What's your favorite Small Town Highrise ? (Abilene, Beaumont: apartment complex, hotel, oil)

[JamesAbilene]

Originally Posted by JJG

Yeah I know.... When I think of highrises, I just don't really think of smaller towns.

Not a criticism. I think you did a great job pulling all of those pictures together.

[case44]

Originally Posted by JamesAbilene

Whoops. Missed Amarillo, Abilene, and Lubbock! It's okay, I just checked other.

I like the American National Bank in Amarillo (If that is still the name of it--bank's names change more often than I change my socks.)

I like the Bank of America, Enterprise, Building in Abilene.

And I really like the old Santa Fe Building in Amarillo. If I only could figure out how to post pictures on here, I would post some of these.

Try the NTS building in Lubbock. It's about the only significant "skyscraper" they have. At the moment, that is.

What's puzzling is that Midland's skyline has more buildings and has better concepts than Downtown Lubbock and they have 100,000 less people. Don't get me wrong; that's great for Midland -- keep it up. But as for Lubbock's downtown....

[Lucidus]

Originally Posted by case44

Try the NTS building in Lubbock. It's about the only significant "skyscraper" they have. At the moment, that is.

What's puzzling is that Midland's skyline has more buildings and has better concepts than Downtown Lubbock and they have 100,000 less people. Don't get me wrong; that's great for Midland -- keep it up. But as for Lubbock's downtown....

Yeah, There was another thread here on CD where Lubbock was voted as having the most boring skyline of any small or medium sized city in the country.

Small or mid-sized cities with a boring skyline

Full disclosure: I voted for Lubbock in that thread.

Midland has some really cool old buildings downtown. Here are some pics I took last year.

A great old building that the owners are trying to convert to condos. I was interested in living there but the project is having trouble with suitable parking.



Gihls Tower being torndown. I think it completely torn down now but I haven't been in that area for a while so I am not sure.



Here is where the old Permian building was torn down. This one surprised me because the building wasn't really in bad shape and housed a popular restaurant there until just a few years ago.



Here is the Vaughn building. This one is also being converted condos. The new owners are a company out of California but I felt that they paid to much for the building. They are having trouble financing the renovations now. Too bad, this building has great potential.



Here is building with the Yucca Theatre where Midland holds Summer Mummers every year. Absolutely beautiful old building.



Here are some various pics of the more modern buildings of Midland. Personally I prefer the older ones though.









Here is an aerial pic of Midland that I didn't take that shows how the buildings are arranged.

[case44]

Originally Posted by Lucidus

Wonderful shot of Midland, Lucidus. That place will surprise many people who've never been there.

[gabetx]

You skipped Corpus Christi. Its a small city.

I'd say One Shoreline Plaza:


I also like the Frost Bank Plaza:

(Not a great picture, but its all I had).

Those are my votes

[shoe01]

In defense of Lubbock, there wasn't a freeway running next to downtown until the early 1990's. Also the tornado in 1970 devastated a portion of the CBD. It damaged the NTS building, and today you can still see where they patched it up.

Other significant buildings there are the Pioneer Hotel and the one that was renovated by McDougal a few years ago (can't think of the name).

[JJG]

Originally Posted by gabetx

You skipped Corpus Christi. Its a small city.

Actually I didn't. It's on the Skyscraper thread.

I sorta switched Corpus in place for Arlington.....

Anyway, here's two from Amarillo...

Chase Tower


Santa Fe Building


...and Abilene

Enterprise Tower


Wooten Hotel (love the art deco style. I grew up on it...)

[Lucidus]

Man I love some of the older buildings pictured here. Here is another one that deserves some love. As far as I know this building is being renovated. I hope it goes well, I hate to see these old buildings crumbling.

The Settles Hotel in Big Spring.

[JamesAbilene]

Originally Posted by JJG

Actually I didn't. It's on the Skyscraper thread.

I sorta switched Corpus in place for Arlington.....

Anyway, here's two from Amarillo...

Chase Tower


Santa Fe Building


...and Abilene

Enterprise Tower


Wooten Hotel (love the art deco style. I grew up on it...)

The Wooten has been converted into high dollar luxury apartments. It is now beautiful inside. The old Windsor Hotel has also been converted to apartments. They are not luxury apartments but are subsidized rentals. They too are very attractive inside.

[JamesAbilene]

Here is the Windsor. It still stands in downtown Abilene and is apartments for elderly folks. It has really been done nicely inside and has the original ballroom and other areas renovated.