Nate99 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Sad to see another parking lot - and that no one could turn this into semi-useful space I would presume parking lot as well, but the revenue off of that would take a while to earn back the cost of demolition. I guess it could be an investor wanting to sit on the land, but even then I would think letting the building [continue to] rot would be a cheaper option on net. But I'm just guessing. The driver said that he had no idea what they were going to do with it post smashing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Yep, permit issued...too bad it couldn't be used. That whole part of Texas is sure different these days. This was one of my favorite pictures, Hogan-Allnoch in the lower corner, from the roof of the William Penn Hotel: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nole23 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Sad to see this building go. I was hoping they could turn it into something cool. Now I hope they can build a highrise apartment/hotel in its place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Sad to see this building go. I was hoping they could turn it into something cool. Now I hope they can build a highrise apartment/hotel in its place.I totally agree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 This is extremely disappointing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 The building appeared to be in reasonably good shape, why did it need to be torn down? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adr Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Harris County ROW is still listed as the owner on HCAD, but on their website they have it listed as sold. Anyone got a lead on the buyer? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 However, there are major structural issues with the property and it was almost demolished in 2009: "It could cost $4.7 million to resolve the warehouse's structural issues, according to an August 2008 engineering report. "The problem with the [Hogan-Allnoch] building is that the brick is load-bearing brick," Ellwood says. "Unfortunately, with the settling of the earth, the building basically has been compromised. There are pretty substantial cracks going all the way from the bottom to the top." http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/todays-news/houston-spares-two-buildings.html There were structural issues - it would have required a lot of renovation work to become anything more than a single floor building with very high ceilings 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Well I guess it's a good reason. Houston is starting to save a lot of structures now. So it seems the owner just didn't want to fork up more money to just save the building since it's such a prime piece of real estate. I'm hoping for residential in its place. Hey on the bright side nothing compares to the 1000s of buildings demolished for Government Square in Boston. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Well I guess it's a good reason. Houston is starting to save a lot of structures now. So it seems the owner just didn't want to fork up more money to just save the building since it's such a prime piece of real estate. I'm hoping for residential in its place. Hey on the bright side nothing compares to the 1000s of buildings demolished for Government Square in Boston. Some can be saved, others can not. In the last 15 years or so, in Downtown off the top of my head, these buildings have been repurposed from an abandoned (or nearly abandoned) state: Rice HotelHotel IconMagnoliaStowersMelroseSavoy HotelTexaco806 Main/JW MarriottState National BankThat strikes me as a decent batting average, though the Savoy is no great shakes to begin with and 806 was only faux-preservation. It would be nice to save some cool old stuff like this building that didn't make the cut, but outside of subsidizing it in to feasibility with tax money or restrictions (or it being some rich folks' pet project), it's just not worth enough to enough people to do it every time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 (edited) Some can be saved, others can not. In the last 15 years or so, in Downtown off the top of my head, these buildings have been repurposed from an abandoned (or nearly abandoned) state: Rice HotelHotel IconMagnoliaStowersMelroseSavoy HotelTexaco806 Main/JW MarriottState National BankThat strikes me as a decent batting average, though the Savoy is no great shakes to begin with and 806 was only faux-preservation. It would be nice to save some cool old stuff like this building that didn't make the cut, but outside of subsidizing it in to feasibility with tax money or restrictions (or it being some rich folks' pet project), it's just not worth enough to enough people to do it every time. Add to the list: Sam Houston HotelUnion Station500 FanninBayou Lofts BuildingHermann Lofts BuildingCapitol Lofts BuildingByrd's Lofts BuildingFranklin Lofts BuildingHumble Tower (Courtyard/Residence Inn/Springhill Suites)Keystone Lofts BuildingKirby Lofts BuildingSt. GermainCrowne Plaza Hotel (previously Whitehall Hotel, but had been abandoned for years) On the boards:Great Southwest Building1114 Texas Ave? Edited December 4, 2015 by Houston19514 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Well I guess it's a good reason. Houston is starting to save a lot of structures now. So it seems the owner just didn't want to fork up more money to just save the building since it's such a prime piece of real estate. I'm hoping for residential in its place. Hey on the bright side nothing compares to the 1000s of buildings demolished for Government Square in Boston.Thousands of buildings demolished for Boston's Gvernment Center?Can you find me a link to that? I always knew that they demolished the "Sculley Square" area but "thousands of buildings" seems extremely high to me. I have walked that brick paved wasteland that they built to "modernize" the area and I am having a hard time envisioning that there were "thousands" of buildings there. Citation? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scollay_Square Eventually over 1000 buildings were demolished and 20,000 residents were displaced. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scollay_SquareThanks for this but, other than the statement, it is not cited.Government center is about 60 acres. If over a thousand buildings were demolished, that would be a density of 17-20 buildings per acre (not including streets and alleys, etc). For those who know urban planning (i.e. Not me) does that seem like an appropriate building density for an "old city" like Boston? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 I actually casually looked at this building. Being an auction didn't help. You weren't allowed in. That said, we were scared off for a few reasons; 1) The lot had no parking. None. Any new development would need a parking solution2) The cracks in the brick on the exterior were scary bad and I've saved buildings that people thought I was crazy for doing so3) The type of construction limited any addition possibilities I would have loved to have seen it saved, but the only way it could have been saved is if some eccentric multi-millionaire bought it for a single family residence or live/work space. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 http://billwarner.posthaven.com/a-horror-story-with-bulldozers-it-happened-in-boston-and-almost-happened-in-cambridge-somerville-and-brookline-urban-renewal-the-west-end-and-the-inner-belt-highway-i-695It was a combo of Government Square and a new highway... either way we have no room to complain. Boston almost destroyed 1/4 of its history. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CREguy13 Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Checked the webcam and this building is already gone. That was fast. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nole23 Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 So long neat looking building 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Some Swamplot coverage: http://swamplot.com/excavators-finally-come-for-the-oft-rejected-hogan-allnoch-building-downtown/2015-12-11/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HNathoo Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Not bad - $155psf + demo costs. Some Swamplot coverage: http://swamplot.com/excavators-finally-come-for-the-oft-rejected-hogan-allnoch-building-downtown/2015-12-11/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 It's that final dollar that pushed the winner's bid over the edge 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 It's that final dollar that pushed the winner's bid over the edge The Price is Right style. Nice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Short term? Parking lot. Long term? Boutique Hotel. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/sarnoff/article/Old-downtown-building-sold-and-demolished-with-6692023.php Could end up being another Hampton Inn/Embassy Suites scenario whenever it moves forward. Same developer "We're visiting with several brands, exploring concepts and visiting with our architects to see what we can do there," said Nick Massad Jr., president and CEO of Houston-based American Liberty Hospitality, which owns other downtown hotels and has construction underway on another property nearby. He said the hotel could perhaps have a restaurant and small deli/grocery on the first floor. It could be a couple of years before construction starts. Until then, the site may be used for parking. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Oh my gosh that's terrible. Worse possible developer that could have bought it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmitch94 Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Could we as a community possibly petition this developer to hold to a certain level of architecture? I'm not talking about taking them to court but at least saying "hey can you please not build the crap you usually build." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Short term? Parking lot. Long term? Boutique Hotel. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/sarnoff/article/Old-downtown-building-sold-and-demolished-with-6692023.php Could end up being another Hampton Inn/Embassy Suites scenario whenever it moves forward. Same developer This news should provide an outsize level of consternation here on HAIF. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LarryDierker Posted December 12, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted December 12, 2015 early rendering: 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nole23 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 ^^ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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