Castle demolition offers possibilities for 11th Street

The Castle Motel may go down in the history as the derelict building that refuses to be demolished, but what remains of the abandoned and burned-out hulk likely will be flattened on Monday.

Work was supposed to begin Thursday, but the city of Beaumont discovered that it had no source of water, which was necessary for the demolition contractor to spray on the site to keep debris from blowing in the breeze.

On Friday, a crew from the city's Water Utilities Department bored a new hole under 11th Street to thread in a new 2-inch plastic pipe and finished the job late in the afternoon.

From the viewpoint of the northbound side of 11th and looking across the street at the Castle, 1125 N. 11th St., a large track hoe with a steel-toothed bucket attached is ready to chew into what remains. It sits behind a padlocked chain-link fence.

To the left of the Castle, or its south side, is A-1 Cleaners.

To the right of the Castle is the former Chula Vista Restaurant, which closed suddenly in late January 2013 after more than 30 years in business.

Earlier this year Claybar Funeral Properties Inc., which owns the properties at 1145 and 1155 N. 11th St., acquired the former Chula Vista property.

A telephone message for Warren Claybar could not be delivered late Friday afternoon.

Looking at nearby properties, like Calder Baptist Church and Claybar, suggests possible redevelopment.

"My first choice would be medical offices," said The Rev. James Fuller, Calder Baptist's pastor. "Eleventh Street is where there is a concentration of them. They're wonderful neighbors for us."

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Castle demolition offers possibilities for 11th Street