Loutex Fort Worth, a limited partnership, says "it is not prepared to rebuild" after spending millions of dollars in emergency repairs to the class A office building, including boarding up 3,200 of 3,400 glass windows shattered by a spring tornado. Ft. Worth officials previously assessed tornado damages citywide at $500 million, primarily to Central Business District structures.

"This very difficult decision was made ... only after extensive analysis of the substantial hurdles to the re-opening of the tower," Ron Cherry, Loutex Fort Worth's managing partner, said in a press release issued yesterday. The major problem environmentally is the formation of molds within the walls and air conditioning system while the delivery lead-time for critical materials is too long. These factors prevent Loutex from expeditiously providing office space to its tenants, says Cherry.

To date, only three of 65 tenants have reoccupied their spaces in the 93% leased, 37-story tower at 500 Throckmorton: Bank One, a deli and a cowboy cuisine restaurant. The businesses have been given 30 days to vacate. To stave Loutex's eviction, owners of the Reata Restaurant on the 35th floor are suing Loutex and building manager Trammell Crow because they just spent more than $1 million to repair the eatery.