Demolition 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.
This was the scene yesterday on the southeast corner of Richmond Ave and Cummins St. near Greenway Plaza, where the Redstone Companies and Hansen Partners are planning to build a new 11-story office building and 5-level parking garage with — if a Planning Dept. staff report describing the project is correct — an attached 5-story retail center. The development received planning commission approval last week for a reduced setback along the 2 streets that meets with planned but not-yet-approved standards for transit corridors; if Metro’s stalled University Line ever gets built, it’ll make its get-off-of-Richmond turn at this same corner. Accordingly, in documents submitted to the city, the developers appear to be holding out the undescribed retail portion for some later date: [Only] “the office building and related parking garage to be built on this site are nearing the time that a building permit will be required,” the variance application reads.
ANOTHER ASTRODOME INDOOR CLEARANCE SALE 
Without a lot of fanfare, Reliant Park officials have just announced another round of sales of extracted Astrodome furniture. And it’s scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 8 am. Astrodome seats once graced by the posteriors of thousands of cheering sports fans will be available for purchase online at the Reliant Park website at that time. [Reliant Park; previously on Swamplot] Photo: mokambo.0219
Just a little bit more cleanup and we’ll have some more nothings to work with.
After the countdown Sunday night at 9:30 pm, blasts went off on 3 of the 4 booster towers surrounding the Houston Astrodome. But there was no liftoff. As the towers collapsed into dusty piles moments later, it became clear: The blasts would not be enough to propel the Dome off its foundation and into outer space. They’ll have to find another way.
Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report lists buildings that received City of Houston demolition permits the previous weekday.
A Rising Star falls, and other adventures in building disappearance.
Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report lists buildings that received City of Houston demolition permits the previous weekday city permit offices were open.
Time for a little after-Thanksgiving unstuffing.
COMMENT OF THE DAY: HARRIS COUNTY WOULDN’T MISS JUST ONE LITTLE PIECE, ESPECIALLY IF I STRUNG IT OUT OVER SEVERAL YEARS 
“This is starting to feel like the Johnny Cash song where he steals the car one piece at a time. Only in this case, it’s the Dome.” [Walt, commenting on The Astrodome’s Add-On Towers Will Collapse Early Next Month, in the Dark] Illustration: Lulu
