Demolition being considered for Carlton Hotel garage after brick collapse

Published 12:45 pm Tuesday, July 29, 2025

The parking garage connected to the historic Carlton Hotel in downtown Tyler may be partially or fully demolished following last week’s incident in which a small amount of masonry fell from the top floor onto the sidewalk and street.

The area “remains fully secured with restricted access to the garage and surrounding street,” according to NORF Companies, which owns the property. No injuries were reported, but the incident prompted a street closure.

Since the initial response, NORF said it has retained a licensed structural engineer.

The engineer “is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the entire parking garage structure to determine its condition and recommend the best approach for demolition of the compromised areas of the top floor of the parking garage or possibly demolition of the parking structure in its entirety,” NORF said Monday night in a statement provided to the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

The company said it is “collaborating with demolition subcontractors to obtain their recommended means and methods for demolition and establish timelines.” Because of the structure’s historic designation, NORF is “working diligently to secure demolition approvals from the U.S. National Park Service to proceed with the necessary actions.”

NORF plans to provide more updates as the assessment and planning progresses.

The Carlton Hotel, a long-standing but deteriorating structure located at 106 E. Elm St. in downtown Tyler, has been the focus of multiple preservation efforts over the years, though financial challenges and market conditions have repeatedly stalled progress. In its prime, the Carlton was a 115,000-square-foot, upscale hotel with a three-story parking garage, rooftop swimming pool and a cabana. The parking garage is the portion being considered for demolition at this time.

NORF, which also owns the Lindsey, Fair, and Wilcox buildings, purchased the Carlton in September 2021 and previously said it intended to invest more than $30 million in the property. NORF’s previously announced plans were to turn the building into an apartment complex with 100 units, ground-floor commercial space and a connected parking garage. According to the city, redevelopment of The Carlton is expected to take place “once work is completed on the Lindsey and Fair buildings.”