Corpus Christi May Save Roof of 1954 Coliseum
By Tricia McCarter-Joseph | Online Only | Jan. 21, 2010
Corpus Christi architect George Clower's rendering of Memorial Coliseum as an open-air pavilion
Credit: George Clower
A 56-year-old coliseum in Corpus Christ, Tex., is doomed—but there's a chance that its roof may remain.
The city council voted unanimously on Jan. 12 to demolish the coliseum after developers withdrew plans to renovate it as a swim center and hotel. However, a local architect hopes to save the roof, provided he can convince city council that his plan is cheaper than demolition.
Architect George Clower presented his proposal to the city council in November. He wants to remove the walls and seating of the building and renovate its arched roof "as a shade pavilion in a festival park, preserving the most unique portion of the building and the park that has been an icon on the Corpus Christi bayfront," he said in an e-mail. Clower witnessed the building's construction and later worked for the architect who designed the coliseum, Richard S. Colley. Clower is hopeful that his idea will be seriously considered. "Citizen support has been a groundswell, and the council is appearing more positive, although they have not yet slowed the process of demolition."
Brent Chesney, city council member, says that the council initially declined to consider Clower's proposal, but have invited him to provide cost estimates for his plan. "I believe the local architect's plan has great merit," Chesney said in an e-mail.
Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan performed at Memorial Coliseum. Abandoned since 2004, the building needs roof repairs and new lights.
The year the coliseum closed, Preservation Texas, Inc., placed the structure on its list of the state's most endangered historic places. "I believe [the coliseum's impending demolition] is due to a lack of appreciation for buildings of that time period," says Krista Gebbia, executive director of the Austin-based nonprofit.
Chesney says that one of the reasons the council voted for demolition was that the developer, the National Swimming Center Corporation, couldn't specify how long it would take to secure a hotel for its project.
The city council gave the developer until last Tuesday to bridge a $5 million funding gap needed to complete the project. However, in a memo from the corporation's lawyer to the city manager, securing a hotel chain to commit to the project was difficult due to the economic downturn.
"In a perfect world [the National Swimming Center Corporation] would ask for more time for the economy to improve, but recognize the City has other considerations affecting the timetable," the memo states.
The city council, which has no plans for the coliseum site, is accepting bids for demolition and partial demolition until Mar. 29.
Watch a video of George Clower's proposal
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Comments
Submitted by thewholestory at: March 2, 2010
The city has declined to pursue this idea, and with good reason. For several years now, the City Council has tried hard to find a way to preserve the coliseum and each time, the idea has fallen through. No one was able to provide a way to preserve the building without sucking up huge amounts of taxpayer money perpetually. Mr. Clower's idea appeared to be no different, and was presented at the last second, as the council prepared to vote for demolition. It would have required dragging this process out even more, which is something the citizens of Corpus Christi have had more than enough of, and by all appearances would have ended the same way previous proposals have. Mr. Clower had years to submit a plan and instead waited until it was too late. In its current disrepair, most people see the coliseum as a mammoth eyesore, hurting the city's image. As the process has repeatedly failed and the building has sat unused, it has stunted revitalization of downtown Corpus Christi. To repair the coliseum would cost a fortune in taxpayer money, and it's not being used. The city has explored ways to justify spending money to keep the coliseum and, in fact, bent over backward to find a way, but it is just wildly impractical. If a generous benefactor (maybe Mr. Clower?) would like to donate the millions needed to repair and preserve the building and operate it in perpetuity, I'm sure the city would welcome it. But no one is stepping forward to do that. The city is being a good steward of the taxpayer money. No one doubts the architectural significance of the coliseum, but in this case, there are other considerations that trump it. People from out of town with limited information may see this as a hasty decision on the part of the city, with little regard for history or architectural significance. People who live here know nothing could be farther from the truth.
Submitted by hovaard at: February 6, 2010
this is some forward sustainable bright thinking - so, for that reason, it probably won't go.