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| El Jardin Hotel |
Since my arrival in Brownsville in 1966, I've been intrigued by our city's legendary El Jardin Hotel.
A close friend, Iowa farm boy Martin Jensen, worked at the hotel back then as a bellman and I listened wide-eyed to his many stories.
Like others in Brownsville, I've fallen for the false hopes over the years of would-be saviors, promising to restore the edifice to its former grandeur, only to be brought back to Planet Earth by their failures.
Who can forget Captain McCurry of 2014, who'd scraped up enough nickels to purchase the building, but lacked the money needed for restoration.
The Captain held a "hunger strike," waiting for Brownsvillians to cough up the dough needed for remodeling, but Brownsville was not in a giving mood and Cap decided to buy himself a Big Mac and sell the building.
A couple years later, Colleyville, Texas used car dealer Mike Hernandez III flew into Brownsville business class, promising to bring our city "out of poverty by 2033."
Taken on a tour of the city by Carlos Marin, Hernandez noticed a dilapidated, eight story building on Levee Street and reportedly asked the driver of his black Cadillac Escalade to stop.
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| Mike Hernandez III |
Hernandez III got out of the vehicle, found his way inside, taking a pigeon-toed stance for photographers, and declared to any who would listen that he was restoring the building, pending the report of a structural engineer.
That engineering report, like the hunger strike before it, kicked Brownsville's proverbial ass, dashing its hopes, but allowing the ghosts of Howard Hughes, Amelia Earhart and Joan Crawford to continue their haunt of the musty, asbestos-contaminated rooms of the 1927 hotel.
Then, in 2019, we heard rumblings that the Brownsville Housing Authority was making goo-goo eyes at the old structure, thinking about usage for low-income housing.
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| Brownsville Housing Authority CEO Carla Mancha |
Now, in 2021, apparently federal grants may be in the offing, so we messaged Mayor Trey Mendez for details. He directed us to Brownsville Housing Authority CEO Carla Y. Mancha.
Ms. Mancha's secretary said her boss appreciated our interest in the project and was "excited" to share the new developments. She said Ms. Mancha would call us the next day at 3:30 PM. We gave her our phone number and email.
When the phone didn't ring the next day, we took it upon ourselves to take a self-guided tour of the historic building.
It'd been years since this 73 year old body had climbed over 8 foot chain link, but anything for a story.
Once inside, the devastation was obvious. Criminals had ripped out the copper piping and porcelain lavatories, leaving gaping holes in the concrete.
Taggers had spray painted obscenities on the walls.
Worn-out, upholstered furniture was left behind.
The painted words on one door window promised "air-conditioning," once inside.
The concrete steps were reliable, but each of the eight stories offered a quick trip to the ground floor with one dangerous slip through the large holes created by thieves.
Without my reading glasses, the building appeared to be structurally sound. My report will be forthcoming if requested.
The views of the city and Matamoros were stunning.
Below are some photos from my Samsung phone:
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