RustyB Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 This is that old eyesore at Leeland/Main. What a pleasent surprise to get up this morning and see it being tore down! Here's a pic...sorry about the quality...I was too lazy to open the glass door to take it. I dug up this old 35mm from a couple of years ago for reference...sorry it's B&W, so you can't appreciate the dome's glowing beauty. Ever since I was a kid, long before I even moved to Houston, I've hated this little building with a passion, for some reason. I think it was some punishing twist of fate that it would end up outside my apartment window. I'm glad it's gone. It was surrounded by a chain link fence, and filled with junk/trash. I think it was just being used for storage or hobos or something. Anyone know what year it was built, or other info? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 can't find any records except that it is owned by "Bell Realty Corp." the hcad record shows a value for improvement, but no details on the improvement it was kind of an odd place - i'll check some city directories when i get home aerial image from local.live.com: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Hey, I always liked that building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 (edited) Hey, I always liked that building.was it a bank? like the bank with the similar old gold dome that was a bank united/wamu et al near the summit?http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29....p;z=19&om=1 Edited July 11, 2007 by gnu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 (edited) was it a bank? like the bank with the similar old gold dome that was a bank united/wamu et al near the summit?http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29....p;z=19&om=1He was right it was a perfect rest area for homeless. I say pop open a bottle of your best champagne now that its history!The one across the street is equally pathetic circa 1968? and not in a cool way either. It always bothered me to see the poor palm tree so overgrown and neglected it was smushed up against a concrete wall and once in a blue moon would someone chop off the fronds. Ug like chopping off roses before they open. Both buildigs had abandoned shopping carts, pools of yuk, I'd rather change the subject.Yes it was a bank at one time. Happy trails. Edited July 11, 2007 by Vertigo58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativehou Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 was it a bank? like the bank with the similar old gold dome that was a bank united/wamu et al near the summit?http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29....p;z=19&om=1The one on the SW Fwy at Buffalo Speedway was a Bank United and now it's a WaMu. I worked at Bank U for 10 years and was there when we renovated the "Gold Dome Branch" as we called it in the mid 90s. They took off the gold dome, demolished the cool old building, and replaced the gold dome on the new structure. I've got a photo somewhere of some of us at the Phoenix Tower (our headquarters across the street) while the gold dome is being hoisted off the building in the background. The dome (at least the on one the SW Fwy) is made up of inch-square glass tiles covered with a thin film of actual gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyB Posted July 12, 2007 Author Share Posted July 12, 2007 .....The one across the street is equally pathetic circa 1968? and not in a cool way either..... I'm not sure, but I think the ugly old motorbank across the street is being used by one of the parking lot management companies. I wish they'd demolish it as well...along with the Savoy, the parking garage, and that giant ugly concrete head. I guess the old 1616 Main building (the one NEXT to the newer Savoy) could be restored, since I thought I read that it's got a bit of history behind it. Frankly, the entire block could be sucked into the bowels of the planet and it would be fine by me. I think a lot of Houston House residents use the tiny grassy area for their dogs to crap on. (It's mindboggling why anyone would have a dog in a tiny Downtown hi-rise apartment???? To each his own, I guess.) Some hobos live under the trees next to 1616 main, as well, so it's pretty well just covered with garbage...the last time I walked by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 (edited) The one on the SW Fwy at Buffalo Speedway was a Bank United and now it's a WaMu. I worked at Bank U for 10 years and was there when we renovated the "Gold Dome Branch" as we called it in the mid 90s. They took off the gold dome, demolished the cool old building, and replaced the gold dome on the new structure. I've got a photo somewhere of some of us at the Phoenix Tower (our headquarters across the street) while the gold dome is being hoisted off the building in the background. The dome (at least the on one the SW Fwy) is made up of inch-square glass tiles covered with a thin film of actual gold.I remember this gold dome bank building in the mid 1980's on the way to Richmond TX, I did not know about the demolition. Edited July 12, 2007 by Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 I'm not sure, but I think the ugly old motorbank across the street is being used by one of the parking lot management companies. I wish they'd demolish it as well...along with the Savoy, the parking garage, and that giant ugly concrete head. I guess the old 1616 Main building (the one NEXT to the newer Savoy) could be restored, since I thought I read that it's got a bit of history behind it. Frankly, the entire block could be sucked into the bowels of the planet and it would be fine by me. yeah, the bank across the way is strictly parking now. as far as the Savoy Apartments (the older building), i can't even be too hopeful - it is only a matter of time before it collapses...the structural supports aren't helping too much - it's the stuff lawsuits are made of no roof over at least half of it: huge cracks over windows: walls falling apart: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 yeah, the bank across the way is strictly parking now. as far as the Savoy Apartments (the older building), i can't even be too hopeful - it is only a matter of time before it collapses...the structural supports aren't helping too much - it's the stuff lawsuits are made ofno roof over at least half of it:huge cracks over windows:walls falling apart:Ooops think we are headed into Crater Houston section.but yes, this looks more like a movie set for a disaster film. Irwin Allen would be proud! A homeless person will make it a Towering Inferno if its not removed asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt16 Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 yeah, the bank across the way is strictly parking now. as far as the Savoy Apartments (the older building), i can't even be too hopeful - it is only a matter of time before it collapses...the structural supports aren't helping too much - it's the stuff lawsuits are made of no roof over at least half of it: huge cracks over windows: walls falling apart: Wow, I had no idea the Savoy looked that bad. I wonder what the city thinks of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbaker Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Wow, I had no idea the Savoy looked that bad. I wonder what the city thinks of it.The city is in complete denial for reasons that I have yet to fully understand. When questioned about any of the "big three" eyesores (Savoy, Holiday Inn, Central Bank), the stock response is that the city only has enforcement power with regard to safety issues. Since these buildings are all structurally sound, nothing can be done. My intuition is that the city won't press the issue even after the western most portion of the Savoy inevitably collapses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Wasn't one of these buildings going to become a maharishi yogi training school or something? Too bad that one didn't go through... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbaker Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Wasn't one of these buildings going to become a maharishi yogi training school or something? Too bad that one didn't go through...That would be the Holdiay Inn. The Yogi's still own it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 (edited) Wasn't one of these buildings going to become a maharishi yogi training school or something? Too bad that one didn't go through...That would be the Holdiay Inn. The Yogi's still own it.yeah - it operated as hotel for a little while, then apparently the Vedic school until it relocated somewhere in Rice Village back in 1998.it has changed hands quite a bit, too:http://www.hcad.org/records/Ownership.asp?...mp;taxyear=2007there is alot more information in the Days Inn/Holiday Inn threadThe Heaven on Earth Inn, a downtown hotel operated by Transcendental Meditation devotees, has closed the hotel and restaurant portion of its operations.The 31-story hotel at 801 Calhoun now will be called the Maharishi Vedic School.The head of the organization, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, formerly was the spiritual adviser to the Beatles in the 1960s.The Maharishi's group bought the hotel, which had been a Days Inn, in 1993 for $2 million.Officials decided to close Heaven on Earth Inn because it was losing money, said Russell Hebert, director of the Vedic School. http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=1994_1226611 (login required)In 1993, the World Plan Executive Council paid $2 million for the hotel, a former Holiday Inn and Days Inn, and it was renamed the Heaven on Earth Inn Inc. The maharishi's Vedic University occupied the hotel's 20th floor, which was unoccupied Thursday.The university evidently has relocated to the Rice Village area. University officials did not respond to calls seeking comment. http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=1998_3085341 (login required) Edited July 12, 2007 by sevfiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 The city is in complete denial for reasons that I have yet to fully understand. When questioned about any of the "big three" eyesores (Savoy, Holiday Inn, Central Bank), the stock response is that the city only has enforcement power with regard to safety issues. Since these buildings are all structurally sound, nothing can be done. My intuition is that the city won't press the issue even after the western most portion of the Savoy inevitably collapses.Is this how the Chronicle gets away with their building's seemingly eternal renovation process? Talk about your Never Ending Story...if you can remember when the sidewalk on Texas Ave. was still at full width, kids are calling you 'old-timer' behind your back.Perhaps that's part of the reason the Chron seems strangely silent about such matters - and so little gets done.(Gold wart, indeed! I thought it had a certain tacky charm, and was a nice foil to the Church of Christ Scientist building.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 that giant ugly concrete head. Listen up buddy. I know you're a newbee so maybe I'll cut you some slack but BHMS (Big Head on Main Street) is a HAIF icon! You don't know the hours of fun genuine HAIFers have enjoyed ridiculing this piece of crap. Welcome to HAIF but get with the program... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyB Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share Posted July 13, 2007 Listen up buddy. I know you're a newbee so maybe I'll cut you some slack but BHMS (Big Head on Main Street) is a HAIF icon! You don't know the hours of fun genuine HAIFers have enjoyed ridiculing this piece of crap. Welcome to HAIF but get with the program... Yeah, I think my very first post on this forum was a picture of the head, in response to someone else's post, since it stares at me from across the street. Someone suggested I get a couple of laser pointers, mount them to my balcony, and light up her eyes at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 This is that old eyesore at Leeland/Main. What a pleasent surprise to get up this morning and see it being tore down!Here's a pic...sorry about the quality...I was too lazy to open the glass door to take it. I dug up this old 35mm from a couple of years ago for reference...sorry it's B&W, so you can't appreciate the dome's glowing beauty. Ever since I was a kid, long before I even moved to Houston, I've hated this little building with a passion, for some reason. I think it was some punishing twist of fate that it would end up outside my apartment window. I'm glad it's gone. It was surrounded by a chain link fence, and filled with junk/trash. I think it was just being used for storage or hobos or something. Anyone know what year it was built, or other info? What is that building in back of it? Or rather, why does it have the white covering over it? It is being recladded? m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 What is that building in back of it? Or rather, why does it have the white covering over it? It is being recladded?m.The Exxon Bldg.... it has been covered with scaffolding and been undergoing a facelift for about 50 years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 The Exxon Bldg.... it has been covered with scaffolding and been undergoing a facelift for about 50 years now. OHHH....that's the one where the covering keeps moving up and down on it. Gottcha. I thought maybe we were going to get a reclad. By the by, Hwy6, is there a topic regarding that monstrosity? I would really like to discuss a reclad issue. m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metro Matt Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 (edited) The Exxon Bldg.... it has been covered with scaffolding and been undergoing a facelift for about 50 years now.Just a slight exageration there...I wouldn't call it a facelift...more like routine maintenance Edited July 20, 2007 by Metro Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 I feel sorry for the people who have offices behind those grey curtains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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