was broadcast from there. Ken Hoffman, with the Chronicle, was one of their writers. Jackie is now on the 107.5 morning show. They would often mention strange things that occurred in the building.

Recalling the lost information from the Lucian Hood III posts, architect Lars Bang had established a firm and Lucian Hood, Jr. later joined it. They had designed the office building in the Rice Village and the Big Doughnut shop, now the Marquies, on Bissonnet, west of Kirby, once shown on this site, and many other buildings and houses.

Bang and Hood split up while working on the Century Building because the developer, Kenneth Schnitzer, wanted to use an engineer that was his relative and Lars Bang wanted to use the engineer they usually used. Hood and Bang remained friends but Lucian Hood III believes they were destined for greatness if they would heve remained together. Schnitzer went on to build much of Greenway Plaza and the Richmond Office District.

This post has been edited by SpaceAge: Saturday, January 21, 2006 at 3:24 AM

[Subdude]

Thanks for the info space age. According to the old database the Century and Central Bank buildings are the same. The asbestos problem limits things, but if demand ever was strong enough it might be worth it. The problem with asbestos buildings is that you just can't blow them up to demolish them, so it may be cheaper to just sit on them and hope the economics turn around. I have always envisioned this as condo potential, although that may not be realistic.

Space Age might the Cork Club have arrived there later? Does the building date to 1957? It looks newer than that.

[SpaceAge]

According to my 1969 city directory, it must consist of two buildings.

Central National Bank
2100 Travis
12 floors and a basement 10' ht.
Glenn H. McCarthy and The Cork Club- 12th floor
Paul & Paul Architects- 2nd floor
Several radio stations listed

Century Building
2120 Travis
14 floors and a basement 10' ht.
Kenneth L. Schnitzer- 8th floor
Fred Nahas- 4th floor (a local media celebrity)

HCAD has combined them on their site. Part of building is listed as built in 1956 and part in 1957.
295,000sf +/- total bldg, 1+ acre site
The parking garage was built 1961. Has office space on top of garage too.
Shown to have a new owner as of Jan 2002.
HCAD value 2004 is $2.8M

The 1957 date for the club may be correct. Yes, the building does look newer. Lars Bang and Lucian Hood, Jr. were out in front at the time style-wise.

[Subdude]

Thanks for researching that! I have always liked those buildings, but I could see it being years before anything is done with the property.

[Astro]

Thanks for all the interesting info Space Age! I didn't realize there was so much interesting history there. I'm a fan of these buildings too and I really hope they can be saved.

[MidtownCoog]

Please, blow it to high heaven.

The underground garage was filled with water after Allison for over two months.

[Subdude]

MidtownCoog, on Wednesday, September 15th, 2004 @ 11:01am, said:

Please, blow it to high heaven.

The underground garage was filled with water after Allison for over two months.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So were some other garages, like the civic center. Why does that mean it should be blown to high heaven?

[MidtownCoog]

Cuz it's an ugly dump and a bad location.

With all the new traffic on Hadley and Webster, nobody will ever have a chance to exit.

Traffic patters have changed, and worked against that building.

[dbigtex56]

MidtownCoog, on Thursday, September 16th, 2004 @ 9:39am, said:

Cuz it's an ugly dump and a bad location.

With all the new traffic on Hadley and Webster, nobody will ever have a chance to exit. 

Traffic patters have changed, and worked against that building.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now why does that remind me of this song ?

[MidtownCoog]

I used to sit next to this building everday in traffic when Pierce was being rebuilt in 2000.

It's a dump not worth saving. If it was any value at all, it would not just be sitting there. It's another Plaza Hotel.

Going nowhere, and a general eyesore in the process.

Print It

[Dream]

Put all the "Midtown leaders" in it and blow it up and l hope it falls on the Greyhound bus station.

Post It.

Dream

[20sGirl]

Dream, on Thursday, September 16th, 2004 @ 11:06pm, said:

Put all the "Midtown leaders" in it and blow it up and l hope it falls on the Greyhound bus station.

Post It.

Dream

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dream-
Why is your signature dedicated to Montrose 1100?

[deepsouthtexas]

Dream, on Friday, September 17th, 2004 @ 12:06am, said:

l hope it falls on the Greyhound bus station.

Post It.

Dream

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What an elitist.

[SpaceCity]

deepsouthtexas, on Tuesday, October 5th, 2004 @ 8:51am, said:

What an elitist.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wanted it to fall on a St. Louis Cardinal.

[squatterkid]

Let's see, how do I start this. Basically paying rent sucks so I've lived in quite a few empty buildings in the Houston area. Kapish?

Central Square is indeed two buildings. I'm not sure if they we're built seperately and joined later, but it certainly seems so, as navigating the place can be a freaking maze. There's also a third one story building that's cinderblocked off from the rest (used to be connected) on the northwest corner.

It is indeed a very ugly building. As much on the inside as on the out. Some pretty bad leaks in the building, and salvagers (crackheads) who also lived there have ripped out all of the copper and most of the brass. The noise from the Pierce elevated is actually barely noticeable, even on the lower levels. The building has very few windows on the North, East and South sides. (none on the south) I made a boat to explore the flooded basement. (pretty common in houston)

I would certainly believe that the upper stories are haunted. Weird feeling up there. And there's actually a bathroom on the VERY top with a window directly in front of the toilet that seems oddly placed. Like encouraging suicide. Very strange.

Very awesome HUGE map of Houston from the sheriff dispatch office that used to be in there. Still very easy to get into in case someone happens to know David Cook or whatever the realtors name is.

I also lived in the Savoy and have plenty of stories and opinions about that place. Houston is a squatters paradise. And before anybody yells at me, I never cause harm to a building, on the contrary, I often improve them. Unless the landlord is a jerk.

[SpaceAge]

Have you ever been to the 12th floor of the Central National Bank building? Can you see any remains of a night club or radio stations?