Linbeck Digging In by Market Square as the Chronicle Building Comes Down Next Door

Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002
Rendering of One Market Square Parking Garage

First on Linbeck’s docket for the block across Prairie St. from the slowly dissolving former Chronicle building: the 11-story parking garage rendered above. The structure is planned for the southern half of the block between Prairie St. and Market Square, which means the restaurant space depicted in the rendering will face Travis St. (presuming the retail spot is not just part of a clever disguise). The garage is being branded as One Market Square until such time as something a little taller goes up next to it and takes the name, joining Market Square Tower and Aris Market Square along Preston St. to either side.

Back across Prairie St., the wrapped-together collection of buildings formerly housing the Houston Chronicle‘s operations has been getting slowly disassembled since a judge ruled over the summer that Hines could carefully demo the structures. A couple of high-up shot from this morning (above, and below) shows the current state of affairs inside the rubble-in-progress:

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Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Another reader scoped out the area from ground level over the weekend, snapping some closer portraits of the construction and deconstruction in progress:

Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Demo of Houston Chronicle Building, 801 Texas Ave., Downtown, Houston, 77002

Images: Gensler (rendering), Henry Chapman (top 2 photos), Brie Kelman (all other photos)

Rising and Falling on Prairie St.

One Comment

  • Thank goodness . The ugliness that was the Houston Comical building ( actually three buildings disguised as one ) is finally getting destroyed. Anything in its place is WAY better than this nondescript pile is welcomed.