Landmark Tower block to be…surface parking.

!@#$% the !#%!# this #!%!^&*

XTO Energy next week will begin the process, which could take two months, of filling in the huge hole left after the implosion of the Landmark Tower at Seventh and Houston streets, a company executive said Thursday.

The block will be then be paved and landscaped and used for employee parking, said Joy Webster, vice president of facilities for XTO.

What a horrible disappointment. After waiting over a year and a half after the implosion, after having that big hole in the middle of downtown for so long, after the complete silence from XTO on their plans, after hearing that “it won’t be surface parking,” after waiting so long to see if we would at least get the rumored park w/ underground parking or a new tower, we’re getting…@#^! surface parking.

Which we already have too much of in downtown.

#%@$#^!!!!!!!!!

Now, I’ve been a big fan of XTO’s for their work in restoring several of our historic buildings downtown. That being said, this is a terrible development. Surface parking is just about the worst use of such a core block downtown that I could think of.

I am very disappointed today. Between this and the surface lot already surrounding the W. T. Waggoner Building next door, that’s just a big dead strip right in the middle of downtown. A very unfortunate setback.