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Buildings Designed to be Expanded Vertically


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#1 John T Roberts

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Posted 31 December 2016 - 04:09 PM

Since the Hilton Hotel Annex has started construction, it made me think about all of the buildings built in the city that were designed with the ability to have more floors added on top at a later date.  Over the course of time, some of these buildings eventually had the upper floors built and they are still standing.  Others did the expansion, but the buildings were later demolished.  Another set of buildings never were expanded vertically and they were eventually demolished without the additions ever happening.  The last group are the buildings that are still standing, yet the planned floors to be added on top were never built.  Below is a list of such structures in the city.  I know that I have missed some, so as I remember them, see photographs of them, or come across the information, I will add it to the list.  Also, if some of you know about these buildings, please add them to the list.

 

Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center 1994 Addition - Built at 4 stories; designed for 7 - Expanded to 7 stories in 2006.

 

Bewley Building - NE Corner 7th & Throckmorton (Sanguinet & Staats) - built at 3 stories in 1907 and designed for an unknown number of extra floors; planned expansion in 1910 for 3 more floors; actual addition of 2 floors; demolished in the 1970s at 5 stories.

 

Biltmore Garage/Hilton Hotel Annex – 815 Commerce – built at 4 stories in 1928; designed for 15 floors; expanded to 13 stories and upper floors built as hotel in 1968.

 

The Cassidy – 407 Throckmorton – 2 level underground parking; designed for 22 story residential; built 6 stories of retail/office/residential penthouse in 2014.

 

Old Civil Courts Building – built at 5 stories in 1958; designed for 10 stories; demolished in 2013 at 5 stories

 

Dunn's "Mansion" Garage/500 Commerce - built at 3 stories in 1924; designed for 6; completed top 3 floors in 1935.  Partial 7th floor added in 1990.

 

Equitable Savings Association – 811 Lamar – built at 3 stories; designed for 10; demolished in 2002 at 3 stories.

 

Fort Worth Press – 501 Jones – built 1 story designed for 2.  Expanded to 2 stories.

 

Fort Worth Public Library - 9th & Throckmorton - built at 3 stories in 1939; designed for more floors to be added on top. Demolished in 1990 at 3 stories.

 

Fort Worth Public Library – 3rd & Lamar – built 2 stories underground in 1978; designed to be expanded above grade; 2 floors added on top in 1994.

 

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Building – 400 W. 7th St. – built 4 stories in 1920; designed for 7.  Today is still 4 stories, but expanded multiple times horizontally.

 

John Peter Smith Hospital Main Entrance Building - built at 2 stories; designed to handle more floors, possibly 12 total; building is currently 2 stories.

 

Jane and John Justin Tower - Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital - built at 10 stories and opened in 2022; designed to be 14 stories.

 

Lone Star Gas – 908 Monroe – built at 4 stories in 1929; designed for 8; 3 more stories were added in 1957.

 

Leonard’s Department Store – West side of 200 Block of Houston St. - built 3 stories in 1930; designed to be 9 stories; demolished at 3 stories in 1979.

 

Meacham Field Terminal Building - built at 2 stories; designed for 5; remodeled and expanded to 3 stories in 2015.

 

Medical City Alliance - 3101 North Tarrant Parkway - Built at 3 stories; 2020 having two more floors added.

 

Medical City Fort Worth's ER and Patient Tower - 800 9th Ave. - Built and opened in December 2018 at 3 stories; designed for 7.

 

Miller’s Mutual Insurance – 900 Monroe St. – built at 2 stories in 1921; designed for 5; expanded to 4 stories in 1946 and is still standing.

 

Monnig's Department Store - 500 Houston St. - Monnig's took over the block of three story buildings one by one.  These buildings were built in the early 1900's and were not designed to have more floors added on top.  By the 1950's, the store needed two more floors.  They were added by reinforcing the foundation of the buildings and retrofitting the existing structure.  The two floors were added on top of all of the buildings and they were demolished at 5 stories in 1991.

 

Mutual Savings and Loan – 815 Throckmorton St. – built at 6 stories; designed for 11; demolished in 1998 at 6 stories.

 

Parker-Browne Co. - 1212 E. Lancaster - built at 3 stories in 1924; designed to have more floors added.  Currently 3 stories.

 

Public Safety & Courts Building - 1000 Throckmorton - built at 4 stories in 1938.  I believe it was designed for 10 stories.  Currently 4 stories.

 

Red Cross – 2nd & Taylor – built at 2 stories; designed to handle more floors; demolished at 2 stories.

 

Sanger-Harris/Foley's/Macy*s Hulen Mall – built 2 stories; designed for 3; currently 2 stories but expanded with a one story addition on the east in 1990.  Third floor exterior walls are already in place.  The building appears to be 3 stories from the exterior.

 

Sanger Brothers Building - 515 Houston St. - built 8 stories in 1925; designed for 10 stories.  Currently still at 8 stories.

 

Sanger Lofts – 410 Houston – built 5 in 1929; designed for 8; currently 6 stories

 

Stripling’s Houston Street Building – SE corner 2nd & Houston – built 3 in 1910; designed for 7; 1918 completed at 7 stories; demolished at 7 stories in 1979

 

Southwestern Bell Telephone/AT&T Building – 1926 Building at 11th & Throckmorton – built at 3 stories; designed for 8; in 1929, 3 stories were added; in 1965, two more floors were added bringing the building to full height of 8 floors.  In 1949, an addition to Southwestern Bell was built in the center of the block, immediately to the north of the 1926 building.  It was built at 4 floors and designed for 12.  In 1965, 4 more floors were added on top, and in 1971, another 4 stories were added.  The building currently exists at 12 stories.  In 1958, a 9 story building expanded the complex to Houston Street.  It was designed to eventually be 16 stories.  In 1965 2 more floors were added on top, and finally in 1971, the building was expanded to its full height of 16 stories with a five story addition. 

 

Southwestern Bell Telephone/Texas A&M Law School – 1515 Commerce – built 2; designed for 16; currently 2 stories.

 

St. Joseph Hospital – 1401 S. Main – 1959 Addition – built at 5; designed for 12; completed at 12 stories in 1965 and demolished in 2012.

 

Tarrant Savings/Star-Telegram Classified Bldg. - 5th & Taylor (Hedrick & Stanley) - built at 4 stories & basement; designed for more floors to be added; demolished in 2009 at 4 stories.

 

Mrs. Dan Waggoner Bldg. - NW Corner of Houston and 6th - built at 4 stories, designed for 9, completed at 9 stories and demolished at that height in the 1970s.

 

Western National Bank/Houston Place Lofts - 910 Houston - built at 6 stories in 1906; designed for 8; top 2 floors added in 1918.  A partial 9th floor was added at some later date.

 

Woolworth Building – 501 Houston – built 3; designed for 10; currently the building is 3 stories.

 

I am not including the old Continental National Bank in this list because it was a special circumstance with the halting of construction of the building during the Korean War, partially completing it, then resuming construction with a new taller design and digital clock.  If you want more information on its history, you can check out the building page on the main site.



#2 JBB

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Posted 31 December 2016 - 06:29 PM

Interesting info.  Was this a common or widespread practice at any particular time? 

 

Anyone ever seen photos of the AT&T Building under construction?  Yeah, it's an ugly structure, but I've always found the patchwork of expansions a little interesting.



#3 John T Roberts

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Posted 31 December 2016 - 06:59 PM

I don't think that it was done in any particular time period, other than the modern era of architecture.  As you can see by the dates of the buildings, it was done all the way from the 1920's until the 1970's. 

 

There are a few photographs of the buildings and some of the construction at the Jack White Collection of Historic Fort Worth Photographs.  Unfortunately, they are not indexed and you will have to search for them.  Also, the UTA Library has a few that are not part of Jack White's work.



#4 Austin55

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Posted 01 January 2017 - 03:41 PM

John- I remember having a lengthy discussion with you and Peoplearestrange on this subject at lunch one time. It is interesting. The point you brought up about columns being visible on satellite view of the A&M building was interesting. 



#5 JBB

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Posted 01 January 2017 - 04:16 PM

Wow.   I've looked at aerial photos of downtown often and never noticed that.  They're clearly visible.



#6 John T Roberts

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Posted 01 January 2017 - 04:44 PM

This is basic structures and forces here, but when steel buildings are built, the columns are placed in sections.  Where they are spliced is at a location slightly above the beam level of a floor.  The actual finish floor of any one level is several inches above the beam. (Joist seats, metal deck, and the concrete slab add those extra inches.)  The splicing point is still higher than the floor level.  It is done at the location on the column where the forces are the least.  If a building is designed to be expanded upward, then the columns have to extend up to the point of the splice, which would be above the roof level of a building.  That's why you can see from aerial photographs the buildings that have the capacity for more floors to be added on top.  The column grids extend through. 

 

I found a photo on the UTA Library's site that shows the AT&T 11th & Throckmorton building taken in the late 1940's with the 6 story façade on it.  It matched the lower three floors.  It shows the 1949 building at four stories.  Beyond that, the photograph shows the 1905 "Lamar" Exchange building at 5 stories.  (Originally constructed at 3 stories, and another two floors added on top in 1914.)  It was demolished around 1970 to build the current 17 story windowless expansion on that part of the block. 



#7 Dylan

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Posted 01 January 2017 - 10:40 PM

On the A&M building, I notice that all of the columns are on the edges of the building.

 

If more floors were added to the top, would all of the upper floors be supported solely by columns on the side? Seems like there should be columns in the middle somewhere.


-Dylan


#8 John T Roberts

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Posted 01 January 2017 - 10:51 PM

Look closely.  The column grid extends very slightly through the roof.  The columns on the exterior were extended further.  This was probably done to support the precast concrete panels at the parapet.



#9 John T Roberts

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Posted 12 February 2017 - 10:45 PM

I found another building, but it is not in Fort Worth.  I found this by looking at some news articles that were a few days old.  A photograph from the Arlington Fire Department showed the smoke rising from the partially demolished buildings.  I happened to notice that on one of the anchors that was partially demolished that the columns extended through the roof.  It was the old JCPenney store.  I looked at the aerials on Google Maps, and sure enough, you could see the column grid of the building.  I'm guessing that it was designed to have a third floor added.  I don't recall that information from when it opened.



#10 John T Roberts

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 09:32 PM

I added Monnig's Department Store in downtown to the list.  However, this is another special circumstance where the store took over several turn-of-the-century buildings on the block that were never designed to be taller than three stories.  In the 1950's, they retrofitted the foundation and the above grade structure to handle two additional floors.  Then they added those two stories.



#11 Austin55

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Posted 30 May 2017 - 06:40 PM

John, I think have noticed another. In old photos of the tower annex, the uppermost floor of offices are not there.

#12 Jeriat

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Posted 31 May 2017 - 07:23 AM

 

 

Sanger-Harris Hulen Mall – built 2 stories; designed for 3; currently 2 stories but expanded with a one story addition on the east in 1990.  Third floor exterior walls are already in place.  The building appears to be 3 stories from the exterior.

 

...? 

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#13 John T Roberts

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Posted 31 May 2017 - 08:55 AM

Austin, you are correct.  I forgot about this one.  The parking garage for the Tower, formerly the Fort Worth National Bank was built at 5 stories, and designed for one floor of offices to be added on top.  That was done and completed before the tornado hit the building.

 

Jeriat, in my first post, I should have called the Hulen Mall building out as Sanger Harris/Foley's/Macy*s.  That was the building in the mall to which I was referring.  Also, if you look carefully, you can see that the Montgomery Ward/Sears Store does not have a full second floor. There are the column stubs on the low roof to eventually expand that second floor.  I have corrected the name on the master list.

 

Also, I'm quite sure there are more that I have missed.



#14 Jeriat

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Posted 31 May 2017 - 10:20 AM

 

Jeriat, in my first post, I should have called the Hulen Mall building out as Sanger Harris/Foley's/Macy*s.  That was the building in the mall to which I was referring.  Also, if you look carefully, you can see that the Montgomery Ward/Sears Store does not have a full second floor. There are the column stubs on the low roof to eventually expand that second floor.  I have corrected the name on the master list.

 

 

 

Oh.

All the years I've gone to that mall, I don't think I've ever noticed. 


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8643298391_d47584a085_b.jpg


#15 John T Roberts

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Posted 31 May 2017 - 12:51 PM

If you look at Macy*s building on the north side, you can see the building's facade is three stories from that level. I believe the concrete panels are separated at the floor levels.  If you go into the building and then take the escalator up, you find the store is only two levels on the inside.  Also, way back in 1976-77, I watched them build the mall from the two lane Hulen Street and from the service road of Loop 820 at the time.  I-20 was not built when the mall opened, nor were there any other streets around the mall at the time.



#16 bclaridge

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Posted 07 June 2017 - 01:35 AM

If you look at Macy*s building on the north side, you can see the building's facade is three stories from that level. I believe the concrete panels are separated at the floor levels.  If you go into the building and then take the escalator up, you find the store is only two levels on the inside.  Also, way back in 1976-77, I watched them build the mall from the two lane Hulen Street and from the service road of Loop 820 at the time.  I-20 was not built when the mall opened, nor were there any other streets around the mall at the time.

 

I recall that on the northwest side of the Sanger-Harris/Foley's/Macy's building they have a small third floor with some office space.  When it was a Foley's I recall them using it for their store's Human Resources office, because they had an elevator on the west side that went up three floors to the HR office.  Last I remember that west side elevator is now closed to the public, with only the east side elevator (which only goes to the two main floors) open for public use.


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#17 John T Roberts

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Posted 07 June 2017 - 07:39 AM

You are correct, there is a small third floor built out on the west side of the building.  In my explanations, I decided not to get too specific on details like there was an extremely small portion of the third floor that was finished out.  The point was that most of that building had the column stubs for the construction of an entire third floor. 



#18 John T Roberts

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Posted 07 June 2017 - 07:02 PM

If you look at aerial photographs of some of the downtown buildings that were designed to expand, the elevator overruns and mechanical spaces were built on the roofs of these buildings.  Even though they were designed to be expanded upward, they still had to be able to function at the lower height. 



#19 Bonfire98A

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Posted 07 June 2017 - 10:13 PM

I saw your Facebook post this evening about Fort Worth's Woolworth Building, and it instantly made me think of the Hearst Tower in New York, which consists of a six-story base built in 1928 and 40 more stories added in 2006.  How neat would it be to see something similar in Fort Worth?  With all the new hotel space coming into downtown, that would certainly be a unique opportunity (not to mention other buildings so constructed).



#20 John T Roberts

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Posted 08 June 2017 - 07:52 AM

The Hearst Tower in New York is an interesting case study.  The six story base of the building was designed to be the base of a skyscraper.  The upper floors as originally designed, were never completed.  Eventually, the company decided to complete the building, but the architects decided on a radically different design from the original tower.  Even though the design used less steel than a conventional tower, the interior and foundation of the original building had to be demolished to build the new tower.  The base's historic facade was kept in place and shored up to build a new structure inside the old walls. 

 

I actually like the final result.  The old base is restored and reflects the architecture of the 1920's.  The new tower is contrasting in appearance and set back from the base.  I also like the exposed structural system and the sloping glass plates on the tower's facade. 



#21 BlueMound

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Posted 08 June 2017 - 01:41 PM

Hearst Tower is a very cool building.

#22 double

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Posted 16 June 2017 - 03:17 PM

I was thinking that it has become less common to expand vertically because of all the air conditioning hardware that is generally located on the roof.   Working around all that seems like it would be a royal pain.  



#23 John T Roberts

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Posted 01 July 2017 - 10:17 PM

You may be right; however, some of those buildings were built after air conditioning for buildings was invented and the equipment was located on the roof, yet the additional floors were eventually added on top.



#24 renamerusk

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Posted 25 July 2017 - 11:05 AM

New renderings on this site I have stumbled across. It shows a completely different design from prior renderings. For all I know, these could be just concepts or old, but here they are. 

 

M9pR45U.jpg

 

tkmr1BB.jpg

 

This seems to fall in the category discussed in this thread. A lot of comments have been posted that there are buildings that can support such design.

 

 

The concept suggest that the hotel could be constructed atop of the existing structure.  I think that it is an interesting concept and that it may be cost effective to consider this option.



#25 Austin55

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Posted 25 July 2017 - 12:13 PM

Are you suggesting that the rendering shows the addition on top of the existing Century Plaza?

#26 John T Roberts

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Posted 25 July 2017 - 12:39 PM

I don't think that the new rendering is trying to indicate that the hotel will be built on top of the existing office building structure.  The current building is 5 stories, and the base of the hotel is 3.  The window pattern between the two does not match up; therefore, I would think that the new rendering is showing a different material on the base.  The existing building was probably not designed to be expanded vertically.



#27 John T Roberts

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Posted 23 June 2018 - 02:08 PM

The story on new air service to Meacham Field made me remember another building that was designed for more floors to be added later.  It is the Meacham Field Terminal Building.  From and old Star-Telegram article, it says that it was actually designed to have a total of five stories.  In 2015, with the remodeling, a third floor was added.



#28 renamerusk

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Posted 23 June 2018 - 02:50 PM

The story on new air service to Meacham Field made me remember another building that was designed for more floors to be added later.  It is the Meacham Field Terminal Building.  From and old Star-Telegram article, it says that it was actually designed to have a total of five stories.  In 2015, with the remodeling, a third floor was added.

 

  So, the MFTB is the same building but with recent renovations and expansion?  The new MFTB then became home to American Aero FTW and its "Admiral Club" for private jets and their owners; and a Bass-owned company. 

 

The dynamics between private jets interest and commercial aviation interest at Meacham will be fascinating to watch.



#29 John T Roberts

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Posted 23 June 2018 - 04:47 PM

The current MFTB is a completely remodeled facility from the 1968 terminal.  I believe only the structure was left from the original building and everything else is new.  It's also interesting in that my firm, Halbach-Dietz Architects did the initial feasibility study on the expansion of the building for the city.  We determined that it would be best to remodel the building, rather than demolishing and building something new.  The City of Fort Worth did that, but they did not hire us to design the new terminal. 



#30 John T Roberts

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Posted 13 December 2018 - 07:46 PM

The new Medical City ER and Patient Tower at 800 9th Ave. opens on Monday, December 17th.  The building is built at 3 stories but is designed to have 4 more floors added on top for a total of 7 stories.



#31 John T Roberts

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Posted 13 March 2019 - 08:09 PM

Since all of the issues of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram are now available online to all Fort Worth Library Card Holders, I have confirmed my suspicions gathered from viewing aerial photographs of Downtown from the UTA Library.  The Sanger Brothers Building (1925) at 515 Houston was built at 8 floors, but designed for 10 floors total.  In some of the old aerials, you could see with some difficulty of what appeared to be concrete rebar protruding through the roof.  A lot of new rooftop equipment has been placed on the building and all of the old column extensions have been covered up, so you really can't see that the building could be expanded.



#32 Urbndwlr

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Posted 13 March 2019 - 09:08 PM

Didn't All Saints Hospital expand one of its buildings vertically in the 1990s?

I believe the upper floors have blue tinted glass. 

 

It seems like it would be difficult if not impossible for the lower floors of a building under expansion to remain occupied. 



#33 John T Roberts

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Posted 13 March 2019 - 10:01 PM

Good catch, Urbndwlr. I knew there would be quite a few that I missed.  The 1994 addition to the hospital was built at 4 stories, expandable to 7.  They added the upper 3 floors in 2006.  The hospital building was in operation the full time that the three floors were added on top.  It is technically possible to add the floors and not shut down the building below.  Most of the time when this is done, the buildings remain open.

 

In my exploring of the Star-Telegram archives online through the Fort Worth Public Library, I discovered tonight how tall the 1930 Leonard's Department Store building was supposed to eventually become.  It was designed for 9 floors.  It was originally built 3 stories and was demolished at that height in 1979.



#34 John T Roberts

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Posted 25 June 2019 - 06:43 PM

I have added another building to the list.  In 1907, Sanguinet & Staats completed the 3 story Bewley Building.  It was designed to have an unknown number of floors added at a later date.  In 1910, they announced that it would be expanded vertically by 3 floors.  Instead, that year, a 2 story expansion was completed.  The building was demolished between 1970 and 1979.



#35 Austin55

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Posted 26 June 2019 - 09:18 AM

Here is a photo of the Bewley Building.

 

While not a building technically, the UNTHSC garage is currently adding a new floor.



#36 John T Roberts

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Posted 10 October 2019 - 05:11 PM

Having all of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram available through the Fort Worth Public Library is wonderful.  I went back to 1928 and searched for the Biltmore Garage (Hilton Hotel Annex).  I found through the search how many floors the building was designed to be built out.  According to the paper, the garage was designed for 15 floors.  It is not clear how those floors were actually be distributed.  In the description for what was built, the basement is described as a floor.  Also, what we don't know is if rooftop parking was included or not.  The other question would be whether the rooftop parking was covered or not.  It could have been considered that the basement was one floor, the roof had parking, but was not covered.  That would mean a 13 story building above grade.  If that was the case, then the Hilton Hotel Annex was built to the maximum height.



#37 Urbndwlr

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Posted 11 October 2019 - 11:24 AM

When we say "designed to be x floors" how far does the "designing for" take the potential for expansion? 

I assume it means the foundation and columns are designed to structurally support more floors, is that right? 

 

Does it also mean that the buildings certainly would have all other elements in place making it "expansion ready" such vertical shaft space for mechanical electrical, plumbing, and for elevators and stairs to go up? 

 

Basically I'm wondering if this sounds easier than it actually is for, say, Texas A&M to just remove the roofing materials and start adding to the existing columns and go up. 



#38 John T Roberts

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Posted 11 October 2019 - 01:05 PM

Urbndwlr, your assumptions in the first paragraph are correct.  The foundation and columns are already designed to structurally support more floors, both in dead loads and live loads.  Dead loads are the actual weight of the structure, live loads are the weight of the non-permanent items like furniture and people.  In the case of the old Biltmore Garage, the automobiles would be some of the live load. 

 

It also means that all of the other elements are in place to make it "expansion ready".  All of the vertical shafts have to be in place, sized, and in the right location for the upward expansion of the building.  I have mentioned that the buildings designed for this purpose have the columns extended through the roof, so that when they are expanded, the break between the new and old occurs where the forces are the least.  Another sign about these buildings is that the elevator overruns are unusually tall for the building's overall height.  The reason for this is to allow vertical space for the trigger work involved with expanding the elevator shaft upward. 

 

Personally, I think that the idea of doing this sounds easier than it actually is to implement the design and construction of these expansions.  Many of our buildings have been demolished without that expansion ever taking place, and quite a few more have never had the planned expansion.  I think when we actually see it being done, expanding vertically was the last resort for the company occupying the building.  Another thing to consider when adding to a building vertically in 2019 is that building codes are now changing every 3 years.  The new construction and the old would have to conform to the current building codes.  It could possibly be that what was designed into the base of the building, might have to be altered significantly just to allow the floors above to be built and comply with the building codes. 



#39 Brian Luenser

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Posted 15 October 2019 - 07:41 AM

Since the Hilton Hotel Annex has started construction, it made me think about all of the buildings built in the city that were designed with the ability to have more floors added on top at a later date.  Over the course of time, some of these buildings eventually had the upper floors built and they are still standing.  Others did the expansion, but the buildings were later demolished.  Another set of buildings never were expanded vertically and they were eventually demolished without the additions ever happening.  The last group are the buildings that are still standing, yet the planned floors to be added on top were never built.  Below is a list of such structures in the city.  I know that I have missed some, so as I remember them, see photographs of them, or come across the information, I will add it to the list.  Also, if some of you know about these buildings, please add them to the list.

 

Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center 1994 Addition - Built at 4 stories; designed for 7 - Expanded to 7 stories in 2006.

 

Bewley Building - NE Corner 7th & Throckmorton (Sanguinet & Staats) - built at 3 stories in 1907 and designed for an unknown number of extra floors; planned expansion in 1910 for 3 more floors; actual addition of 2 floors; demolished in the 1970s at 5 stories.

 

Biltmore Garage/Hilton Hotel Annex – 815 Commerce – built at 4 stories in 1928; designed for 15 floors; expanded to 13 stories and upper floors built as hotel in 1968.

 

The Cassidy – 407 Throckmorton – 2 level underground parking; designed for 22 story residential; built 6 stories of retail/office/residential penthouse in 2014.

 

Old Civil Courts Building – built at 5 stories in 1958; designed for 10 stories; demolished in 2013 at 5 stories

 

Dunn's "Mansion" Garage/500 Commerce - built at 3 stories in 1924; designed for 6; completed top 3 floors in 1935.  Partial 7th floor added in 1990.

 

Equitable Savings Association – 811 Lamar – built at 3 stories; designed for 10; demolished in 2002 at 3 stories.

 

Fort Worth Press – 501 Jones – built 1 story designed for 2.  Expanded to 2 stories.

 

Fort Worth Public Library - 9th & Throckmorton - built at 3 stories in 1939; designed for more floors to be added on top. Demolished in 1990 at 3 stories.

 

Fort Worth Public Library – 3rd & Lamar – built 2 stories underground in 1978; designed to be expanded above grade; 2 floors added on top in 1994.

 

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Building – 400 W. 7th St. – built 4 stories designed to handle more floors – Today is still 4 stories, but expanded multiple times horizontally.

 

John Peter Smith Hospital Main Entrance Building - built at 2 stories; designed to handle more floors, possibly 12 total; building is currently 2 stories.

 

Lone Star Gas – 908 Monroe – built at 4 stories in 1929; designed for 7; completed at 7 stories in 1957.

 

Leonard’s Department Store – West side of 200 Block of Houston St. - built 3 stories in 1930; designed to be 9 stories; demolished at 3 stories in 1979.

 

Meacham Field Terminal Building - built at 2 stories; designed for 5; remodeled and expanded to 3 stories in 2015.

 

Medical City Fort Worth's ER and Patient Tower - 800 9th Ave. - Built and opened in December 2018 at 3 stories; designed for 7.

 

Miller’s Mutual Insurance – 900 Monroe St. – built at 2 stories; designed for 4; completed at 4 stories in 1946 and is still standing.

 

Monnig's Department Store - 500 Houston St. - Monnig's took over the block of three story buildings one by one.  These buildings were built in the early 1900's and were not designed to have more floors added on top.  By the 1950's, the store needed two more floors.  They were added by reinforcing the foundation of the buildings and retrofitting the existing structure.  The two floors were added on top of all of the buildings and they were demolished at 5 stories in 1991.

 

Mutual Savings and Loan – 815 Throckmorton St. – built at 6 stories; designed for 11; demolished in 1998 at 6 stories.

 

Parker-Browne Co. - 1212 E. Lancaster - built at 3 stories in 1924; designed to have more floors added.  Currently 3 stories.

 

Public Safety & Courts Building - 1000 Throckmorton - built at 4 stories in 1938.  I believe it was designed for 10 stories.  Currently 4 stories.

 

Red Cross – 2nd & Taylor – built at 2 stories; designed to handle more floors; demolished at 2 stories.

 

Sanger-Harris/Foley's/Macy*s Hulen Mall – built 2 stories; designed for 3; currently 2 stories but expanded with a one story addition on the east in 1990.  Third floor exterior walls are already in place.  The building appears to be 3 stories from the exterior.

 

Sanger Brothers Building - 515 Houston St. - built 8 stories in 1925; designed for 10 stories.  Currently still at 8 stories.

 

Sanger Lofts – 410 Houston – built 5 in 1929; designed for 8; currently 6 stories

 

Stripling’s Houston Street Building – SE corner 2nd & Houston – built 3 in 1910; designed for 7; 1918 completed at 7 stories; demolished at 7 stories in 1979

 

Southwestern Bell Telephone/AT&T Building – 1926 Building at 11th & Throckmorton – built at 3 stories; designed for 8; in 1929, 3 stories were added; in 1965, two more floors were added bringing the building to full height of 8 floors.  In 1949, an addition to Southwestern Bell was built in the center of the block, immediately to the north of the 1926 building.  It was built at 4 floors and designed for 12.  In 1965, 4 more floors were added on top, and in 1971, another 4 stories were added.  The building currently exists at 12 stories.  In 1958, a 9 story building expanded the complex to Houston Street.  It was designed to eventually be 16 stories.  In 1965 2 more floors were added on top, and finally in 1971, the building was expanded to its full height of 16 stories with a five story addition. 

 

Southwestern Bell Telephone/Texas A&M Law School – 1515 Commerce – built 2; designed for 16; currently 2 stories.

 

St. Joseph Hospital – 1401 S. Main – 1959 Addition – built at 5; designed for 12; completed at 12 stories in 1965 and demolished in 2012.

 

Tarrant Savings/Star-Telegram Classified Bldg. - 5th & Taylor (Hedrick & Stanley) - built at 4 stories & basement; designed for more floors to be added; demolished in 2009 at 4 stories.

 

Mrs. Dan Waggoner Bldg. - NW Corner of Houston and 6th - built at 4 stories, designed for 9, completed at 9 stories and demolished at that height in the 1970s.

 

Western National Bank/Houston Place Lofts - 910 Houston - built at 6 stories in 1906; designed for 8; top 2 floors added in 1918.  A partial 9th floor was added at some later date.

 

Woolworth Building – 501 Houston – built 3; designed for 10; currently the building is 3 stories.

 

I am not including the old Continental National Bank in this list because it was a special circumstance with the halting of construction of the building during the Korean War, partially completing it, then resuming construction with a new taller design and digital clock.  If you want more information on its history, you can check out the building page on the main site.

I have printed this whole listing as it is amazing.  I am going to take this list and head out for a walk.  


www.fortworthview.com

#40 John T Roberts

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Posted 15 October 2019 - 08:14 AM

Brian, this is something that you can't really see from the ground, other than some of the buildings are existing, some are now vacant lots, and others have replacement buildings constructed on their sites.  Even though the list keeps changing, I'm sure there are several that are missing.

 

I'm also interested to see how you put the Brian Luenser photographic spin on this subject.



#41 John T Roberts

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Posted 16 October 2019 - 03:37 PM

I have another update that has taken me a long time to dig up.  If you remember, I mentioned that the original Fort Worth Star-Telegram Building was built at four stories and designed for more floors, but the number was unknown.  Through digging old issues of the Star-Telegram online, I found that it was designed by Sanguinet & Staats to have 3 more floors added to the four.  The final height was for seven stories.  The building was never expanded vertically, but it was added onto several times. 



#42 Dylan

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Posted 14 June 2020 - 02:03 AM

Medical City Alliance at 35W and North Tarrant Parkway is adding two stories to their existing hospital building.

 

https://www.google.c...!7i16384!8i8192

 

Medical City Alliance should not be confused with Medical City Fort Worth, the latter of which was mentioned earlier in this thread.


-Dylan


#43 John T Roberts

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Posted 14 June 2020 - 03:20 PM

It's hard to tell from the Google Street View if this is the final height of the building.  However, I did look at it from the aerial on Google, and it was clear that before the construction was started for the expansion, the building was designed for more floors. 



#44 Dylan

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Posted 14 June 2020 - 04:08 PM

The building was originally built at three stories, and is almost complete at five stories. I last saw it yesterday.


-Dylan


#45 Austin55

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Posted 12 August 2020 - 09:41 PM

According to the architect, Harris's ER is designed for a two floor expansion.

 

https://www.hksinc.c...cy-care-center/



#46 John T Roberts

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Posted 13 August 2020 - 07:59 AM

Austin, thanks for discovering that information.  It is interesting in that I cannot tell from aerials where the columns have been extended through the roof.  It may have been engineered in a different manner so that the contractor can tie into the existing structure by alternate means.



#47 JBB

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Posted 14 August 2020 - 09:44 AM

Is it possible the roof was designed in a way that it conceals the tops of the columns?  



#48 John T Roberts

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Posted 14 August 2020 - 10:20 AM

JBB, that is a possibility.



#49 John T Roberts

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Posted 15 January 2021 - 11:07 PM

My next promotion for this site on social media will be to celebrate the buildings becoming 100 years old.  I should have started this last year, since 1920 was the beginning of the 1920's building boom for the city.  However, on those building's anniversaries in 2021, I will post new information on those buildings.  In doing my research in the Star-Telegram archives, I found that the information that I had on the Miller's Mutual Fire Insurance Building/Gordon Swift Office Building was incorrect.  I thought it opened in 1920, but it was actually completed in 1921.  It opened on February 9th.  When built, it was completed at two stories.  I thought that it was designed for a total of four stories, but according to the S-T, the foundation can actually handle five floors.  That information has been corrected in the first post.



#50 Nitixope

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Posted 22 September 2021 - 08:22 AM

...

 

Parker-Browne Co. - 1212 E. Lancaster - built at 3 stories in 1924; designed to have more floors added.  Currently 3 stories.

 

...

 

https://www.tdlr.tex.../TABS2022001420

 

PROJECT
Project Name: NORTHSTAR AMENITY CENTER
Project Number: TABS2022001420
Facility Name: AMENITY CENTER
Location Address: 1212 E. LANCASTER AVE. 2ND FLOOR SUITE B Fort Worth, TX 76102
Location County: Tarrant
Start Date: 11/1/2021
Completion Date: 6/15/2022
Estimated Cost: $2,000,000
Type of Work: New Construction
Type of Funds: This project is privately funded, on private land for private use.
Scope of Work: NEW CONSTRUCTION AMENITY CENTER WITH 2 OPEN ASSEMBLY AREAS 2 OFFICE MEN AND WOMEN RESTROOMS CHAIR TABLE STORAGE CATERING AREA UTILITY AND FIRE RISER ROOM AND OUTDOOR COVERED PORCHES
Square Footage: 8,186 ft 2
Are the private funds provided by the tenant? No
Current Status: Project Registered
 
PERSON FILING FORM
Contact Name: Ricardo Bargas
 
OWNER
Owner Name: 170 NORTHSTAR DEVELOPER, INC.
Owner Address: 3040 LACKLAND RD.
FORT WORTH, Texas 76116
Owner Phone: (817) 925-9297
Contact Name: KIM GILL
 
TENANT
Not Assigned
 
DESIGN FIRM
Not Assigned
 
RK8zkaI.png





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