What’s the Deal With the Capital One Tower Downtown?

Is it just me, or are most of you wondering what's going on with the Capital One Tower downtown? Are they gonna fix or tear it down? The 22-story, 400,000 square foot office tower and former bank is owned by the Hertz Investment Group. The landmark building with emerald glass was built in 1982. Its commanding presence has been a mainstay in the Lake Charles skyline and has withstood hurricane after hurricane for the past 40 years.

Last year, the iconic building took a major hit when Hurricane Laura destroyed most of the city. There's no telling where the damage stands at this point. The building has stood dormant since the storm, with roughly 98% of all the windows blown out. Most people would like to see it saved, but it's unclear if that is possible. At last word, the building was worth $65 million. In 2007, it underwent an extensive renovation that included structure repairs from Hurricane Rita in 2005 in addition to security upgrades and even ballistic protection of all the exterior glass windows. Mayor Nic Hunter sat down with the Hertz group to find out the next plan for the building.

The good news is the lone skyscraper was in Lake Charles was insured. Mayor Hunter stated on Facebook that the owners were going through what most of us are going through, and waiting on their insurer to pay up. Fingers crossed they can get the building fixed and possibly begin a new legacy for its downtown home for many more years to come.