San Jacinto Monument's observation deck is closed
The San Jacinto Monument's observation deck has been closed while officials find the money to repair a major safety problem:
Perhaps the biggest draw of the San Jacinto Monument is the observation floor where visitors take in breathtaking views. At 570-feet, the San Jacinto Monument is 15-feet taller than the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. But the deck is temporarily closed.
[snip]
Recently engineers discovered a problem with the monument. In the event of a fire inside the museum, smoke would rise up the monument trapping everyone inside the observation deck.
The fire safety concerns came to light during a recent study of the monument. State park officials are now hoping Texas lawmakers will give them the $2 million they say is needed to fireproof the monument from the observation deck to the elevator shaft.
"It's a fairly big loss, yes," says David Avila.
Monument officials expect the deck to be closed for up to two years until those repairs can be made. It's a decision that is all in interest of safety, but to the disappointment of visitors.
That's a shame, because the view really is spectacular up there. The marsh around the battleground is being restored to its original condition when the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto took place, and in addition to walking along the marsh boardwalk, you could see the restoration progress from the observation deck.
Last September we learned that the nearby Battleship Texas needs some serious repairs. It would be nice to see private donors step up to help fund the repairs for both the battleship and the monument.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 02/20/05 11:19 AM | Print |
Previous Entry | Home | Next Entry
ADVERTISING
DISCLAIMER
All content © 2004-09, blogHOUSTON and the respective authors.
blogHOUSTON.net is powered by Nucleus.
Site design and Nucleus customization are by Kevin Whited.