HAIF PotD: Flagship Hotel Galveston, Texas

[editor]

Flagship Hotel Galveston, Texas, originally uploaded by I-SEEN-IT.

I-Seen-It got this pic of the damaged Flagship Hotel.

This photo is part of the HAIF photo pool on Flickr.

You are welcome to add your photos to the pool for the entire group to see.

Visit the pool: HAIF Houston Photo Pool on Flickr

[lockmat]

Amusement Park coming to Galveston. I wonder if this is going to be like the Santa Monica Pier? This is gonna be sweet for Galveston and tourism.

GALVESTON — The owner of Galveston's Flagship Hotel says it plans to demolish the landmark hotel on a pier rather than spend $15 million to renovate and repair damage from Hurricane Ike.

The Galveston County Daily News reports Landry's Restaurants has told Galveston's city planning commission that it plans to replace the 225-room hotel in front of the city's historic seawall with an amusement park.

The commission endorsed the plan to the City Council, which will have the final say.

Landry's had bought the hurricane-mauled hotel in 2005 for $500,000. The hotel was built in 1965 on a pier built in 1943. Ironically, it replaced an amusement park damaged in 1962 by Hurricane Carla.

http://www.chron.com...ws/7233944.html

EDIT

More details from Galveston Daily News:

In a return to its roots, the pier will boast a double-decker carousel, a Ferris wheel and 1940s-style amusements similar to the attractions the pier featured when it was built in 1943.

“I’m really glad you couldn’t do the hotel because this really looks nice,” Dominick Sasser, a member of the planning commission, said. “I think this has a lot of potential for Galveston.”

Once approved, the project is slated to take about 18 months and cost about $30 million.

While mostly positive about the project, the panel did voice concerns about parking, which will be across the street adjacent to Fish Tales restaurant, also owned by Landry’s Restaurants.

The panel also recommended that Cantwell look into walkover access to the pier over Seawall Boulevard.

Representatives from Landry’s will meet with city council at the end of October and in November with the zoning board.

If officials OK the plans, demolition and construction could begin by the end of the year, Cantwell said.

and more.... http://galvestondailynews.com/story/181598

Edited October 6, 2010 by lockmat