Earlier today we got this year’s Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate off and running with the first category, celebrating the Houston area’s best design clichés. Now nominations are open for the second category: Best Demolition.
This is a knockout of a category — especially in Houston, where demolitions are hip enough to command their own daily report on Swamplot. Here, though, we’re looking for that special, award-worthy demo that’s really special. Last year’s winner was a big one: the downtown Foley’s. What property should be honored this time around, and why?
Send us your clever and well-argued nominations to the comments section below — or send them in a private message to our tips line. For more on the nomination process, head here.
Nominations for both award categories announced today will remain open until midnight this Wednesday, December 10. We’ll be introducing more fun award categories next week. So submit your nominations for the first 2 categories now!
- First Category: Seeking Your Nominations for Favorite Houston Design Cliché [Swamplot]
- Houston Real Estate 2014: How To Make a Nomination [Swamplot]
- Swamplot Award Nominations 2014 [Swamplot]
I nominate the “accidental demolition” of the apartment building under construction at 2400 West Dallas back in March. Truly one of the most spectacular multi-alarm fires in recent Houston memory, with the daring rescue of a construction worker caught on video, to boot. Obviously, residents of the graveyard next door weren’t happy with how close the building was to their final resting place.
My nomination is for what hasn’t been demolished yet: the Astrodome.
+1 for the Dallas apartments.
I nominate the demolition of one of the grandest homes in Houston. The gorgeous georgian mansion at the corner of Taft and Lovett blvd. If this historic house (first home in Texas with air conditioning) cannot survive the wrecking ball in this town..::than nothing can
I’m with Adam. If a house as beautiful as that one can’t be saved…….I just looked at photos again. Gorgeous. What awful thing as gone up in its place? Houston preservation is an embarrassment.
Houston Club Building
Macy on Sage
MicroCenter
Dallas apartment fire
+2 for the West Dallas apartments. I couldn’t believe a builder would actually erect something so large, entirely out of wood. Apparently that isn’t a good idea. Who knew?
Houston Club Building, by far. The implosion was just the end of a very unique demolition job. If anyone followed the progress of this one would agree.
5 Briarwood Court
Another vote for the Lovett Blvd. mansion
I think the Dallas St. apartment fire is the first that comes to mind, with the Houston Club Building being the more “traditional” demo. BUT…
I would nominate the old “Trading Fair IV” in that Kmart that had been closed for decades. That place was amazingly awful inside and I’m glad it was finally razed.
I second or third or fourth the accidental demolision of the giant bos of matches that caught on fire next to the cemetery.
I second the Lovett Blvd Mansion.
There are so many to choose from, but I’m going close to home: the destruction of the derelict Skylane apartments on White Oak. Made notorious by the Google street view photo of its heyday, it attempted a comeback from its destination as a weekly rental to a more white collar monthly rental program. However in the end, it wasn’t the rising waters of White Oak bayou that doomed the building but the rising property values around it. Don’t feel bad for the water however as it came in a close second due to it immersing many cars in its muddy stench during its tenure. In fact I may be so bold as to suggest a correlation in the destruction of Skylane and the removal of water logged vehicular inventory as reason why all the used car lots on Shepherd are also disappearing.
Has to go to the W. Dallas Mega BBQ. No contest.
Honorable mention to Lovett Mansion, of course.
I also vote for the Lovett mansion destruction.
The chicken plant on Rutland. Not because it has been one of the longest demos in Houston history. Not because it caused the owner to go off on a juvenile rant against HAHC and threaten neighbors with an apartment complex if the owner did not get his plans approved (turns out the apartment complex is nothing more than a claim from the builder that one potential buyer of the property was planning to do apartments). But because the market is finally healing the scars of no zoning in Houston.
I think Roadchick has the best nomination. It gets my vote.
Skybar on Montrose? That was once a nice venue but the building got nasty.
And the recently-featured Kelsey house might wind up being a challenger for the Lovett mansion if it goes down by the end of the year. And if we take this category to mean “biggest loss” instead of “thing you are glad to see gone.”
Best demolition as in something that I’m glad to see go? North loading dock access ramp at the George R. Brown. Replacing a highway-style ramp landing in a surface parking lot with a new office building / garage is a nice upgrade, and taking those trucks directly to Chartres makes Avenida friendlier for pedestrians.
I take it to mean “most notable” demolition.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-massive-downtown-la-fire-closes-freeways-20141208-story.html
Wow. These things really go up fast and hot. I wonder if they have a swamplot in LA?
I nominate the “Fountains” apartment demolition on Fountainview. I am not sure if the new architecture will be more pleasing, but at least I won’t be reminded of this time in my life as I drive down that street….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5mvVXGGjc
4300 Montrose, of course! Because it wasn’t imploded, there’s some good shots on HAIF that make it look like post-apocalyptic ruins.
3400 Montrose for SURE. Still sad about that one :(
I would vote two:
1) the fountains apartments – that old Michael Pollack video is a winner.
2) Dallas apts. That was unbelievable.
The almost demolition of Wheatly
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Trial-ends-over-demolition-of-old-Wheatley-5945180.php
If “Best”=”Worst” and “Worst”=”Mega-ranting on Swamplot”, I nominate the nightime demolition of the Wendy’s trees.
Definitely the ‘rapid’ demo of the parking garage on Kirby just north of I-59….. truly amazing!