77017 Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 I'm sorry if there's already a post on this. Did anyone else notice the building being gutted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 I hadn't noticed, but I'll swing by there when I leave the office. We used to debate uses for that building all day long, when I officed across the street at Great Southwest. Hopefully, someone finally moved on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 (edited) they demolished the back area of the building (it was a kitchen/cafeteria area) a little while ago. this building has been in limbo for a long time. they had also started gutting ben milam next door, but i think that didn't go too far...i'll post pictures if i can find em Edited December 30, 2005 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 I remember them doing some kind of demolition work to Ben Milam Square, but I think they were removing the fire escapes. It may have been in effort to discourage the homeless/addicts from sneaking in at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 A few years ago it was purchased, by the same developer as the Stowers Building. At the time they said it would probably be redeveloped into residential, but I don't think anything will come of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 yeah, i believe aaron wiese properties was/is behind it. it's just a tough market with the older buildings that need work, i guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 (edited) Unlike the Ben Milam, where it appeared they only pulled trash out of the first floor, there are gutting Cenikor from what appears to be every floor. Note all of the drywall piled on the first floor roof, plus the trash chute several floors up. I noticed they finally painted over tagger "Jade" and "Next", whose handiwork has been on the top floor for years. Edited December 31, 2005 by RedScare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 ah interesting. i wonder how much they actually pulled out of ben milam - i mean, there was really nothing much on the first floor except large kitchen equipment (which i didn't really see in the dumpster). as far as william penn (cenikor), there is/was nothing much left in the building except a few desks and some workout equipment, and quite a few dusty books from cenikor's library (guess they didn't want them at the new place).all the levels seemed to had been "remodeled" with linoleum (probably in the seventies/eighties), but still keeping the relativley smallish hotel-sized rooms with the central hallway that bisects the building. if they gut completely, it would seem to be easy to make decent sized apartments or whatnot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
77017 Posted December 31, 2005 Author Share Posted December 31, 2005 I noticed they finally painted over tagger "Jade" and "Next", whose handiwork has been on the top floor for years.Ha! I went 2 skool wit next. Kool people. If I remember right all dey did was a pro astros "hit a homerun here!" type tag. Houston history. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houstonian in Iraq Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 Thanks for the picture Red. Now I know what building y'all are talking about. Passed by it hundreds of times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 Sevfiv you're a lot better at breaking and entering than I am. Tried to check it out, but security chucked me out. Here it is in better days. In addition to the air conditioning, the other amenities listed on the back are circulating ice water and combination tub and shower. Hard to imagine that's the best they could come up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 i may enter, but seldom break neat main staircase behind the sign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 Nice pictures.I thought the Cenikor building at one time had been slated to be yet another hotel and was owned by the same people who own the new Sam Houston Hotel (or whatever it's called now)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 I was told by some employees at Sam Houston (Alden) that the owners owned some other property for another hotel also. They did not know which building though.BTW, the old building on the left of the sign picture is the Great Southwest building. The lighted window near the top of the building was my old office. Pretty sweet views from there, especially off the balconies in front of the windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 how did you get in?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 a demolition permit was issued for this address on december 27th. there was no detail (as in full demo or interior) and it also said it was a residential demolition i will be going there after work to see, but i just drove by there a couple days ago and nothing seemed different...seems like once a permit is issued, the place is gone immediately! and i teleport to get in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 a demolition permit was issued for this address on december 27th. there was no detail (as in full demo or interior) and it also said it was a residential demolition i will be going there after work to see, but i just drove by there a couple days ago and nothing seemed different...seems like once a permit is issued, the place is gone immediately! and i teleport to get in sweet lord, what a travesty it would be to knock down this building. I certainly hope that's not the case. I understand it's more economicaly feasable to raze the place and rebuild, but this building would be wonderful if redone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 I wouldn't be upset about a complete demolition if I knew that a large-scale development was taking its place but I doubt the latter's in play. Our worst fears my include them demo'ing the entire building to make room for yet another parking lot to serve MMP.That would be awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 I know that by the mere fact that we are Houstonians, we fear the worst anytime demo permit and old building are used in the same sentence, but there are some suggestions that this might not be the case. For instance, why paint over graffitti if you are about to knock down a building?The photo earlier in this thread clearly shows interior demo. There is a huge pile of plaster/drywall on the roof of the one-story addition. Why would they go to that trouble if the entire building is coming down? These are just a few things that I noticed that don't add up to the usual total demo.Maybe I am being optimistic. We will know shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
77017 Posted January 3, 2006 Author Share Posted January 3, 2006 I'm betting on a surface parking lot, the bastards. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 I know that by the mere fact that we are Houstonians, we fear the worst anytime demo permit and old building are used in the same sentence, but there are some suggestions that this might not be the case. For instance, why paint over graffitti if you are about to knock down a building?The photo earlier in this thread clearly shows interior demo. There is a huge pile of plaster/drywall on the roof of the one-story addition. Why would they go to that trouble if the entire building is coming down? These are just a few things that I noticed that don't add up to the usual total demo.Maybe I am being optimistic. We will know shortly.Good points, and I asked myself the one about covering up the graffiti specifically. Seems like a big waste of time if you were tearing the entire building down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 yes, good points. i wonder if the interior demolition began after the 27th... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 a demolition permit was issued for this address on december 27th. there was no detail (as in full demo or interior) and it also said it was a residential demolition i will be going there after work to see, but i just drove by there a couple days ago and nothing seemed different...seems like once a permit is issued, the place is gone immediately! and i teleport to get in According to my sources, teleportation is still years away... But if this is true then how did you manage to overcome the problem of closing the Dirac jump and assembling the molecules at the endpoint??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 I really would not be surprised to see a conversion into an SRO here, like they did with the old DeGeorge hotel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Drove by here this morning.I sure would like the cement urns on the backside if they plan to throw those away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 the urns are neat-o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 So 1/4 of this buidling is dust. They are banging it up pretty good. Looks like (hopefully) someone got my urn.This building looks fine to me. I could think of a lot others that need to be demolished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 (edited) thanks for the update - are they stopping there, or is it all coming down do you think? Edited January 24, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Looks like it's all coming down. They have a wrecking ball/crane that is just about as tall as the building.They knocked out the back first, and have started chipping away on the west side starting at the top floor.Could be fun to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Looks like it's all coming down. They have a wrecking ball/crane that is just about as tall as the building.They knocked out the back first, and have started chipping away on the west side starting at the top floor.Could be fun to watch.argh...i am going to have to sneak outta here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Great. More surface parking. Downtown needs more of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 how long do you think it'll take to bring it all down? i should just leave work...heh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Is Hakeem still the slumlord on some of the other fugly buildings near by?Does he own that disaster near the steak house?They were not working on it this morning at of 8:30.Looks like they may have started yesterday. I think it'll take a little while.It took them a couple of weeks to rip out the back. Then again, those cranes are not cheap to rent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 ben milam is owned by david smith, per the "groundskeeper" (can you say of mice and men?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 okay, so the building was (mostly) there, but something or someone goofed because there were all sorts of fire/emergency crews there blocking the streets surrounding it. someone mentioned a fire in the basement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Yep, they are performing permanent graffitti abatement. The northwest corner of the building has 10-15 feet of brick and concrete knocked out of it.While looking at it though, I saw workers at the Ben Milam (actually, in the parking garage next to Ben Milam). It looked like they were removing things from it, though I could not tell what they were removing. Could Ben Milam be going to meet it's maker, as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 As of this AM a little more progress, but not much. Where is the TNT when you need it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 (edited) i saw the ben milam workers as well....looked like railing from the garage balconies...hmmm Edited January 25, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 i saw the ben milam workers as well....looked like railing from the garage balconies...hmmm As in...recycling the steel before the walls come down? That's why the workers were in Cenikor. They took the windows and fixtures, etc. All that's left will go to a recycling plant, too. If no one was going to rehab them, I'm fine with demo'ing them. It just irritates me that nothing will go up in it's place, except $30 parking for Astros games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToolMan Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) I hate to see this building go but it was an awesome site. It was around 12:00am and I just missed the wrecking ball pic. There was a wrecking ball, crane, bulldozer, and a guy with a firehose. Edited January 26, 2006 by ToolMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houstonian in Iraq Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Great pictures ToolMan Too bad they couldn't save this building. I really hate surface lots just as much as Coog hates storage places and Red hates drycleaners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 as soon as the building is down (a week to two weeks, according to the foreman) i will post pictures...i have about 200 so far (but of course i'll snip it down ) the really great part is that the owner of the building (wiese i believe) is keeping the frontispiece (that reads "wm penn hotel") for himself. maybe he likes to collect mementos of destroyed buildings... anyhow, i will be there every night until it is gone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 On the backside of the hotel, there used to be an old sign painted on the side of the building, probably from the 50's, that showed bus destinations to certain cities and the cost and mileage.Did anyone ever get a picture of that? i always wanted to but i forgot everytime i went to an astros game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 yes, it was on the back of ben milam...i have a picture somewhere...i'll see of i can find it On the backside of the hotel, there used to be an old sign painted on the side of the building, probably from the 50's, that showed bus destinations to certain cities and the cost and mileage.Did anyone ever get a picture of that? i always wanted to but i forgot everytime i went to an astros game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesternGulf Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) Those pics are mesmerizing. Wow, after how many years? Another historic building taken out of the skyline. What is taking its spot again eventhough the structure is surrounded by surface lots? Please don't say nothing. Just when I thought Houston put the brakes on these type of habits in downtown. Edited January 26, 2006 by WesternGulf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 the demolition is almost painful to watch...each night, that (relatively) small wrecking ball just dinks away at it. bleh.hcad says it was built in 1956 - waaaay wrong! i have materials from william penn decades older. it was built around the time of ben milam, i believe - mid 1920's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 yes, it was on the back of ben milam...i have a picture somewhere...i'll see of i can find it tanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 (edited) keep your eyes out for an article in the chronicle (with the help of the GHPA i believe) about this debacle...they are working on one now Edited January 27, 2006 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 That's nuts.All the while the cement block across the street keeps on keeping on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 the demolition is almost painful to watch...each night, that (relatively) small wrecking ball just dinks away at it. bleh.I've seen smaller buildings imploded, in areas just as dense. Any ideas as to why they didn't go that route? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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