Wedge International Tower At 1415 Louisiana St.

[jt16]

I figured I would create a new topic. Does anybody know the history of the Wedge Tower? Clearly there was a garage attached at one time. When did it come down? For what reason?

Also, I've been told that the owner (builder) of the Wedge filed bankruptcy in the 80s with the real estate collapse, and made an apartment on the top floor where the restaurant now is. He tried to keep the building by claiming it as his homestead. He eventually lost that battle.

[Jeebus]

I hate to be a stickler, but this isn't exactly "going up".

[MidtownCoog]

The garage is still there.

[Guest danax]

I hate to be a stickler, but this isn't exactly "going up".

Good stickling. Moved to Skyscrapers.

[Vertigo58]

I've always loved this building. Inside and out. Need more like it. Great wide, fast elevators too.

[gto250us]

I figured I would create a new topic. Does anybody know the history of the Wedge Tower? Clearly there was a garage attached at one time. When did it come down? For what reason?

Also, I've been told that the owner (builder) of the Wedge filed bankruptcy in the 80s with the real estate collapse, and made an apartment on the top floor where the restaurant now is. He tried to keep the building by claiming it as his homestead. He eventually lost that battle.

That builder was the one and only Vince Kickerillo.

[Parrothead]

My wedding reception was at The 43rd, the restaurant at the top of Wedge Tower. The gift room, adjacent to the restaurant, was Kickerillo's old office. It was paneled in ostrich skin. Absolutely incredible.

The 43rd at Wedge Tower

[Subdude]

There wasn't a garage attached. It started as the United Bank Plaza. Originally another tower was to be built there, but the bust in the 1980s put an end to it. There was also a plan to build a second tower in the 1990s but that fell through too.

[editor]

My wedding reception was at The 43rd, the restaurant at the top of Wedge Tower. The gift room, adjacent to the restaurant, was Kickerillo's old office. It was paneled in ostrich skin. Absolutely incredible.

The 43rd at Wedge Tower

Thanks for the link. Looks like it's public, too. And the menu has the cheapest fillet mignon I've seen in a long time -- even for lunch.

[Vertigo58]

There wasn't a garage attached. It started as the United Bank Plaza. Originally another tower was to be built there, but the bust in the 1980s put an end to it. There was also a plan to build a second tower in the 1990s but that fell through too.

That was great that you could find that pic! It would have looked so nice too. Must check out the 43rd floor too! Filet Mignon, mmmmm.

[gto250us]

Tragedy in downtown Houston this morning 16 July 2010. At the parking garage north of the Wedge building. At least two people are dead after falling nearly 10 stories. Not sure what happened but a car is hanging half way out of the garage above where the bodies are.

[ricco67]

Tragedy in downtown Houston this morning 16 July 2010. At the parking garage north of the Wedge building. At least two people are dead after falling nearly 10 stories. Not sure what happened but a car is hanging half way out of the garage above where the bodies are.

Looks like someone took a swan dive, but it only reports one body.

Idiot tried driving his car out, though. That would have caused some serious injuries if he landed on another car or person down below.

Link

[kylejack]

Why do people keep killing themselves at Wedge Tower? We had another thread a while back.

[ricco67]

Why do people keep killing themselves at Wedge Tower? We had another thread a while back.

Maybe it's becoming a jumper's destination?

either that, or the company that they were working for REALLY needs to work on employee morale.

[AtticaFlinch]

Why do people keep killing themselves at Wedge Tower? We had another thread a while back.

I don't know. If someone wanted to kill themselves in a classier and more dramatic way, the Hyatt is only a couple blocks away. A parking garage is just so... plebian. It's unfortunate when people feel the best way to manage their problems is to avoid them altogether. I recently read a report, I don't remember where, that followed several dozen people after failed suicide attempts, and only a handful of them ever made a second attempt. I think suicide is justifiable when you're either old and infirmed or have a terminal illness. Otherwise, it's the lazy man's way of solving difficult problems.

[kylejack]

I solve difficult problems in a lazy man's way all the time!

[AtticaFlinch]

I solve difficult problems in a lazy man's way all the time!

With your trusty TI-85?

[ricco67]

well, I just talked to someone in the area, it seems as if the body (and resulting traffic jam) is still there. figures it might be cleaned up in the next hour, though.

[arisegundo]

He didn't even drive to the top floor. Lazy.

[Fringe]

What an SOB, trying to drive his car off. Would have probably killed an innocent bystander for sure. 

[rsb320]

Maybe he was going to blow his horn on the way down.

I remember when someone drove off of the Houston House parking garage. However, it was an accident. It was kind of freaky to find out years later that you knew the dude.

[gto250us]

The original posting here said two people. That was because they had two sheets out. Apparently the guy came apart after hitting a railing near the ground, hence two sheets.

This is at least the 3rd or 4th jumper in downtown in the past year.

[20thStDad]

Was it the Wedge tower garage or another garage? I was just there Wednesday, glad the douche waited until I was gone. I would be doubly pissed at his cop-out ass if he caused me to get home late. No sympathy for suicides, most especially public ones.

Edited July 16, 2010 by 20thStDad

[Flashman]

I remember many years ago (I would guess 1983 or 1984) a woman killed herself by jumping off the West Loop onto I-10 outbound lanes at about 4:00 PM.

I was trying to get home, and was not at all happy.

I figured she impacted more people's lives that one day than she ever had in her entire life.

Not in a good way.

[JLWM8609]

I remember many years ago (I would guess 1983 or 1984) a woman killed herself by jumping off the West Loop onto I-10 outbound lanes at about 4:00 PM.

I was trying to get home, and was not at all happy.

I figured she impacted more people's lives that one day than she ever had in her entire life.

Not in a good way.

A similar situation happened to my cousin. About 8-10 years ago, she was a bus driver for METRO and was driving one of those articulated Neoplan buses in the HOV lane along 290 when someone jumped off of one of the overpasses over 290 and into her path. Being in the barrier separated HOV lane, she had no other lanes to swerve into, not to mention a big bus at freeway speeds doesn't stop on a dime either. She tried skirting the concrete barrier with the side of the bus to help slow the bus down and to get out of the path as much as possible, but it didn't work. After she was able to stop the bus, one of the passengers got off of the bus to check the person and informed the passengers that the person had been eviscerated.

To this day, my cousin is still affected by that person's decision to use her bus to take their life. Since that day, she has yet to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, big or small.

Edited July 17, 2010 by JLWM8609

[sevfiv]

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed the Katy resident's identity today.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7112820.html

[towerjunkie]

The WEDGE International tower with that Green Neon, how come it doesn't light up anymore? I think it would add more effect to our dull night time skyline in Downtown. So why did they stop turning on that neon. Any specific reasons?

[The Pragmatist]

I'm not sure if there is an answer in this thread, but there may be:

 

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/10821-help-me-improve-downtown-skyscraper-lighting/?hl=%20building%20%20lights

 

I remember them having a long discussion about lights in downtown.

 

I guess we could just have Jean Michel Jarre come back to town to get downtown lit up again.

 

 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

the green neon was light pollution

 

and, it's high maintenance. I think I read something about how the people at Houston House complained about the green neon the night it was turned on, and that it was all damaged during a tropical storm, and not replaced.

[Montrose1100]

I don't miss it too much. Unless it was redone in LED that would change colors.

Power over Houston, now that was night time lighting.

[David DeLaunay]

The is a small section of white neon that comes on but the green neon out line must have been damaged during one of the last hurricanes or the owners just lost interest.

It sure could use the green. It made the building pop. Also Chevron's first tower should turn back on the neon "Halo" it has at the top. That used to look impressive. It's lit with Christmas lights but not the warm neon it had years ago.

 

[houstontexasjack]

Color changing LED's would be nice. They'd fit in with what was installed on top of Wells Fargo Plaza.

[cloud713]

GAgreed this would be better with color changing LEDs. We need to bring back the power of Houston!

[nativehoustonion]

Because it is so ugly.

 

 

[ChannelTwoNews]

On 7/28/2007 at 11:36 AM, Subdude said:

There wasn't a garage attached. It started as the United Bank Plaza. Originally another tower was to be built there, but the bust in the 1980s put an end to it. There was also a plan to build a second tower in the 1990s but that fell through too.

http://xs36.xs.to/pics/05271/UnitedBankPlaza.jpg

Years ago, I found an ad for the original version in a pre-bust edition of the Houston Post when I was doing some research. Didn't realize Kickerillo was the head of the bank - had only heard of his homebuilding company that came about later on. I'll have to dig it out of my files eventually since I printed it out. 

The base makes more sense when viewed in that context since I think there was supposed to have been somewhat of an atrium that bridged the towers and the shared garage. Looked like it would have just been a shorter version in terms of design.

Since there is link rot - wasn't the 90s / early 2000's version more of a standard glass-box tower? It's been a while since I've seen the rendering.

WEDGE is still marketing that side of the block for what it's worth.

Saw another lease had been shored up at the existing tower.

https://realtynewsreport.com/rnr-real-estate-briefs-texas-more-14/

"HOUSTON – The Royston, Rayzor, Vickery & Williams law firm leased 11,611 SF at the 1415 Louisiana building in downtown Houston. Griff Bandy and John Zivley of Partners Real Estate represented the law firm in the transaction. The landlord, Wedge Commercial Properties, was represented by Connor Saxe of Cushman & Wakefield."