A new green-screened construction fence has gone up around the perimeter of the Central Square Plaza building at 2100 Travis St., a reader reports. But the barricades aren’t an indication of impending renovation or demolition work on the long-vacant property. They’re part of an effort to secure the buildings and keep taggers and other would-be occupiers out.
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A source tells Swamplot that no decision has been made yet on the future of the 1-acre site on the Midtown block surrounded by Travis, Milam, Webster, and Gray streets. An entity controlled by Claremont Property Company owner Keeley Megarity purchased the property, which consists of a 12-story and a 14-story office building and a 6-level parking garage, last spring, after floating plans for a redo of the 1950s-era buildings.
- Previously on Swamplot: New Owners of Central Square Plaza Want To Make Something of It, Will Central Square Plaza Look Like . . . This?,Midtown’s Central Square Plaza Wants You To Know It’s Available, City Loses Skirmish in Battle To Repair Central Square
Photos: Swamplot inbox
HAIF reported that this was under construction. What gives?
I’ve seen men working on the building….
Why would they take out a city permit to close the sidewalk if it was just to keep out squatters/undesirables? Couldn’t they just board up the bldg as it was before?
Or maybe they can’t get the windows out without breaking them in some cases and the city required them to close the sidewalk to prevent pedestrians getting rained upon with glass shards. It would be consistent with the sidewalks that have been closed (the eastern and northern sidewalks below the curtain wall facades).
Check the twitter feed, this is an ongoing renovation. The old abandoned greek restaurant on the northwest parcel looks like it’s about to be demo’d too.
That scrawny “fence will not taggers or “other would-be occupiers” out of the property. The owners need an armed guard and aggressive guard dogs, in that part of town.
There were men doing exterior structural demolition on the east side last week. No hard hats, no safety glasses, just knocking down a masonry canopy. Looked pretty loose and really unsafe.
They should strategically demolish this building to make it fall to the east and take out the sketchy McDonalds and the Greyhound Bus Station right there. I guarantee both midtown and downtown would see immediate improvement!
edit: “fence will not keep taggers” out ….