Houston1stWordOnTheMoon Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 Anyone know whats going on with 1301 Franklin, the Harris County Sheriffs Depart. ? Is that building still in use or is it totally abandoned? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 I believe the Sheriff still occupies the bottom. The jail has been converted to records storage for the County. Pretty secure storage, don't you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston1stWordOnTheMoon Posted June 5, 2006 Author Share Posted June 5, 2006 I believe the Sheriff still occupies the bottom. The jail has been converted to records storage for the County. Pretty secure storage, don't you think? Very secure I was wondering if they had done anything to it since the big flood/Allison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 According to the Sheriff's website, their address is now 1200 Baker St. I guess that means 1301 Franklin is ALL records storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 According to the Sheriff's website, their address is now 1200 Baker St. I guess that means 1301 Franklin is ALL records storage.This is true. This was the old jail full of rats which now just holds records. (And rats) I don't know of any plans to renovate or make it something else since it is doing it's job fine.Also, across from the new 1200 Baker jail will be a joint IPC (Inmate Processing Centre) for HPD and the Sheriff's Office slated to open in 2010. From what I remember it will be somewhere around 10 floors. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston1stWordOnTheMoon Posted June 6, 2006 Author Share Posted June 6, 2006 So all in the same area, cool. Hopefully it will all be state of the art courts and jail facilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zippy Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 So all in the same area, cool. Hopefully it will all be state of the art courts and jail facilities.Aye. The current thought is that there will be RFID for inmate tracking. (Which may or may not actually happen) Also there will be video visitation rather than the behind the plexi-glass type that is currently being used. Too much contraband still seeping through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Looks like this thing will be coming down soon. While I won't exactly miss it, its truly a shame they couldn't find an alternative use.Since I used to work there back in the early 90's, it was pretty lousy shape then and probably even more so now.It will be interesting to see what they might build there in the future, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gto250us Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) ...its truly a shame they couldn't find an alternative use...They turned the old jail in Boston into a really nice hotel, The Liberty HotelBut that was a building that was built in 1848. Tons of great architecture. There is nothing like it in Houston.When was this building on Franklin built. It looks like the 60's or 70's, and it didn't even last 20 years before it was in crummy shape.I suspect that they will build another courthouse there. They now have one courthouse to take your money, another to take your children, and a third to take you life and liberty. What's left. I guess they need one to take your sanity or to take your dog. Edited October 13, 2009 by gto250us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 They turned the old jail in Boston into a really nice hotel, The Liberty HotelBut that was a building that was built in 1848. Tons of great architecture. There is nothing like it in Houston.When was this building on Franklin built. It looks like the 60's or 70's, and it didn't even last 20 years before it was in crummy shape.I suspect that they will build another courthouse there. They now have one courthouse to take your money, another to take your children, and a third to take you life and liberty. What's left. I guess they need one to take your sanity or to take your dog.The sad part is that the building was completed in 1980! Darned thing didn't even make it 30 years!The family law center has been talking about replacing its building, perhaps this would would eventually become that and then the FMLC would be torn down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Yep, 1980 - sheesh!http://blogs.chron.com/primeproperty/2009/10/downtown_building_faces_bulldo_1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Good riddance - that is pretty darn ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porchman Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 It's awful. I thought they were going to turn it into storage to replace the old warehouses on the next block west. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegacyTree Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 The sad part is that the building was completed in 1980! Darned thing didn't even make it 30 years!The taxpayers deserve a better return on their investment for whatever is built in it's place. Do you think they will pony up for a 60-70 year building? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I have spent the night in that jail for an unpaid traffic ticket and I say tear the sucker down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 The taxpayers deserve a better return on their investment for whatever is built in it's place. Do you think they will pony up for a 60-70 year building?We do deserve much better, but I suspect the average taxpayer would be quite happy to let the jail crumble to the ground with the inmates still inside.It's rather embarrassing that this had such a short useful life. Critics would call it symptomatic of sterotypical Houston impermanence. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I hope they don't use the same block to build another jail, but I bet they will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Savoy that sucker!My new catchphrase for tearing down buildings, if you hadn't noticed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Savoy that sucker!My new catchphrase for tearing down buildings, if you hadn't noticed.And a darn good catchphrase it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I like it too in the verb form - it's been savoyed! Or noun - He pulled a savoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I like it too in the verb form - it's been savoyed! Or noun - He pulled a savoy.As long as it shows that fits the proper context as Savoy's situation: demolished due to neglect and not salvagable.Hence my hoping we do a drive by sledging of Days inn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 As long as it shows that fits the proper context as Savoy's situation: demolished due to neglect and not salvagable.Hence my hoping we do a drive by sledging of Days inn.Just locate a good brick off a warehouse in the East End, place the brick next to Days Inn, and claim that it fell off and nearly hit you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Hence my hoping we do a drive by sledging of Days inn.The Lone Star Saloon is directly across the street from the Days Inn.Just throwin' that little nugget out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinite_jim Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Just locate a good brick off a warehouse in the East End, place the brick next to Days Inn, and claim that it fell off and nearly hit you. Actually you could get hit by a dangling metal panel of the deteriorating "Days Inn" sign on the eastern facade on a windy day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Urbannizer Posted September 12, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted September 12, 2019 https://www.virtualbx.com/feature-story/houston-a-e-services-for-demolition-documents-issued-for-13-story-county-jail/ The Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday authorized their purchasing agent to issue a Request for Qualifications for architectural and engineering services to develop demolition construction documents for the former jail at 1301 Franklin Street. The 13-story downtown building, constructed in 1980, only functioned as a jail for 22 years. It closed in 2002 after state inspectors found the smoke removal system inadequate. In 2009, Commissioners Court accepted a consultant’s recommendation to demolish the building. In the years since it was retired as a corrections facility, the county has used portions of the building to house various functions of the Sheriff’s Office and the District Clerk. The existing 602,969-square-foot building has a concrete structure with brick/masonry exterior as well as a basement, penthouse, pedestrian and inmate tunnel/bridge connection. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Didn't realize this building was no longer used to house inmates. Wonder what they'll do with the block. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 A wild guess would be a replacement for the Family Law Center, which is crammed to the rafters and has to have fire monitors walking the floors because it is literally a firetrap. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielsonr Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 5 hours ago, Nate99 said: Didn't realize this building was no longer used to house inmates. Wonder what they'll do with the block. “the aging 13-floor jail at 1301 Franklin, which was built in 1980 and closed in 2002 after state jail inspectors found its smoke removal system was inadequate. Jail operations were moved to a new building at 1200 Baker.” https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Harris-officials-accept-plan-to-demolish-jail-1737002.php 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 It took 17 years to demolish it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rechlin Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 17 hours ago, cspwal said: It took 17 years to demolish it? Considering they are still using it for offices, I think it would be imprudent to demolish it with people still in it. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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