DOWNTOWN BROWNTOWN'S FALLING DOWN, FALLING DOWN...

(Ed.'s Note: Just when you thought traffic and pedestrian flow might be improving through the City of Brownsville so-called "Total Alignment" management philosophy, the crude reality disabuses you of such thoughts. It seems like a portion of the roof of the old Capitol Theater collapsed and since it's the roof beams that hold the walls in place, the possibility exists that portions of the wall might crumble and come crashing down on passing cars or pedestrians.

It would be a shame since an outside artist was paid  $25,000 from money donated to the city by Elon Musk to paint the BTX mural that covers the wall facing 11th Street.

 City workers have cordoned the building on the Levee Street side and closed the portion of 11th Street from Levee to Elizabeth Street altogether.

The collapsed roof is not visible at street level so we were unable to get a good photo of the extent of the damage. However, if the inspectors decided to cordon the building, they probably preferred to err on the side of caution. 

And, of course, pedestrians on 11th Street sidewalk ignore the warnings. (See photo at right.)

City inspectors have indicated that they will red-tag it so the city – since it's a city-owned building after local downtown real-estate mogul Abraham Galonsky donated it to the city – will have to fix it before it can be used again.

Speaking of Total Alignment, another building up Levee street is also in need of a roof. It is on the corner of 13th and Levee streets and received a $75,000 BIG 2.0 grant for restoration. 

The "restoration" only got so far and now the building only has one wall also facing 13th Street buttressed only by rotting wooden beams. 

The recipients of the grant – Felicia Fruia-Edge and John Edge got a permit to remove the asbestos and the contractor instead removed not only the asbestos, but also the roof beams and the roof.

Will the city inspectors also red-tag that building?

The Capitol Theater Building, by the way, is directly across Levee Street from the El Jardin Hotel, itself now under remodeling and restoration after pieces of glass windows and roof tile and mortar from the front facade have come off and dropped onto the sidewalk below.

Man, talk about Total Alignment, at least on Levee anyway.