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Flagship Hotel Galveston At 2501 Seawall Blvd.


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I actually saw Galveston water with a very clear-green color one time. It wasn't it's usual murky brown color. Was a couple of yrs. ago, in the spring/ early summer months, was still a little cool outside. My sister & I grew up going to nasty Galveston, we actually were out in the water, and on the beach, not believing it. Figured it had something to do with the weather, recent rain, and/ or movement of water into the Gulf, or tides. Was very unusual.

There are at least 30 to 40 days of blue water in Galveston annualy. As a fisherman you learn to wait for the Southeast winds to blow for at least 3 or 4 days, which brings in the blue water, which brings in the Specs. In other words, you have to have a strong Southeast winds for a number of days for the blue water to make it to shore.

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  • 2 months later...

I don't see the logic in rebuilding a hotel that sits on the wrong side of the seawall...especially after the recent hurricane destruction.

I was in Galveston a couple of weeks ago for the first time since the hurricane hit, and thought I saw new construction activity, a big crane, not a wrecking ball on the west side of the Flagship.

PS - the link above doesn't work.

Edited by NenaE
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You have to be a subscriber to the Galveston Daily News to read the online edition. I have heard the Flagship will be torn down and a Coney Island type boardwalk will go up, similar I'm sure to Seabrook.  Might as well. That hotel was in bad shape before the storm. 

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You have to be a subscriber to the Galveston Daily News to read the online edition. I have heard the Flagship will be torn down and a Coney Island type boardwalk will go up, similar I'm sure to Seabrook. Might as well. That hotel was in bad shape before the storm.

Actually, thats incorrect, you don't have to be a subscriber. However it does appear their website is currently down, which is why the link won't load.

Edited by Nick ניק
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Actually, thats incorrect, you don't have to be a subscriber.  However it does appear their website is currently down, which is why the link won't load.

That must have been it because when I went to their home page earlier it said I must be a subscriber to view the content but it all comes up now. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I drive by here every day, and there is always some minor activity going on. They're reconnected a small ramp so trucks can access the pier (I saw one driving down the ramp off the pier when I was stopped at the traffic light today), and there are always a couple of pickup trucks doing something up there. Not sure if they're just clearing debris (there are some big dumpsters full of trash as well) or something else. I guess if the plans for redevelopment aren't official yet they can't be doing anything terribly important.

In other news, the Joe's Crab Shack a few blocks away is being demolished and rebuilt as a larger building. Supposedly it will only take 4 months.

http://galvestondail...om/story/174230

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I drive by here every day, and there is always some minor activity going on. They're reconnected a small ramp so trucks can access the pier (I saw one driving down the ramp off the pier when I was stopped at the traffic light today), and there are always a couple of pickup trucks doing something up there. Not sure if they're just clearing debris (there are some big dumpsters full of trash as well) or something else. I guess if the plans for redevelopment aren't official yet they can't be doing anything terribly important.

In other news, the Joe's Crab Shack a few blocks away is being demolished and rebuilt as a larger building. Supposedly it will only take 4 months.

http://galvestondail...om/story/174230

The Joe's Crab Shack building is not an architecturally significant building, but it does have some trivia attached to it. The building, on Seawall and 37th St, was built in the early 1960's by Hill's Seafood, a fairly popular family seafood restuarant during the 40's and 50's. Moving the restuarant into this larger building provided a spacious dining room and convenient parking for their customers. It also allowed the restaurant to operate a car hop service for awhile. The smaller location, that they vacated on 14th and Seawall was soon reopenned by an enterprising entrepeneur, calling it "The Original Hill's Seafood Restaurant". The Hill family filed a lawsuit against the new restaurant, but lost. Both seawall restaurants operated successfully for several years. The Hill's also operated a restaurant at Pier 21, next door to their seafood market.

Landry's bought the Hill's location on 37th street sometime ago after it had closed.

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The Joe's Crab Shack building is not an architecturally significant building, but it does have some trivia attached to it. The building, on Seawall and 37th St, was built in the early 1960's by Hill's Seafood, a fairly popular family seafood restuarant during the 40's and 50's. Moving the restuarant into this larger building provided a spacious dining room and convenient parking for their customers. It also allowed the restaurant to operate a car hop service for awhile. The smaller location, that they vacated on 14th and Seawall was soon reopenned by an enterprising entrepeneur, calling it "The Original Hill's Seafood Restaurant". The Hill family filed a lawsuit against the new restaurant, but lost. Both seawall restaurants operated successfully for several years. The Hill's also operated a restaurant at Pier 21, next door to their seafood market.

Landry's bought the Hill's location on 37th street sometime ago after it had closed.

Interesting story, and a sad one for the Hills. My family always went to the family restaurant located at 1502 Seawall Blvd, late 1960's, maybe. Had those huge picture windows w/ booths, for a view of the water. It was always packed. I thought it was called Hill's. Makes me hungry for a fried shrimp platter. Looks like the Salt Grass Steakhouse is there now.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- Demolition work is in full swing in Galveston as the historic Flagship Hotel is being torn apart piece by piece. But now there are accusations that some of those pieces, including large chunks of glass, are actually falling into the water and possibly endangering beachgoers

http://abclocal.go.c...ocal&id=7989282

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I drove by it yesterday before returning home and should have taken some pictures myself. It's completely gutted and not sure how they will remove the rest. Implosion perhaps?

I was there Saturday. It's pretty much a steel skeleton - there's not much left to implode.

The main concern seems to be a hope that demolition debris won't wash up on the beach.

[edit - double post]

Edited by dbigtex56
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  • 4 weeks later...

I personally don't have any issue with the pier becoming an amusement park... Why not have more diversions along the Seawall? My understanding is the pier is being structurally-enhanced, and no doubt any new structures will be built as hurricane-resistant as possible. Wind will whip right through any ride structures. Hopefully the new buildings will have the best storm shutters built right into the facades for easy storm prep.

There are similar, very successful amusment pier developments on both the east and west coasts. RE: Steel Pier in Atlantic City and Morey's Piers in Wildwood, NJ, Pacific Park in Santa Monica, CA...

Steel Pier

My link

Morey's Piers

My link

Pacific Park

My link

...and I trust the new Pleasure Pier will be framed more thoughtfully with attractive facilities.

This video coverage from khou.com seems to have the best views of the renderings for the Pleasure Pier:

My link

Regarding any roller coaster for the pier, specifically: originally an "El Loco"-style coaster (manufactured by S&S) was proposed, but a Gerstlauer-manufactured Eurofighter-style ride is likely going to be built instead.

El Loco by S&S:

My link

Eurofigher by Gerstlauer:

My link

Here's the snippet from screamscape.com:

"(3/8/11) According to Screamscape sources, Landry’s plans for their new amusement park pier on the site of the former Flagship hotel in Galveston will include a Gerstlauer EuroFighter style coaster. Previous rumors pointed to an S&S El Loco style ride, but it looks like the EuroFighter proposal won out. More on this as I find out."

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  • The title was changed to Flagship Hotel At 2501 Seawall Blvd.

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