Elm Street closed due to falling debris from building

TYLER – According to our news partner KETK, officials received reports of bricks falling off the building at around 1:20 p.m. on Thursday. The Tyler Police Department has blocked off Elm Street in downtown Tyler after bricks started falling from the garage at the Carlton Hotel on Thursday. Elm Street is currently closed from South Broadway Avenue to Spring Avenue to keep pedestrians and drivers away from the building as inspectors come in to survey the condition of the garage.

“It looks like just age,” Hooten said. “It looks like a normal age. Just got deteriorated and started falling.” “The main danger is where the crack is,” Hooten said. “It could lead to other cracks and it could lead to a ripple effect on down the side of the wall there. So we just want to make sure that no one’s underneath it. If that happened.”

“The Carlton Hotel is a historic icon in Downtown Tyler,” then deputy city manager of Tyler Stephanie Franklin said in 2023. “However, the current condition of the building has contributed to substantial blight in the Downtown district, and it poses a public health and safety risk.”

NORF Companies, the business that owns the Carlton Hotel, put out the following statements on Thursday:

“Tyler Fire Department, City Officials and NORF Companies have taken immediate steps to ensure public safety following a reported incident involving exterior brickwork at the Carlton Hotel parking garage,” NORF Companies’ statement said. “A small amount of masonry fell into sidewalk and street. Thankfully, no injuries occurred. Out of an abundance of caution, the area has been fully secured, and access to the garage has been restricted. NORF Companies has retained a licensed structural engineer to perform a full assessment of the building’s condition and to advise on appropriate next steps.”

“Ensuring the safety of the public and surrounding properties is our top priority,” NORF Companies Managing Partner Alex Hernandez said. “We are actively working with professional engineers and city officials to evaluate the situation and determine the most responsible course of action. NORF Companies also extends its sincere appreciation to the first responders and city personnel who acted quickly and professionally to help secure the area and protect the public. Their swift action is deeply valued. ”

The Carlton Hotel closed in the 1970’s and has been abandoned ever since. In 2023, the Tyler City Council approved a $1.5 million grant to NORF Companies to renovate the abandoned building.