GALVESTON, Texas — As the city council considers the future of the Flagship Hotel, vandals continue to target the Galveston landmark severely damaged by Hurricane Ike’s Sept. 13, 2008, landfall.
On Monday, Galveston police were called to the hotel, 2501 Seawall Blvd., by someone who found about 3 feet of the chain-link fence cut, a large enough gap for an adult to squeeze through.
Following Ike’s landfall, the hotel was a haven for trespassers, but the owners have taken steps to keep would-be vagrants and vandals out.
When Ike washed ashore, it severely damaged the hotel’s ramp leading to the base of its pier, but a narrow strip of concrete about 5 feet wide remains the only safe access to the structure.
The city’s office of code enforcement hasn’t had any recent complaints involving the hotel, Wendy O’Donohoe, the city’s director of planning and community development, said.
Since the day before the storm, police have responded to at least 24 calls for undesirables, 28 calls for suspicious people and two calls for transients at the hotel, Galveston police Capt. Thom Karlok said.
Police also reported three calls for burglary that resulted in seven arrests and three calls for trespassing that resulted in the arrests of three people, Karlok said.
Landry’s Restaurants, which owns the hotel, erected fences at the property in May at the city’s request.
"Landry’s checks daily for needed repairs to fencing, gates, plywood and other materials to ensure they are intact," the company said in a written statement late Tuesday.
"The property is posted and the company has granted power of attorney to the Galveston Police Department for trespassers to be arrested. In addition, the company has employed security on the property.
"These efforts have drastically reduced the occurrences during the past few months."
The hotel one day could be the site of amusement rides, such as a double-decker carousel and Ferris wheel.
The city council is scheduled Thursday to discuss granting a specific-use permit, allowing amusement rides on the historic pier.
The area would be renamed the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier Hotel and Resort in a projected estimated to pump about $15 million into the property.
Reporter Rhiannon Meyers contributed to this story.
This story was brought to you thanks to khou.com’s partnership with The Galveston County Daily News.
