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Implosion of downtown building changes skyline
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| The Midland Savings build will soon disappear from the Tall City skyline. Photo by Reid Merritt October 2008 |
The 14-story building will crumble with the push of a button.
By Courtney Bacalso
Staff Writer
After Saturday’s implosion of the Midland Savings Building, the Tall City skyline will forever change, making way for the downtown revitalization efforts, officials said Wednesday.
The 14-story building built in 1959 — which is Midland’s second edifice to be recently demolished by implosion — will be expected to crumble down by the push of a button.
“The Midland Savings Building has been a dramatic part of the skyline for years,” said Judge John Hyde, a longtime Midlander and local history expert. “It’s sad to see it go. That corner with the First National Bank building had once been a busy hub in the 1970s. It had so much activity and pedestrian traffic.”
But a decade later, the hustle and bustle of that block, like many other downtown, died down as Midland went through a bust.
The building once housed companies such Texaco, which later moved its offices to the Heritage Building. A cafeteria existed on the ground floor before it stopped serving any food in 1980.
“I don’t like the implosion because I want to keep the Tall City name,” said Laura Roman, a Midland Development Corp. board member spearheading revitalization efforts. “But in some respect, the building is unusable.”
Of the 40 downtown buildings the MDC has identified in a recent study, five are completely vacant.
And that doesn’t include the recent buildings that have been demolished, such as the Belt Buckle Building.
Earlier this year, crews demolished two other buildings in that same city block. And parking lots now exist where the Permian Building and Gihl’s Tower had once stood. Crews also said they will begin demolishing the Metro and First National Bank buildings, both located on that block, shortly after the implosion.
“The implosion helps ready the block to be a super block for a big project to come in,” Roman said. “We need the space.”
While developers already have their eyes set on the site for a potential project, Roman said she is unable to divulge any of the details because it still is in the works.
Mayor Wes Perry confirmed there are talks of potential projects. But he warned that the global credit crunch and the low oil prices might impact any potential project.
“It might take a little longer than expected,” Perry said. “But things can only happen if the building is taken down.”
The area may initially be used as an open area for parking like on the opposite side of the block. Perry, however, said it’s not a bad thing because parking areas look better than empty buildings and bring vitality to neighboring buildings.
He said he looks forward to a multi-use project that could include a parking structure to be erected in that city block.
“To me, the Midland Savings Building is symbolic of the decline of downtown,” Perry said. “When it’s torn down, it’ll mark that era of downtown to be completely over. It’ll be a new day for downtown as far as I’m concerned.”
Courtney Bacalso can be reached at c.bacalso@mrt.com
The 14-story building built in 1959 — which is Midland’s second edifice to be recently demolished by implosion — will be expected to crumble down by the push of a button.
“The Midland Savings Building has been a dramatic part of the skyline for years,” said Judge John Hyde, a longtime Midlander and local history expert. “It’s sad to see it go. That corner with the First National Bank building had once been a busy hub in the 1970s. It had so much activity and pedestrian traffic.”
But a decade later, the hustle and bustle of that block, like many other downtown, died down as Midland went through a bust.
The building once housed companies such Texaco, which later moved its offices to the Heritage Building. A cafeteria existed on the ground floor before it stopped serving any food in 1980.
“I don’t like the implosion because I want to keep the Tall City name,” said Laura Roman, a Midland Development Corp. board member spearheading revitalization efforts. “But in some respect, the building is unusable.”
Of the 40 downtown buildings the MDC has identified in a recent study, five are completely vacant.
And that doesn’t include the recent buildings that have been demolished, such as the Belt Buckle Building.
Earlier this year, crews demolished two other buildings in that same city block. And parking lots now exist where the Permian Building and Gihl’s Tower had once stood. Crews also said they will begin demolishing the Metro and First National Bank buildings, both located on that block, shortly after the implosion.
“The implosion helps ready the block to be a super block for a big project to come in,” Roman said. “We need the space.”
While developers already have their eyes set on the site for a potential project, Roman said she is unable to divulge any of the details because it still is in the works.
Mayor Wes Perry confirmed there are talks of potential projects. But he warned that the global credit crunch and the low oil prices might impact any potential project.
“It might take a little longer than expected,” Perry said. “But things can only happen if the building is taken down.”
The area may initially be used as an open area for parking like on the opposite side of the block. Perry, however, said it’s not a bad thing because parking areas look better than empty buildings and bring vitality to neighboring buildings.
He said he looks forward to a multi-use project that could include a parking structure to be erected in that city block.
“To me, the Midland Savings Building is symbolic of the decline of downtown,” Perry said. “When it’s torn down, it’ll mark that era of downtown to be completely over. It’ll be a new day for downtown as far as I’m concerned.”
Courtney Bacalso can be reached at c.bacalso@mrt.com
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mywesttexas.com.
a new age wrote on Nov 6, 2008 8:50 AM:
" The implosion helps ready the block to be a super block for a big project to come in.
So, what big project ? We all know that downtown is just a monument to what Midland use to be and will never be again. Now, we are tearing out the graves (14-story tombstones) I hear that this is just the first of 5 more buildings to be torn down.. I mean revitalized. As in room, what about all the parking lots that are overgrown with grass? BTW whats up with the traffic lights downtown !! I stop at every light every time i go down Big Spring. Are we not fixing this too. "
So, what big project ? We all know that downtown is just a monument to what Midland use to be and will never be again. Now, we are tearing out the graves (14-story tombstones) I hear that this is just the first of 5 more buildings to be torn down.. I mean revitalized. As in room, what about all the parking lots that are overgrown with grass? BTW whats up with the traffic lights downtown !! I stop at every light every time i go down Big Spring. Are we not fixing this too. "
Texas Proud wrote on Nov 6, 2008 10:15 AM:
" " The implosion helps ready the block to be a super block for a big project to come in."
Maybe a Convention Center? Once they come up with an idea the City Planners have a tendency to push until the people just get tired of listening. Everyone knows what we need is another Burns' Boondoggle to saddle the taxpayers with even greater debt. "
Maybe a Convention Center? Once they come up with an idea the City Planners have a tendency to push until the people just get tired of listening. Everyone knows what we need is another Burns' Boondoggle to saddle the taxpayers with even greater debt. "
oliver twist wrote on Nov 6, 2008 10:47 AM:
" If the extreme northeast column is the first to be compromised, the building will fall to the north and east. The debris field will cover property not owned by the current owner of the "Midland Savings Building".
The property to the north of the building is not owned by either Allstate Services aka A&R Demolition or Hampshire Parking Garage/HPG Acquisitions which is the owner of the rest of the block upon which two buildings have been demolished and two buildings are scheduled to be demolished after the implosion of MSB.
How does the owner of the property that will be covered by the debris of MSB fit into the picture?
Is there a relationship between this owner whose nephew/cousin lives in Kentucky and the owner of the rest of the block that maintains a mailing address in Kentucky? "
The property to the north of the building is not owned by either Allstate Services aka A&R Demolition or Hampshire Parking Garage/HPG Acquisitions which is the owner of the rest of the block upon which two buildings have been demolished and two buildings are scheduled to be demolished after the implosion of MSB.
How does the owner of the property that will be covered by the debris of MSB fit into the picture?
Is there a relationship between this owner whose nephew/cousin lives in Kentucky and the owner of the rest of the block that maintains a mailing address in Kentucky? "
retired stucco salesman wrote on Nov 6, 2008 11:04 AM:
" Texas Proud has the beginning of a thread.
It is probably in the minds of those who do the planning for us, that the current Midland County Courthouse has served its purpose and is next in line for the wrecking crews. "
It is probably in the minds of those who do the planning for us, that the current Midland County Courthouse has served its purpose and is next in line for the wrecking crews. "
ANNOYED wrote on Nov 6, 2008 11:18 AM:
" What's the big deal, all i hear is implosion this implosion that....just get on with it and quit making such a big deal about it.... "
big spring driver wrote on Nov 6, 2008 11:23 AM:
" The traffic signals worked fine at one time. But times change and things supposedly become antiquated.
There is always someone who knows someone who needs to sell a new and improved version of what you already have and you need a justification to acquire that new and improved contraption.
Hence the traffic signals have been intentionally scrambled so the driving public thinks we need to spend however many millions of tax dollars to get the most current equipment which in many cases is inferior in quality even with the higher cost. "
There is always someone who knows someone who needs to sell a new and improved version of what you already have and you need a justification to acquire that new and improved contraption.
Hence the traffic signals have been intentionally scrambled so the driving public thinks we need to spend however many millions of tax dollars to get the most current equipment which in many cases is inferior in quality even with the higher cost. "
A Noid wrote on Nov 6, 2008 11:32 AM:
" This IS a big deal for the players of this complex charade. They are relishing with great pleasure all the gyrations by which they contort to hide from the public the personal pleasures they derive from their deceits. "
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booker wrote on Nov 6, 2008 2:31 AM:
You want space? You only need to turn your sights south one block to see evidence of the original superblock bounded by Missouri, Loraine, Big Spring and Front. Here you have a nearly five-acre expanse of asphalt devoid of any trees to hinder development. It is currently under utilized by its owners as a parking lot.
By careful observation and retrospection one can see how much better this space looks than when there were buildings situated there. And due to the civic mindedness of Midland Superblock Joint Venture the parking lot is off limits to the patrons of the Midland County Library except that portion which is the furthest from its entrance. "