How the End Is Coming for Downtown’s Texas Tower

Texas Tower, 608 Texas Ave., Downtown HoustonDemolition crews have begun working at the base of the 21-story Texas Tower at 608 Fannin St., which will be taken down floor-by-floor. The 85-ish-year-old structure, formerly known as the Sterling Building, stands in the way of Hines’s new, now-47-story 609 Main St. office tower (below), for which excavation and foundation work is scheduled to begin next March. A spokesperson from Hines says there are no plans for an implosion.

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Rendering of Proposed 609 Main Tower, 609 Main St., Downtown Houston

Texas Tower, 608 Texas Ave., Downtown Houston

Photos: Swamplot inbox; Rendering: Pickard Chilton/Hines

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7 Comment

  • What about the San Felipe/River Oaks Hines building? It was supposed to start in November. Does any one have any news?

  • Why floor by floor?
    Is it cheaper? Is there too much Asbestos for an implosion?

  • “…which will be taken down floor-by-floor.”

    Aww mannn, that’s no fun!

  • I love a good implosion, but at least floor-by-floor makes for a cool time lapse video. Please put up a camera Hines!

  • The reason for the deconstruction (versus implosion) is the 120-year-old Christ Church Cathedral building across the street. Too risky!

  • It’s also probably too close to the Magnolia Hotel also.

  • My guess is since the building is in one corner of the property they have all that maneuvering room to roll a massive crane around with a wrecking ball and they just nibble away at it. Seems like that would be a lot less expensive than blowing it up.