The Galveston County Daily News

GALVESTON — Officials with Landry’s Restaurants are planning to restore the Flagship Hotel and bring amusement rides back to the historic pier.

During a meeting with several neighborhood groups on Tuesday, Landry’s representatives announced plans to build a double-decker carousel, a Ferris wheel and an amusement area on the pier, 2501 Seawall Blvd.

The area will be renamed the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier Hotel and Resort and will resemble the area the company operates at the Kemah Boardwalk.

The amusement rides will be consistent with those at the pier when it was built in 1940, Dancie Ware, a spokeswoman for Landry’s, said. The hotel was built in 1965.

During the last year, the hotel has become an icon of Hurricane Ike’s destruction, with its broken windows, washed out driveways and crumbled walls. But even before the storm, the hotel wasn’t famous as one of the island’s most appealing sites, Ware said.

Island native Tilman Fertitta, CEO of Landry’s, plans to change that.

Fertitta bought the 225-room hotel from the city of Galveston in 2004 for $500,000.

As part of the contract, Fertitta agreed to spend at least $15 million on renovations.

The project will cost that and then some, but it will not include the roller-coaster ride Fertitta originally talked about building, Ware said.

The hotel will be restored and will include a new Chart House restaurant, one of the Landry’s divisions.

Fertitta will pave a lot across Seawall Boulevard from the pier, next to Fish Tales restaurant, to provide parking for visitors.

Although the Ferris wheel and carousel will be open to the public, the old fishing spot at the back of the property will not.

Fertitta plans to build a pool and sun deck, open only to hotel guests, in its place.

Landry’s officials will appear before the Planning Commission on Tuesday.

Landry’s plans to reopen the property in time for the 2011 tourism season.

Reporter Laura Elder contributed to this report.