Big Plan for an Ike-Worn Isle Icon

Proposal worth $15 million would give Flagship a carnival-like feel

Houston Chronicle , October 30, 2009
by Allan Turner

GALVESTON —For decades, Galveston's Flagship Hotel, rising seven stories above a pier jutting 1,000 feet into the sea, was the stuff of postcards. Never the city's most elegant hotel, arguably it was the most fun — a proud symbol of a flourishing tourist economy.

Hurricane Ike changed everything in a night of wind and waves, leaving the Flagship a shattered hulk. Waves severed the drive linking it to the island; winds sliced off an exterior wall. Even in ruins, the hotel serves as a barometer for the island's tourist trade. Since Ike, Galveston's hotel and motel taxes have dropped 25 percent.

Next week, city planning commissioners will consider a $15 million-plus proposal to rebuild the shattered hotel, refitting the pleasure pier with a restaurant, a stylish swimming pool and carnival-type amusements.

Planning commissioners will make a recommendation to City Council, which then will determine the plan's fate.

Landry's Restaurants Inc., which purchased the Flagship for $500,000 in 2004, plans to reopen the hotel in 2011.

Glimpse of 1940

Landry's spokeswoman Dancie Ware said the amusements, which will include a Ferris wheel and a double-decker carousel, will approximate those present on the pier when it opened in 1940. The hotel was built in 1965.

“This is absolutely exciting,” said RoShelle Gaskins, spokeswoman for the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau. “History has shown that the old pleasure pier was a huge draw, and this will be even bigger.”

Susan Antonelli, a Galveston travel consultant, said pleasure piers in Baltimore, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Santa Monica, Calif., are proved magnets for tourism. “It could be a real pull,” she said. “I would definitely go there as a resident, and I think others would come as well.”

Like many Galvestonians, Antonelli said she had fond memories of the pier's earlier years. Her sweet 16 party and her wedding reception were both held on the pier, she said.

Like many Galvestonians, Antonelli said she had fond memories of the pier's earlier years. Her sweet 16 party and her wedding reception were both held on the pier, she said.

Galveston City Manager Steven LaBlanc termed the post-Ike hotel “an eyesore” but expressed confidence in Landry's CEO Tilman Fertitta's commitment to “making it a first-class facility.”

“The Flagship is one of Galveston's icons, and as long as it looks bad, the impression will be the city is to some extent not fully recovered. However, I believe Tilman will spend the money necessary to really bring the Flagship back to its former grandeur. He does everything first-class,” LaBlanc said. “He has a lot of work to do.”

‘Like new condition'

Landry's already has a dramatic presence on the island with the San Luis Resort and Hilton and Holiday Inn hotels. The plans for the Flagship share characteristics with family-oriented attractions the corporation operates in Kemah and downtown Houston.

Fertitta was unavailable for comment Thursday.

The proposal, which pledges to “return the property to a world class destination,” comes after a year of deliberations. Earlier this year, corporation officials confirmed Landry's might demolish the hotel.

In the proposal now on the table, Landry's outlines plans to install a “stunning pool with an outdoor bar, cabanas and a lower sundeck jutting out over the Gulf.” The Ferris wheel and related attractions will be located in the area now occupied by the hotel's pool.

The hotel will be restored to “like new condition,” with an improved fire sprinkler system and other safety features. It will house a Chart House restaurant, which will offer diners a menu of fresh fish, seafood and steaks. Ten Chart House restaurants were included on OpenTable.com's “top 50” picks for restaurants with scenic views, Ware said.