Ocean Tower facts for kids

Ocean Tower SPI was a very tall, 31-story building in South Padre Island, Texas, United States. It was planned to be a fancy apartment building with many homes. But it was never finished.

The building had to be knocked down because it became unsafe. This happened in December 2009. Construction stopped in May 2008. Cracks appeared in the building's main supports. Experts found that the center of the building had sunk over 14 inches (35 cm).

Fixing the building would cost too much money. So, they decided to tear it down. People called it "Faulty Towers" or "The Leaning Tower of South Padre Island." When it was knocked down, it weighed about 55,000 tons. It was the tallest concrete building ever taken down this way.

Building Plans

The Ocean Tower was designed to be a luxury high-rise. It would have 147 homes, a gym, swimming pools, a spa, and a media room. The lower floors were planned as a large parking garage. The homes would start about 55 feet (17 meters) above the ground.

The finished building would stand 445 feet (136 meters) tall. This would make it one of the tallest buildings in the Rio Grande Valley. It was designed to handle very strong winds. It had three super strong core walls for support.

The building's location offered amazing views. Residents could see the Gulf of Mexico and the Laguna Madre. Each apartment was planned to sell for a lot of money.

Construction Problems

Building Ocean Tower started on April 5, 2006. Work continued for two years. Most of the main structure was built. But then, parts of the building started to sink. Some parts sank over 14 inches (35 cm).

The supports deep underground began to bend. This happened because the ground was soft clay. This bending caused stress on the building's beams and columns. It led to cracks and breaks. The building started to lean towards one corner. It even cracked the wall of the nearby parking garage.

The main reason for the problem was that the parking garage and the tower were built connected. This meant the tower's heavy weight pushed down on the garage. The ground under the tower also had special clay that compressed a lot under weight. This made the tower sink more than the garage.

Construction stopped in the summer of 2008. Soon after, the building became known as "The Leaning Tower of South Padre." Many people saw it as an ugly sight.

In July 2008, the builders told buyers about the problems. They promised to fix it. They said the building would be "stronger and safer than ever." They thought it would take 6 to 9 more months to finish. They planned to separate the garage from the tower. They would also add new supports.

But after more studies, experts found that fixing the building would be too expensive. It would not be worth the cost. So, the project was officially canceled. This happened four months later. More than 100 apartments had already been sold.

Taking it Down

Before the building was knocked down, workers removed anything useful. They took out fixtures, steel, flooring, and windows. These items could be recycled or sold again.

The nearby road, Texas Park Road 100, was closed for safety. This happened just before the building was set to fall. At 9 AM on December 13, 2009, the building was imploded. This means it was taken down using explosives. A company called Controlled Demolition, Inc. did the job.

When it fell, the building weighed about 55,000 tons. It is said to be the tallest and largest concrete building ever taken down this way. Many people came to watch the implosion. They stayed in local hotels and visited restaurants. This event helped the local economy for a short time.