Demolition contractor on site at former Capital One Tower in Lake Charles

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It’s been four long years since the Capital One Tower was ravaged by Hurricane Laura and became an eyesore, and now there are signs that it will soon come down.

When it was first built, it was the jewel of the Lake Charles skyline.

Judge Ron Richard was a child and remembers the excitement when plans to build it were announced.

“There was all this buzz around town and for a little 9, 10-year-old kid from Lake Charles, I thought that meant we were going to be like Houston. We had our first skyscraper, and of course, by the time I was an old man like I am now, there was going to be like 15 of these buildings downtown, this big metropolis. It was one of those things you remember from childhood that you really remember that,” Richard said.

At the time it was the Calcasieu Marine Bank Building, which eventually became the Capital One Tower.

Richard’s law office was there. Then in 2020, Hurricane Laura decimated it. Richard was stunned to see it on national TV.

“The windows start popping out of the tower left and right, and all of a sudden you could see our shelves, our files, our computers. Things just blowing out from the building,” he said.

After nearly four years, the demolition contractor has brought equipment to the site. While Richard is nostalgic about it, he realizes it’s time to take it down.

“Our hope and dream is that something really wonderful takes its place, something functional that can be used by our whole community,” he said.

He sees it as a new beginning.

“I like to look at it not as a sad end. I like to see it as a beautiful rebirth of our city signifying the next steps. Because in five years, this city is going to be a different place, a beautiful place,” Richard said.

City officials said everything will be in place to minimize dust and debris when the implosion occurs. The implosion is expected to be in August or September, but no definite date is set.

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