Flagship to come down one floor at time

Deconstruction theory: How do you take down a seven-story hotel on a pier over the Gulf of Mexico? Very carefully, officials say. Some readers have asked whether crews plan to “blow up” the famous Flagship Hotel, 2501 Seawall Blvd. While that might be the most efficient method of demolishing the 225-room hotel, it also would be messy, hurtling materials into the Gulf, which is an environmental no-no, officials say.

Instead, the hotel will come down one floor at a time while crews carefully manage debris, said Larry Brown, president of Houston-based Ardent Construction. Landry’s Restaurants Inc. last year hired Ardent to tear down the hotel that long ago lost its luster, was neglected and which has been closed since Hurricane Ike struck the fatal blow to the property in September 2008. When the hotel is gone, Landry’s plans to develop an amusement park, which will boast a double-decker carousel, a Ferris wheel and other amusements.

Crews are expected this week to finish gutting the hotel. Next week, they’ll start shoring up the hotel with plans to start chiseling away at the concrete, slowly taking it from the top, one floor at a time, dumping debris down the elevator shaft and hauling it away. Demolition is expected to be complete by May 1, Brown said.

Also, look for Ardent in the next couple of weeks to begin repairing the underside of the pier.

So far, Ardent is on schedule and expects to complete Landry’s $30 million redevelopment plans by summer next year, Brown said.

“It’s an exciting project,” he said.

The Flagship, built in 1965 as a show of confidence after Hurricane Carla, is the only hotel in Texas built on pilings over the Gulf. Landry’s entertainment complex would return the 25th Street pier to its roots. In 1943, the city built the Galveston Municipal Pleasure Pier. At 1,130 feet long, the Pleasure Pier held a dance hall, a 2,000-seat open-air arena, restaurants and concessions, according to Galveston Architecture Guidebook.

In 2005, Landry’s paid the city $500,000 for the property. But because of lease agreements the city had with a management group, it took Landry’s years to gain control of the property and plan improvements.

Privately held Landry’s, led by island native Tilman Fertitta, is a hospitality, restaurant, entertainment, resort and casino company with more than 300 retail locations.

Reeling in the rumors: Meanwhile, rumors are rife that Landry’s might install one of its freshly acquired concepts at the Flagship Hotel. But which restaurant is still under wraps.

Initial plans called for Landry’s to open a Chart House concept at the redeveloped pier. But last year, Landry’s purchased several chains — Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Claim Jumper Restaurants and the more upscale Oceanaire Inc. Stay tuned.

Fancy footwork: Can Boxer Retail beat Mall of the Mainland back in to shape? Officials with Boxer Retail, which in September took over operations at the Texas City shopping center, 10000 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, aren’t quite ready to divulge details about how they plan to go about turning the troubled shopping center into commercial contender.

But Wednesday, they were willing to offer some general plans. Michael Pariza, president of Boxer Retail, which bills itself as a real estate firm that specializes in improving the value of commercial retail properties, said the firm was working to lease empty spaces and to “re-tenant” the mall with a focus on indoor entertainment.

It also would work to lure some national tenants back to the center.

The 800,000-square-foot shopping center opened in 1991 and is the county’s only mall. (The more bustling Baybrook Mall is in Harris County). Mall of the Mainland’s anchor tenants include Palais Royal, Macy’s, Sears and Cinemark 12 Movie Theater. It also houses national chain stores such as Bath and Body Works, Lane Bryant, Claire’s Boutique and more. While anchors typically get all the attention, it’s those “inline” stores that can make or break a mall.

In recent years, the mall has seen a slew of tenant departures. In September, lender Pacific Western Bank took possession of the property and hired Boxer to manage and improve conditions.

Before that, Brentwood Group, which owned 51 percent stake in the mall, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an apparent bid to ward off foreclosure. Brentwood and affiliated entities in January 2008 had taken out a $13.5 million loan with Pacific Western.

Pariza promises to keep us posted on Boxer Retail’s plans. Stay tuned.

What’s up with Dillard’s? Meanwhile, readers are shopping for answers about the status of the former Dillard’s building at the Mall of the Mainland. The department store shell was most recently home to Federal Emergency Management Agency field officers who were using a small part of the first floor and big part of the second floor to take care of Hurricane Ike recovery business.

FEMA a few months ago left the Dillard’s space. About five days after Ike, Dillard’s Inc. said it would not reopen its Mall of the Mainland store, which sustained more than $4 million in uninsured damage by the storm.

Even before the storm, slammed the upper Gulf Coast the Little Rock, Ark.-based department store chain was teetering on closure in Texas City. The Mall of the Mainland never owned the Dillard’s site. And Dillard’s a few years ago sold the property, but to whom wasn’t immediately available. Rumors have been floating around that some news is soon to come from the Dillard’s site. Stay tuned.

Biz Buzz appears Tuesdays and Thursdays. We welcome your tips and suggestions. Call 409-683-5248 or e-mail laura.elder(at)galvnews.com.