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County demolishes abandoned truck stop in New Caney
  
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East Montgomery County Observer
By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
An old truck stop, commonly referred to an eye sore in New Caney, was demolished by Montgomery County Precinct 4 with cooperation from the land owners. The demolition began Sept. 2.
“We have demolished the truck stop because it was an eye sore to the community and because it was in really bad shape due to the fires,” said Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Ed Rinehart.
The property, owned by Criss Cross Realty in Houston since 2000, has been in the community since 1972 and closed down as a truck stop in 1999. The building and the property have not been used since it closed.
“The old truck stop building was an eyesore at a prominent intersection. Clearing the property will improve the image in that area, and will hopefully encourage additional development in that growing section of New Caney,” said Ryan Dennard, manager and general counsel for Criss Cross Realty.
According to the commissioner, the county also demolished the old truck stop to prevent crime and vagrants from staying on the property.
“We have a lot of elementary schools in the area and we don’t need drugs, crimes and homeless people hanging around this building,” he said. “Just today, (Sept. 2) we had to run off a homeless person, who was sleeping inside, away from the building.”
According to the Montgomery County Environmental Health Services, the agency has worked with Criss Cross for a year to demolish the building, but first it had to make sure that it was safe to do so.
“Last month, all of the underground storage tanks were removed and since then we have done asbestos abatement due to the asbestos that was found in the glue that was holding the floor tiles together,” said Philip Moore, director of Montgomery County Environmental Health Services. “The building had to be torn down because it was collapsing in the middle and has caught on fire several times.”
Once the building is completely destroyed and the remains taken to a landfill on State Highway 105, Criss Cross Realty has plans for retail use on the property. Most of the property is currently leased to a contractor that is working on the construction of U.S. Highway 59. As that project nears completion, the property owners intend to market the property for development or sale for retail use.
Criss Cross Realty has agreed to reimburse the county approximately $25,000 for the demolition cost.
“Commissioner Ed Rinehart and other officials of Montgomery County assisted us in getting the building removed. While we are paying for the demolition costs, we greatly appreciate Rinehart’s efforts in getting the work completed well and affordably,” Dennard said.
“We have demolished the truck stop because it was an eye sore to the community and because it was in really bad shape due to the fires,” said Montgomery County Precinct 4 Commissioner Ed Rinehart.
The property, owned by Criss Cross Realty in Houston since 2000, has been in the community since 1972 and closed down as a truck stop in 1999. The building and the property have not been used since it closed.
“The old truck stop building was an eyesore at a prominent intersection. Clearing the property will improve the image in that area, and will hopefully encourage additional development in that growing section of New Caney,” said Ryan Dennard, manager and general counsel for Criss Cross Realty.
According to the commissioner, the county also demolished the old truck stop to prevent crime and vagrants from staying on the property.
“We have a lot of elementary schools in the area and we don’t need drugs, crimes and homeless people hanging around this building,” he said. “Just today, (Sept. 2) we had to run off a homeless person, who was sleeping inside, away from the building.”
According to the Montgomery County Environmental Health Services, the agency has worked with Criss Cross for a year to demolish the building, but first it had to make sure that it was safe to do so.
“Last month, all of the underground storage tanks were removed and since then we have done asbestos abatement due to the asbestos that was found in the glue that was holding the floor tiles together,” said Philip Moore, director of Montgomery County Environmental Health Services. “The building had to be torn down because it was collapsing in the middle and has caught on fire several times.”
Once the building is completely destroyed and the remains taken to a landfill on State Highway 105, Criss Cross Realty has plans for retail use on the property. Most of the property is currently leased to a contractor that is working on the construction of U.S. Highway 59. As that project nears completion, the property owners intend to market the property for development or sale for retail use.
Criss Cross Realty has agreed to reimburse the county approximately $25,000 for the demolition cost.
“Commissioner Ed Rinehart and other officials of Montgomery County assisted us in getting the building removed. While we are paying for the demolition costs, we greatly appreciate Rinehart’s efforts in getting the work completed well and affordably,” Dennard said.
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