This site was a city park with antelope, javelina, and deer before a group a businessmen decided McAllen needed a hotel to serve as a business and social center. The Casa De Palmas, a three-story structure with a red tile roof built around a center patio and twin towers, was erected here in 1918. It served as a refuge for many area residents during the severe 1919 hurricane. The hotel was rebuilt in the original style after a 1973 fire.