The Statler Hilton, a once prominent building in downtown Dallas, Texas, will receive a much needed renovation now that its ownership has changed hands. Leobardo Trevino, a developer and the founder of Ricchi Dallas Investments, purchased ownership of the Statler Hilton from its former Hong Kong-based owners and intends to return it to its former glory.
Once the first choice of dignitaries and celebrities visiting Dallas, the Statler Hilton has since fallen into disrepair and eventually closed in 2001. Since then it has done nothing but burden the surrounding communit and hasn’t been demolished because preservation activists saw it as a historic site. Now, however, Trevino intends to restore the hotel and restore it to it’s glory years.
A few issues arise, however, as renovation commences. Trevino sees these issues as challenges, rather than obstacles, that can be tackled during the hotels renovation. Among these problems is the presence of asbestos in the buildings construction materials and insulation. Asbestos is a carcinogenic fiber that if inhaled causes lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the protective lining of the lungs.
Trevino intends to completely remove all traces of asbestos from the building as well as resolve all other issues in two years or less. Asbestos removal must be handled before renovation can occur, or else construction workers and the community at large would face the risk of exposure and the eventual development of mesothelioma or related condition. It’s an ambitious project, but many in Dallas are encouraged to see this once important structure restored.