The metal panels that made up the 120-foot-tall landmark were removed about a year ago due to extensive corrosion that made the structure unsafe. The remaining pole that made up the core of the structure was finally removed earlier this year, officials said.
Scott Webb, assistant vice president of real estate for American National Insurance, said a subsidiary of American National Insurance moved the lighthouse to where it traditionally stood in 1983. The subsidiary brought the lighthouse from another location around Clear Lake for the residential development of South Shore Harbour, he said.
The subsidiary took down the lighthouse when it was apparent it could not be repaired, Webb said.
“Because of the extent of the corrosion, ... we took down the shell of it for safety reasons,” he said.
The lighthouse was not a functioning lighthouse but a decoration, though it did feature a light at the top. Webb said he has heard of groups wanting to rebuild it.
“The community got to know it,” Webb said. “It was part of the community, and ... we did not make the decision lightly of tearing it down.”
American National Insurance looked into rebuilding it, but estimates were $2 million or more. The company investigated different ways to build the lighthouse, such as using different materials, but to be built at its former height while meeting windstorm requirements, the engineering would have been extensive, Webb said.
League City officials said some people, including Council Member Sean Saunders, are looking for ways for the city to help pay for the construction of a new lighthouse. Saunders did not respond to requests for comment.
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Mayor Nick Long said he does not want the city footing the bill for such a project, though he said he’s not opposed to the city helping out in other ways, such as by providing expertise on the project.
“It’s a private structure on private land, so if the developer ... wants to rebuild it, I’m all for it,” Long said. “I don’t think it’s a great use of taxpayer money.”
