[frid]

Looks like preparation is being made for the demolition of the Crown Plaza hotel in the TMC across from TCH main.
Cherry demolition I think is the name of the demo company sign on the building.

[sevfiv]

other than this article is from Nov. 2005, i can't find much of anything (maybe something has already been posted on this forum, though):

Quote

After more than three decades in operation, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Houston-Medical Center will close its doors next month.
The closing comes on the heels of last month's purchase of the property -- located at 6701 Main St. -- by Baylor College of Medicine. The Crowne Plaza will permanently close its doors on Dec. 18, according to the hotel's Web site and Baylor officials.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto.../14/story5.html

and yeah, Cherry is doing the demolition

Project No:
07057223
Date:
7/20/2007
USE:
COMM DEMO/SEWER DISC
Owner / Occupant:
CROWNE PLAZA MEDICAL CENTER
Job Address:
6701 MAIN ST
Tax ID:
0400440970000011
Buyer:
CHERRY DEMOLITION *
Address:
6131 SELINSKY 77048
Phone:
7139916236

[Jax]

Is anything going in it's place? Why is it being demoed?

[VicMan]

Jax, on Monday, July 30th, 2007 @ 10:20pm, said:

Is anything going in it's place? Why is it being demoed?

Sefviv's post explains it all

[Houston19514]

VicMan, on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 @ 12:26am, said:

Sefviv's post explains it all

Actually, Sevfiv's post did not explain it all, as the linked article said only that there were no definite plans for the site.

According to the Baylor College of Medicine Strategic Plan Progress Report -2006, "Texas Children's Hospital has made a commitment to build a maternity hospital on Fannin Street where the current Wells Fargo Bank Building and Crowne Plaza Hotel currently stand. Programmatic and space planning for this program is well underway and the facility, to be completed in 2010, will be approximately 20 floors in height."

[Jax]

Thanks for the info. That sounds great. It would be sad to see that lot empty for too long, it has so much potential. If the new development has retail and connects with the new Rice research center which will have retail, and the existing Baylor retail area, that would be awesome. The medical center is turning into a real urban district. All it needs nor are apartments nearby, but I guess the metro serves the same purpose (almost).

[ricco67]

That location will suck for foot traffic other than from the Holiday in and the TCH's patients and visitors. It would be rather unlikely that people from metro (but the office workers might!)would be willing to cross holcomb to just grab a snack unless they need to bring something home, at which point, the Drydan location would suffice.

The most challenging crossing would be for those staying at the Holiday Inn, but that can't be helped.

It will be highly unlikely for there to be apartments located anywhere near that area unless they're incorporated into future buildings in the area, and quite frankly, there is a market for high end housing for people that have extended stays in Houston for medical treatment. Hotel ZaZa's getting quite a bit of action for people that are taking treatment at MD Anderson (like I predicted, btw).

[sevfiv]

Houston19514, on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 @ 7:29am, said:

Actually, Sevfiv's post did not explain it all, as the linked article said only that there were no definite plans for the site.

According to the Baylor College of Medicine Strategic Plan Progress Report -2006, "Texas Children's Hospital has made a commitment to build a maternity hospital on Fannin Street where the current Wells Fargo Bank Building and Crowne Plaza Hotel currently stand. Programmatic and space planning for this program is well underway and the facility, to be completed in 2010, will be approximately 20 floors in height."

thanks - that was the information i couldn't find.

here is the report:
http://www.bcm.edu/p...-report2006.pdf

the Crowne Plaza information is on page 27

[Jax]

Oh, I didn't realize it was all the way across Holcomb. I pictured it closer to Dryden or University for some reason...

This post has been edited by Jax: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 8:38 AM

[sevfiv]

Jax, on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 @ 8:38am, said:

Oh, I didn't realize it was all the way across Holcomb. I pictured it closer to Dryden or University for some reason...

it is between Holcombe and Dryden:

This post has been edited by sevfiv: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 8:46 AM

[Jax]

I see - so you wouldn't have to cross Holcombe to get there.

[sevfiv]

Jax, on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 @ 9:19am, said:

I see - so you wouldn't have to cross Holcombe to get there.

nope - not from downtown, Rice, or Med Center north of Holcombe

This post has been edited by sevfiv: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 9:21 AM

[ricco67]

Does anyone know what kind of demo this is going to be? Is it going to be a conventional, explosive, or combo? that's a significantly sized building. Look at how long it took to demo the last building on that street, and then they had to finish it with a explosion!

[sevfiv]

ricco67, on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 @ 9:33am, said:

Does anyone know what kind of demo this is going to be? Is it going to be a conventional, explosive, or combo? that's a significantly sized building. Look at how long it took to demo the last building on that street, and then they had to finish it with a explosion!

i am guessing implosion.

they had to be really careful about the Methodist West Pavilion/Diagnostic Center demolition because of the adjacent building, but this one isn't so cozy

This post has been edited by sevfiv: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 9:55 AM

[danielsonr]

http://www.tchvision...03Maternity.htm

[strickn]

danielsonr, on Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 @ 11:31am, said:

http://www.tchvision...03Maternity.htm

That report says 14 floors, although there is a wing at right which has around 18 over a roof garden atop a three or four storey podium. The way these institutions are growing, I wish they would just go ahead and build a dozen floors of shell space over every fully programmed layout.

[spikey2]

The old Crown Plaza is now scheduled for implosion on November 11- 2007
The Holiday Inn across the street will have a roof top breakfast party to allow invited guest to witness the implosion

[plumber2]

Fannin, Main and the Light Rail will close aroung 6:15AM that morning. Best street level viewing would be from Southgate looking east. The TCH campus will be locked down, not allowing the public to view from inside it's own buildings. I'm sure most of the other instituitions will do the same. Wells Fargo will come down by use of wrecking ball and big dozers.

[Jax]

Why would TCH not allow it's own employees to view the implosion? I know people who have views from their windows at TCH of the Crowne Plaza. I'd like to get some pics of it coming down, if only I knew what time. Any ideas? Some time after 6:15 I guess...

[musicman]

Jax, on Saturday, October 20th, 2007 @ 11:52am, said:

Why would TCH not allow it's own employees to view the implosion?

minimizing safety risks most likely

[sevfiv]

Jax, on Saturday, October 20th, 2007 @ 11:52am, said:

I'd like to get some pics of it coming down, if only I knew what time. Any ideas? Some time after 6:15 I guess...

when the Methodist building was imploded, folks started gathering at Rice early - i was there about thirty minutes before the scheduled time (maybe 6am?).

i think people that work in the vicinity got/will get an email with the specifics.
i'll ask around.

[Jax]

musicman, on Saturday, October 20th, 2007 @ 11:59am, said:

minimizing safety risks most likely

How is looking at it a safety risk? Are they going to evacuate all the rooms with windows on that side of the building?

[musicman]

Jax, on Saturday, October 20th, 2007 @ 5:09pm, said:

Are they going to evacuate all the rooms with windows on that side of the building?

call em and find out if you're that interested.

[spikey2]

Do any one have the schedule for the streets closures for the demolition of this hotel on 11-11-07, will Holcombe close or stay open. What time is the building to come down?

[sevfiv]

Fannin Street and Main Street between Dryden and Holcombe Blvd. will be closed on Sunday, November 11, 2007 from 6:30 AM until 12:00 PM for implosion of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The implosion is scheduled for 7:10 AM. Inspection and cleanup of the streets will begin immediately after the implosion. The streets will reopen to traffic as soon as possible after the implosion. It is estimated that the cleanup and opening of the streets will occur within 3 hours of the implosion.

Southbound through traffic on Main and Fannin will be detoured to the west on Holcombe, Greenbriar and University.

METRORail service through the Texas Medical Center area will be closed during this time. METRO will provide Bus Bridging to transport METRORail passengers around the affected area.

All drivers and pedestrians will need to follow the detour signage around the area. All hospitals and Texas Medical Center Garage #1 will remain open during the implosion.

http://www.texmedctr.tmc.edu/root/en/Visit...a+Implosion.htm

[Boris]

Just a look around on Windows Live, looks like there's an empty field just to the west and a street level parking lot just south of that. I'm definately going to try to go and get a good position with a videocamera and camera.

Hope I can get some clear shots. If I do I'll post them as soon as possible afterwards.

This post has been edited by Boris: Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 1:05 PM

[Jax]

Cool, 7 am. I think I could deal with that. I might head out there on my bike Sunday morning to see it as well.

[kplo]

Here are some photos of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Demolition from this morning

This post has been edited by kplo: Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 9:37 AM

[ricco67]

Okay, I guess it's now a race for people to see who posts the pictures first.

[JLWM8609]

ricco67, on Sunday, November 11th, 2007 @ 8:44am, said:

Okay, I guess it's now a race for people to see who posts the pictures first.

And videos!
http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e339/joe...nt=100_2997.flv

[bachanon]

kplo, on Sunday, November 11th, 2007 @ 8:36am, said:

Here are some photos of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Demolition from this morning

great pics. thanks......and welcome to the forum kplo.

[kplo]

nice video. i love the way the camera shakes when the first charge goes off.

it was def fun to watch in person, although i'm sure we all got cancer.

[JLWM8609]

kplo, on Sunday, November 11th, 2007 @ 10:22am, said:

nice video. i love the way the camera shakes when the first charge goes off.

it was def fun to watch in person, although i'm sure we all got cancer.

LOL, thanks. I don't know about you, but when that dust cloud was starting to advance my way, this asthmatic and a few other spectators took off running (which explains the rather abrupt end of the video). Some came armed with masks, I probably should've donned one with some goggles and I would've gotten some of the aftermath. I was standing at Fannin and Holcombe when I made the video. I did a brisk jog to my car which was parked at S. Main and Holcombe and managed to avoid the avalanche of asbestos.

[sevfiv]

Here are some pictures in the HAIF gallery:
http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...um&album=34

I have video too, but haven't gotten it online yet.

It also has the big shake on the first BOOM

[Jax]

I took photos as well and I put them together in a time lapse video which is uploading on youtube as we speak. I'll post some photos soon after I have time to go through them all so stay tuned...

It was very impressive. You could really feel the power of the explosives. It made my whole body shake.

I also had to run back to my car and ended up getting dust in my eyes and all over my camera!


HERE is my video. I'll post some photos soon.

This post has been edited by Jax: Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 11:55 AM

[Jax]

[kplo]

Jax, on Sunday, November 11th, 2007 @ 1:30pm, said:

that's a great flick

[sevfiv]

This is a friend's - i thought it was a neat shot (i cropped it a bit to show more detail):

[Boris]

That's a very cool timelaps Jax.

[Jax]

This post has been edited by Jax: Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 7:01 PM

[ChannelTwoNews]

A few from me as well...










The crowd leaving, maybe a block and a half from the site...


And 3-4 blocks out...


The air had cleared for the most part in about 10 minutes time, though my car got rained on with some dust before I got back to it. Pretty good since it was actually a few blocks across the south side of Holcombe.

This post has been edited by ChannelTwoNews: Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 8:35 PM

[Vertigo58]

ChannelTwoNews, on Sunday, November 11th, 2007 @ 9:33pm, said:

A few from me as well...

Best pics yet, I especially like the one showing the building sinking fast at a slant.

Cool! or rather Dyno-mite!

[tmariar]

Anyone know anything more about this, off the KHOU site? Hope it's not true.

"Someone may have been inside the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Medical Center when it imploded Sunday morning, police sources told 11 News. Just before noon Wednesday, police received a tip about a possible death on the site during the implosion. Two crime scene trucks and homicide detectives were at the site of the blast investigating Wednesday. According to the tip, there may be video showing the person inside the building when it went down. It was unclear who had the video. Police have yet to determine if the tip is legitimate."

[sevfiv]

Wow - I sure hope not. I'll have to take a closer look at my video

[Jax]

Somehow it doesn't seem very likely, but who knows. I don't see anybody in my photos...

[gus]

Cherry's Statement:

". . . A home video was provided to HPD leading them to consider that possibility. . . ."

link

An angle that might reasonably show someone inside would be views from the St. Luke's (O'Quinn) Tower to the north, since it would have a clearer view into all the rooms.

Anybody watch or take pics from that building?

[Boris]

Found this video on Youtube. It's a very good angle.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=H49IB1Fnf-4

[Jax]

This is the best view I've seen: http://www.youtube.c...dkfv0e2GCk&NR=1

[gus]

Jax, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 @ 8:38pm, said:

This is the best view I've seen: http://www.youtube.c...dkfv0e2GCk&NR=1

Yeah . . . my guess is that's the one, or a version of it. Hope to have more on it soon.

[sevfiv]

KTRK is reporting that "something" may have been found on the east end of the building...
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=...&id=5762158

Note that the posts regarding the possible fatality have been moved away from the photo thread.