MidtownCoog Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 or a Wal-Mart down the streetWhich used to the old school 1950s Sears store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 I used to work in that building, and it was almost totally empty (to the point of being creepy). I think that it's an awesome example of mod architecture and that it should be preserved.what was it like inside? how long has it been empty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunchbox Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 what was it like inside? how long has it been empty?I'm not sure how long it's been vacant. I worked there about six years ago in an office, and it was one of two occupied suites on that floor. The bank that was one the ground floor moved into a new building across the street about two years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 (edited) I drove through this part of Pasadena today and circled this building. It looked like there were another couple of large parking lots up for sale adjacent to the building, and considering the high costs of demolition and what has to be relatively low costs of land, it would surprise me if it made sense to tear the thing down. It's one thing to see high-rise teardowns in the CBD, where land can often go for $60 to $100+ per square foot, but for five acres in Pasadena without an immediately-accessible freeway? Something is very odd about this.Anybody know what the asking price is? Edited March 25, 2006 by TheNiche Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 (edited) Anybody know what the asking price is?2 millionhttp://houston.commercialexchange.com/harp...detail&ln=14421 Edited March 26, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 (edited) this is one of my favorite oddball detailings on the building (aside from the near-roof ones that were previously posted) Edited April 1, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 this is one of my favorite oddball detailings on the building (aside from the near-roof ones that were previously posted) That photo reminds me of the S&R I building at UH. The roof of which, by the way, is a great place to view the Houston skyline(s)...including the Pasadena refinery skyline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 That photo reminds me of the S&R I building at UH. The roof of which, by the way, is a great place to view the Houston skyline(s)...including the Pasadena refinery skyline.That's interesting. I had someone tell me exactly that same thing the other day, comparing the Pasadena building to the S&R building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer Street Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 That's interesting. I had someone tell me exactly that same thing the other day, comparing the Pasadena building to the S&R building.Because both are done by same architects, maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Because both are done by same architects, maybe? Well that explains that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceAge Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 Thanks for posting all the beautiful photos of this great building. Yes, MacKie & Kamrath were the architects on both First Pasadena Bank (1962) and Science and Research (1969). S&R was my favorite building at UH. I was lucky to have about five classes there. I always took my Fortran punch cards there to be entered into the computer to see if I had punched all the holes correctly. It would take 15 to 30 minutes on every attempt so I would often get an icecream sandwich and eat it while sitting on the floor in the lobby, just soaking in all the details. S&R was only eleven years old then but it seemed much older. It has the same stained glass details shown above in the stairways. I can still remember the smell of the floor tiles and rubber edging in those hot stairways. This was my favorite classroom. I remember seeing a reduced floorplan for First Pasadena Bank and there is much more to it than just the tower. There is a large half circular portion around the rear and sides of the tower. This portion may have a basement with cafeteria. A filmmaker has indicated she will soon be producing a documentary about the bank building. This building is absolutely wonderful and needs to reclaim its position as the symbol of Pasadena. The city should buy it for their city hall. From the 1969 Cole's Directory, the building was leased mostly by doctors, attorneys, and insurance agencies. The architecture firm of Ressler & Applebaum were there. They were founded in 1963 and are now known as RA Architects. Perry Ressler is deceased. Hy Applebaum, first certified in 1958, continues the practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer Street Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 s&r looks old, but still looking good, though. although it's kinda hidden from street by that new pelli's building... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Because both are done by same architects, maybe?Is this confirmed? Any name(s)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer Street Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Yes, MacKie & Kamrath were the architects on both First Pasadena Bank (1962) and Science and Research (1969). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchful Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 An article in last week's Pasadena Citizen...Building may become victim of progressBy:JENNIFER BRANCH, Citizen Reporter04/21/2006According to Pasadena Mayor John Manlove, Pasadena is gearing up for revitalization. Part of this revitalization, said Manlove, will possibly come in the form of destruction. http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?new...id=532238&rfi=6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 An article in last week's Pasadena Citizen...Building may become victim of progress By:JENNIFER BRANCH, Citizen Reporter 04/21/2006 "Officials however, think that steps taken with the Bank One Building might be the first of many that could lead the north side of Pasadena down the road to rejuvenation and revitalization: a revisitation of the bustling, lively city that was Pasadena in the mid 20th century." can't they see the bank building as the actual symbol of "a revisitation of the bustling, lively city that was Pasadena in the mid 20th century"!?! they actually have it right there empty, at a low price ---ready to convert into a civic center, community services, anything.. i am supposing that they will demolish the capitan theatre next since it is empty and only currently used as storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 can't they see the bank building as the actual symbol of "a revisitation of the bustling, lively city that was Pasadena in the mid 20th century"!?! they actually have it right there empty, at a low price ---ready to convert into a civic center, community services, anything.. i am supposing that they will demolish the capitan theatre next since it is empty and only currently used as storage. the capitan was brought back to life by someone interested in its history. it was also run down prior to being restored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torvald Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 (edited) the capitan was brought back to life by someone interested in its history. it was also run down prior to being restored.last time i checked it was empty and the doors locked (less than a month ago). the windowsto the left had cardboard boxes stacked in front of it that had papers from either a school or community college in them. you could also see many more boxes throughout the room. the marquee looks great --- the rest, not horrid but in disarray. Edited April 28, 2006 by torvald Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 An article in last week's Pasadena Citizen...Building may become victim of progress By:JENNIFER BRANCH, Citizen Reporter 04/21/2006 According to Pasadena Mayor John Manlove, Pasadena is gearing up for revitalization. Part of this revitalization, said Manlove, will possibly come in the form of destruction. http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?new...id=532238&rfi=6 thanks for the update - so who wants to protest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchful Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 thanks for the update - so who wants to protest? Or does someone want to buy it... ...it is a way cool building - but it is hard to see a large office building prospering in that location... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Or does someone want to buy it......it is a way cool building - but it is hard to see a large office building prospering in that location... The problem is that somebody already bought it...that and the broker jacked around another fella who had planned on converting it to seniors housing and building a retail center on the adjacent parking lot. But then, I can't talk too much about that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmancuso Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 thanks for the update - so who wants to protest? i'm game. just think with the trend converting buildings no longer profitable for corporate use to residential, this building would be perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 A reprieve?Pasadena preservationists can rest easy.Or at least more easily than they might have a few months ago.Pasadena's former First Pasadena State Bank building, a 12-story landmark at Southmore Avenue and Pasadena Boulevard, will apparently be spared the wrecking ball.Important reasons for saving the building are its beauty and architecture, Reed said.Many people have noted that the building's style is reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright, the architectural icon who died in 1959 at the age of 92.Two of the bank building's architects, Houston-based Frederick James MacKie and Karl Kamrath, were influenced by Wright after Kamrath met Wright in Chicago in 1946, according to the Handbook of Texas Online.Kamrath and MacKie designed the Pasadena bank building in conjunction with their colleague Lloyd Borget and Pasadena architects Symond E. "Buddy" Doughtie and Jack Porterfield.full article from the chron:http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/pas...ws/3868859.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 (edited) A reprieve?full article from the chron: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/pas...ws/3868859.html praise the lard! i was worried about that one (of course the minute you turn your back... ) Edited May 18, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 praise the lard!i was worried about that one (of course the minute you turn your back... ) yep...me too. notice though it said "apparently" spared and not definately spared. somewhere down the line...when we least expect it....someone may drive a crane with a wrecking ball over there at midnight on a sunday. at least there seems to now be an awareness and some acknowledgement of its architectural and historical value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 yep...me too.notice though it said "apparently" spared and not definately spared. somewhere down the line...when we least expect it....someone may drive a crane with a wrecking ball over there at midnight on a sunday. at least there seems to now be an awareness and some acknowledgement of its architectural and historical value. Considering the price that they got, it makes no sense whatsoever to tear the thing down when the margins on a residential redevelopment are stupendously high. Barring some structural flaw of which I am not aware, you can take this comment to the bank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxmulder Posted June 1, 2006 Share Posted June 1, 2006 (edited) Anyone have any info of the bank one tower later "pasadena first national" awhile back there was some spraypaint at the top. Now there is a sign that says "no tresspassing" http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/719.php Edited June 1, 2006 by foxmulder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted June 1, 2006 Share Posted June 1, 2006 existing thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 1, 2006 Share Posted June 1, 2006 Duplicate, so closing this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PasadenaTexan Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Considering the price that they got, it makes no sense whatsoever to tear the thing down when the margins on a residential redevelopment are stupendously high. Barring some structural flaw of which I am not aware, you can take this comment to the bank.Thank You for the Postings of Support and the Great Pictures of Our Grand Lady The First Pasadena State Bank Building, in Pasadena,Texas. I have Lived here in Pasadena,Texas 49 years and as long as I can recall 1st PasadenaState Bank has been Our Skyline, With the exception of a few 6story hospitals or office/banks. The Grand Lady of Pasadena has been our Only Claim to architicural Fame so to speak. The Lady has fallen victim to Progression, Our City Business District has been on the move South since the Late 50's. We Started at Sterling( Hwy 225) then 1956 Southmore Ave. then 1970's Spencer Hwy. then 1990's Fairmont Parkway. Our Mayor feels we have no further use for the FPSB it's time has come and gone as did a larger number of other businesses on Southmore. Many folks here in town feel tearing down the Grand Lady is a nothing more than a ploy to put in another short lived Fast Food Joint. As Houstonians have seen Over and Over, for the sake of Progress a beautiful but neglected older building is torn down for what, a bigger parking lot or something that won't last as long as the building that there before. The Shamrock Hilton was a Famous World Class Hotel and it died way too soon, sad thing is nothing great has taken it's place YET. In a Local Papers story the FPSB was valued at 1.3 million and was aquired by a Houston Commercial Holdings Company. I have not seen any articles about a remodel only about the Demolishion Permit.I have Voiced often, rather than tearing it down why not move our City Hall into it, from the upper floors you can keep a good eye over the whole city. Cool part is I think as our City hall it would Rival Houston's in Height and Style. We Hope someone with a love for our Buildings style will step in and purchase her and help her with a rebirth of use, that is if the Citie Leaders don't step in and Save Her, as they should. As many of you have stated She is in deed a Grand and Beautiful Lady, maybe not a stately as she once was but still as Grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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