Tradition continues as Hines tops off Montrose tower

The construction tradition of hoisting a tree to the top of a building once the final beam has been placed or the last concrete slab has been poured, a practice some say dates back to Scandinavian Vikings, was given a French twist at the recent “topping out” ceremony for a new residential tower behind the La Colombe d’Or hotel on Montrose Boulevard.

—DAILY DIGITAL/HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Story by Nancy Smarnoff, Photos by Mark Mulligan