02.18.06
San Jacinto Monument closed for renovation
Monument closed for renovation
The San Jacinto Monument, the world’s largest memorial column, standing 15 feet taller than the Washington Monument, has been undergoing heavy renovations since September to bring the area up to current safety codes and is temporarily closed.
– reported by the Pasadena Citizen
[snip]
n June of 2005, a $2.14 million appropriation was appropriated by the Texas Legislature in order to perform the necessary repairs on the monument, a structure towering over La Porte, Deer Park and Pasadena at 570 feet tall.
Among the things that are set to be repaired is the sprinkler system, upgrading the elevator safety equipment, creating a fire shelter on the observation deck, making safety improvements on the main stairway, and installing fire barriers and doors on the administrative floors.
As the monument, library and theater are all under renovation, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, who manages the monument and the Historic Park grounds, are overseeing renovations to the park that are not covered in the appropriation. Museum staff saw the time opportune to make several upgrades, as the monument could not service guests for months
[snip]
These side renovation projects will include the conservation of specific historical items and about $500,000 in exhibition and display renovation, $10,000 for a computer server, a $13,500 theater screen replacement, and $34,500 worth of additional security measures to protect these priceless Texas collections as well as the guests of the museum and park.
While renovations are underway and expected to be completed in the spring of 2006, the offices for the monument and museum have temporarily moved to the Manlove Marketing and Communications headquarters in Pasadena.
Because the renovations were started in December of 2005, they are expected to be completed in time for the San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment, which is scheduled for April 22.
[snip]
Though the staff has temporarily moved, they can still be reached via the main office number at (281) 479-2421.
For information on donating to the extra projects to be undertaken at the Monument, contact Spasic at the main office number.
