Pink Motel in Port Aransas to be demolished

PORT ARANSAS, Texas — Do you have memories of staying at the Pink Motel in Port Aransas?
The iconic rental property is going to be demolished soon.
The Pink Motel -- also known as the Port Aransas Inn -- was built more than 50 years ago.
It sits on at 1500 Eleventh Street. For tourists and locals alike the motel has attracted its share of memories on the beach.
"It will just go down as just one more historical piece of Port Aransas that was truly lost because of Hurricane Harvey," Dir. of Development Services Rick Adams said.
Hurricane Harvey put the final nail on the coffin for the motel.
"It was determined it would be substandard and we required for it to be repaired or removed," Adams said.
After a long process and surveying of damage and repairs, Adams said the city of Port Aransas had to make a decision on the pink building's future.
Adams said the owner was not able to bring the building back up to code so it has to be demolished.
"But in this case the property owner has stepped up and is doing it themselves, privately, so the city hasn't had to do it force-ably," Adams said.
Adams said they planned to have the building vacated by Feb. 1, but it has already been vacated with utilities shut off.
"Everybody is in agreement including the property owner, lien holders and all that are involved on the ownership side of that property," he said. "That this was the best course of action and as we speak the demolition is actually underway."
Over the years the Pink Motel has housed different tenants from short to long term.
"They have had some longer term tenants in there which is not unusual post hurricane because a lot of people were displaced," Adams said.
He said properties that are at lower elevations have to be raised to FEMA flood standards.
"For a building like that," he said. "That was the big determining factor, I think, in just throwing in the towel for lack of a better term. You couldn't elevate it cost effectively."
Adams said he is not aware of any future plans the owner has for the property, but does says Eleventh Street is very popular for rental and tourist housing. He said he is optimistic about the future of that area.