GALVESTON, Texas — Crews Monday began demolishing a concrete ramp dangling from the battered Flagship Hotel, one of the most visible reminders of Hurricane Ike and one that has remained mostly untouched since the storm 21 months ago.
When Hurricane Ike struck Galveston on Sept. 13, 2008, flooding 75 percent of the island and damaging much of the Upper Texas Gulf Coast, the wide, concrete ramp connecting the historic Flagship Hotel pier to the seawall was ripped away by the pounding storm surge.
Almost two years after the hurricane, crews hired by Landry’s Restaurants Inc. have thrown up a tall, white barrier in front of the hotel while they tear down the dilapidated ramp, rebuild a new one and repair a service ramp, a strip of concrete about 5 feet wide that remains the only safe access to the structure.
Houston-based Landry’s announced in October it would return amusement rides to the historic pier.
The company originally had planned to finish the work by the 2011 tourist season, which officially launches with Memorial Day, but officials said last month the work could take longer than expected.
Landry’s officials knowledgeable of the work ongoing at the Flagship Hotel could not immediately be reached for comment Monday, spokeswoman Lisa Fisher said.
The area around the hotel, 25th Street and Seawall Boulevard, will be closed to pedestrians and vehicles periodically for the next 30 days, city spokeswoman Alicia Cahill said.
Starting today, the far right, eastbound lane of Seawall Boulevard will be closed to traffic during the day on weekdays.
The parking lane also will be closed, as will the sidewalk.
Pedestrians will be detoured to the north side of Seawall Boulevard, Cahill said.
Those areas will be reopened nights and weekends, she said.
A fence surrounding the hotel on the beach will block pedestrian access under the pier as long as the work continues, she said.
Since the hurricane damaged the Galveston landmark, the city and Landry’s have worked to keep vagrants and vandals out of the vacant hotel.
Landry’s plans to rename the property the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier Hotel and Resort in a project estimated to pump about $15 million into the property.
After Hurricane Carla badly damaged the coast in 1961, the city of Galveston built the Flagship as a show of the island’s recovery.
If all goes as planned, Landry’s will return the 25th Street pier to its roots. In 1943, the city built the Galveston Municipal Pleasure Pier.
At 1,130 feet long, the pier held a dance hall, a 2,000-seat open air arena, restaurants and concessions, according to the "Galveston Architecture Guidebook."
In 2004, Landry’s paid the city $500,000 for the property.
