Renew
Bank One tower remains a city eyesore

It’s been two years since a tornado hit downtown Fort Worth and an empty reminder stands amid the skyline.

This week, workers began replacing the plywood covering the Bank One tower with fire-resistant materials, most likely metal. Instead, the city should be focusing on greater effort toward demolition. After an asbestos discovery in December, demolition plans were put on hold. Now, financial difficulties remain a stumbling block.

The building adds nothing to the city of Fort Worth, except an eyesore. Former businesses have relocated and found a fresh start. The Reata restaurant was the last holdout and plans to reopen in mid-May at the former location of Caravan of Dreams.

Renovating the building would be a disastrous financial situation. The replacement building is under construction next door. What business would rather move into a tornado-ravaged building?

As long as the building stands, the owners must pay for its upkeep in order to protect the safety of those who work around it. But why prolong the inevitable demolition and pour money into the skeletal structure that remains?

Seeing another building collapse would be upsetting, given the events of Sept. 11, but the demolition of the Bank One building will be the last step in forgetting the tornado that struck downtown Fort Worth March 28, 2000.

There are several possibilities for the space — room for parking, restaurants or an outdoor garden — something that adds to the livelihood of the city.

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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002