Houston Spares Two Buildings For Now
By Samantha Honl | Online Only | Mar. 25, 2009
The Hogan-Allnoch Dry Goods Building, located in downtown Houston, will likely be sold to a developer who wants to restore the 1923 structure.
Credit: Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
In Houston last week, two early-20th-century industrial buildings narrowly escaped demolition—at least for now. Harris County Commissioners were scheduled to vote on a single demolition contract for both county-owned buildings, located a mile apart, on Mar. 11; instead, thanks to testimony from the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, commissioners voted to delay action.
"It's good news," says David Bush, the alliance's programs and information director. "We're grateful that Harris County Commissioners delayed action on the demolitions when the [historic value of the buildings] was brought to their attention."
This downtown Houston building, located near a county jail, will likely be torn down for a 270-car parking lot.
Credit: Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
Last year the Texas Historical Commission determined the 1905 Peden Iron & Steel Co. Building eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Nonetheless, the county will likely raze the Peden for a 270-car parking lot for a nearby jail, according to Rich Ellwood, Houston's deputy director of construction programs. "Parking is such a premium downtown," he says.
The outlook for the Hogan-Allnoch Dry Goods Co. Building is less dire. Built in 1923, the three-story structure in downtown Houston has been empty for only two years. It was to be replaced by a 40-car parking lot for the nearby Minute Maid Park, home of the Astros. This week, Harris County is accepting bids from individuals interested in purchasing the property. It is working with the alliance to ensure that all bidders vow to restore the building.
"We're hopeful because there are at least three potential buyers and all three have positive track records in preservation," Bush says. "Paving a parking lot doesn't make much sense when they could return it to the tax rolls."
The county is asking for a minimum bid of $3.25 million for the Hogan-Allnoch Building. It could cost $4.7 million to resolve the warehouse's structural issues, according to an August 2008 engineering report.
"The problem with the [Hogan-Allnoch] building is that the brick is load-bearing brick," Ellwood says. "Unfortunately, with the settling of the earth, the building basically has been compromised. There are pretty substantial cracks going all the way from the bottom to the top."
Meanwhile, Ellwood is overseeing the $50 million restoration of its 1910 county courthouse. "We're trying. The county is very sensitive to preserving our past. It's a juggling act."
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Comments
Submitted by Brian at: March 26, 2009
Wow! I really hope they save both buildings! They're not making any more 1905 buildings! Not too many spares sitting around.