Drove down to Galveston 4 weeks ago

I had the same basic thoughts when I was there about a month ago. But, I tried keeping it in perspective given the reports I heard and pictures I saw from the days following the storm. I has now been only 5 months, and the City seems to have done a very good job getting services in order, and taking the proper steps for clean up. Unfortunately, those two things take months to get back to 100%, and is complicated by the delay in insurance settlements, which has slowed the clean up and repair/rebuild/demo by privately owned assets.

My guess after the storm was 2-3 years to get back to what we were used to. Just my $0.02.

Mike

 

I went there to help with the hurricane relief for Randalls supermarkets a week after it happened. The inside of the stores were totally gutted and stank of mold. On one of the produce racks containing oranges the mold was over two feet high on the fruit. It was totally awful. Our grocery director had gone to Galveston just four days before the hurricane to go on a Carnival cruise they won and could not reschedule. He left his Explorer at the cruise dock and when he came back it was gone........All the cars that were parked on the second floor of the parking garage or above made it out okay.......

We used to go to Galveston a couple of time a year just to chill. It is pretty depressing to see it now...It will take a long time for it to rebuild.....

 

Never, UTMB (UT Board of Regents, in Austin) kicked them in the balls...Shriner's has also pulled the plug on the Burn Center.....Emergency care requires a chopper now to get off the island (food for thought, given the traditional Mardi Gras gun play....)

So my answer is 'never'.

And yes submersion under salt water killed all the plants, most likely dooming the centuries old oaks as well, we'll see...

My first instructions to Mom were "Turn the water onto the trees and leave it on until it runs down the street a few days"..

Moody Gardens has cancelled the plans for the Whale Aquarium and the Polar Bear exhibit......$50M in revenue lost forever (just for my firm, not total cost)..

We are working closely with the Port, and they are in pretty good shape all things considered.....

We did get Rex Bell back into the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, next time you are down buy a few drinks in there!

 

Galvez is the old Grand Dame, and they did well....Sunday Brunch is still on and it IS one of the finer pools in the area, I rinse off with a drink there, after surfing!

 

Ouch. Moody Gardens was one of my favorite attractions.

I must say, I'm glad I got see Galveston before this storm. I thought it was a great place. Shame to hear nearly everything is in ruins & destroyed.


BTW, how did the hotel on that giant dock stand up against the storm or the condos at the end of the island?

 

Really?! I could have sworn I had seen the hotel on the docks still standing after the storm. Damn.

 

Guys what are you talking about? What a load of ****! The beaches are being rebuilt as we speak! (Check out galvnews.com). The hotels are ALL open on the Seawall except for the decrepit Flagship which is supposed to be torn down and rebuilt this year by Tillman Fertitta (the guy that owns the Golden Nugget and Landry's) The Galvez, both Holiday Inns, the Hilton, the San Luis, all of the restaurant on the seawall are open. The beach is being replenished and will be larger than ever by
June 1! I really don't understand these rumours. Yes the Strand was damaged heavily but there is work on all streets and all the businesses plan to be back operational by June 1 - hell there holding MARDI GRAS there NOW. As far as the trees on the esplanade go, they are being tended to by a specialist and will be brought back to health or replaced in the next year. MOODY GARDENS is open and fully operational! Schilitterbaun is going to open next month!

WHAT th F? are you talking about.

Please quit spreading unsubstantiated rumours and check it out. I know - I live there part time...

Mark

 

Good to hear Mark. I have not been back since three weeks after the storm.

We took in teams of 16 to 20 people to help clean up and get the stores ready to reopen. We had about 300 Tom Thumb volunteers who took off several weeks to help out the area. I worked in Galveston, South Houston and two Randalls in the Woodlands. Of course, the Woodlands sustained the least amount of damage. Mostly just product loss due to loss of power. Galveston was a whole other story..........

Stayed at the Flagship just one night and checked out early the next morning due to the condition it was in. And that was 15 years ago. Never wanted to go back there. Did Guido's fare okay? We liked their oysters and spent a few evenings there just across from the seawall. We were not allowed to venture down to the strand while we were working there. They took us in in busses and kept us at the stores until time to be bussed back to the Galleria area of Houston to our hotel.

 

Yes sir, Gaidos is up and running and has been for 3 months now. The Flagship was a dump before the storm and in my opinion Ike did us a favor by closing it prematurely. The new $50MM development that Tillman is going to do will
rival the Navy Pier in Chicago. He has permission from the city to triple the width of the pier and extend it an additional 500 feet into the water. From what I gather his company is planning to put a "Hotel Coronado" (San Diego) style hotel on the pier surrounded by restaurants and an amusement park a la Kemah Boardwalk. Murdocks is beginning a reconstruction of their pier and shop this summer with a projected March 2010 opening. The Balinese is gone for good (mercy killing).

Moody Gardens has recently redone the golf course by the way, and from what I understand it is very nice now - I don't play golf so maybe others can check it out and let us know. The Dickens on the Strand festival went off
without a hitch and was very well attended. The Oak Ridge Boys stayed at our hotel and The Beach Boys are coming back in the summer. All signs point to a more "tourist" dedicated Galveston since UTMB has went sayanora!

Please don't believe these gloom and dooms posts. Come down Spring Break and see for yourself.


M

 

Keep us advised of the good news. I love to hear when something comes back together.

My mom met my dad at Camp Hulen down in Palacios so we went back there often when I was growing up. I was really bummed out when Carla took out our favorite bayside places and leveled the town. It is still the same sleepy place now. I have been watching the development of the new home subdivision going into the old Camp Hulen location. I even considered attempting to develop something there myself that is needed badly. Just gotta get the investor together.........

 

Any chance they are going to rebuild Hooters over the water? I am a little sad about the Balinese, it was ugly but very historical!

 

Dude, if you own property still standing, more power to you!

My firm WORKS for Moody Gardens and they did save much of what they had, and the cute lil' penguins, but at CONSIDERABLE repair expense....

Drive off the end of the seawall and see what you see....and there's that wonderful smell...

I went to Mardi Gras, in South Shore Harbor (Clear Lake) LOL!


I meant my post to point out how much permanent payroll was destroyed at the Medical Facilites.
Tourism is another income stream, certainly........but seasonal.

 

JOhn,

If you are quoting Houston TV then you of all people should know that EVERYTHING IS BAD right now according to the media. All of the hotels are full - try to book a room right now! The first Friday was slow but the parade was very well
attended and this weekend is looking even better. "Recycling old beads" ?? Where does the media come up with this ****? Kind of like "everyone that stays will die" during Ike,remember that? The media has ZERO credibility anymore, they have
turned into a entertainment clowns. My observations were as of yesterday.

 

I don't think teenagers in flip flops, are gonna make up for those MDs, and RNs........