By Amanda Johnson
Published: Sep. 5, 2024 at 2:25 PM CDT
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - The tallest building in Lake Charles will soon be a pile of rubble.
Ahead of Saturday’s implosion of the Capital One/Hertz Tower, we’re looking back at the 43-year history of the skyscraper at 1 Lakeshore Drive.
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The Calcasieu Marine National Bank had the CM Tower built for $40 million, with construction starting in 1981. Dreamt up by the influential Lawton family, it was designed by Houston-based architecture firm Lloyd Jones Brewer Associates with engineering consultation from I.A. Nathan and Associates and W.P. Moore and Associates.
The construction was a joint venture between F. Miller & Sons and Houston-based Miner-Dederick Construction. Joe Miller Sr. and George Miner Jr., who were old friends from Lake Charles High School, worked together on the project – the Millers provided the labor, and Miner-Dederick handled the accounting and administration.
F. Miller & Sons, from its formation in the 1930s until its sale in 2008, was responsible for much of the Lake Charles skyline and other iconic local buildings and bridges, but the CM Tower was the company’s largest project at the time.
The tower is 26 stories high, with 22 total floors. The 400,000-square-foot building sits on a four-acre campus on the Lake Charles lakefront.
Joe Miller Jr., who surveyed the building during its construction, estimates the tower would cost eight times as much to build today as it did in 1981, if not more, giving it a price tag of at least $320 million.
When the 310-foot tower opened in 1983, it dwarfed other buildings downtown, becoming the focal point of the city’s skyline. Home to many law, financial and accounting firms, it featured a high-end bank at ground level and a top-level restaurant, the City Club, which also served as a venue for weddings and Mardi Gras events.
Miller said the City Club elevated the culture of Lake Charles, bringing other high-end restaurants to the area.
Miller said the building’s glass was made to be hurricane-proof – to an extent. It survived Hurricane Rita in 2005, sustaining some damage but reopening after less than two years.
However, 2020′s Hurricane Laura was a different story, bringing sustained winds up to 150 mph and destroying many of the tower’s windows.
Miller said it is “still a sound building,” and could be repaired if someone was willing to invest in it.
The tower’s owner since 2007, Hertz Investment Group, made an attempt to repair the building, announcing a rebuild project in 2022. After settling with its insurance company in 2023, Hertz listed the property for sale.
The City of Lake Charles worked with developers to find a buyer for the tower, even creating incentives for a potential developer. In May 2024, it was announced that the building would be coming down, and demolition work began in June.
After four years of vacancy, the building is set to be imploded in September with complete demolition to follow in the coming weeks. What will happen to the property after that remains to be seen.
Lloyd D. Nabors Demolition is the general contractor for the demolition, and Controlled Demolition Inc. is handling the implosion.
KPLC will have a special livestream on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 7, and we will broadcast the implosion itself live on air. It is set for 8 a.m.
For more information on how to watch the building come down online, on air on in person, visit our implosion guide.
Below is a timeline of the building’s history and the events leading up to its demolition.
July 13, 1978
Swift and Company sells the property to Calcasieu Marine National Bank for $473,568.
1981
Construction begins on the CM Tower.
1983
Building opens to the public.
August 1996
Hibernia buys Calcasieu Marine National Bank for $200 million.
Nov. 13, 1996
The CM logo is removed from the Hibernia Tower.
Sept. 24, 2005
The tower is damaged in Hurricane Rita.
November 2005
Capital One buys Hibernia for $5 billion, changing the tower’s name again.
Feb. 5, 2007
Capital One Bank reopens after repairs to the tower.
June 15, 2007
Hertz buys the tower for $14.5 million.
Aug. 27, 2020
Hurricane Laura damages the tower.
April 7, 2022
KPLC gets video of the inside of the vacant tower.
Aug. 1, 2022
“Capital One Tower rebuild” sign goes up.
Sept. 16, 2022
Work begins removing boards covering the broken windows.
Jan. 9, 2023
Hertz announces settlement with insurance company.
March 24, 2023
Hertz lists the tower for sale.
Nov. 15, 2023
City council approves incentive for potential developer.
March 19, 2024
Hertz takes revised demolition bids.
May 14, 2024
Mayor Nic Hunter announces the tower will be demolished.
June 19, 2024
Demolition contractor arrives on site.
June 25, 2024
Demolition begins.
July 9, 2024
The tower’s skybridge is torn down.
July 16, 2024
A date is set for the implosion.
Aug. 6, 2024
The atrium is fully demolished.
Sept. 7, 2024
Implosion is scheduled for 8 a.m.
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