HOUSTON – Just hours after Houston City Councilmember Amy Peck announced plans to demolish a long-abandoned apartment complex, flames once again tore through the building—raising renewed concerns about public safety and city oversight.
A Longstanding Public Safety Hazard
The Park on Westview Apartments has sat vacant for over a year, drawing complaints from residents and nearby businesses. Fires, break-ins, and drug activity have turned the complex into a neighborhood eyesore—and a dangerous one at that.
In just the last two years, the city’s 311 service has received 18 separate complaints about the property. Ten of those were filed this year alone.
Nearby resident Jorge Flores says he’s had belongings stolen from his porch by people squatting in the abandoned buildings.
“A couple of times I’ve seen them. I see them smoking meth or whatever,” Flores said. “It bothers me because we’re paying our bills—and for them to just take our stuff? That’s not right.”
Another Fire—Just Hours After Demolition Announcement
Late Tuesday evening, flames lit up the night sky—another fire sparked inside the already damaged complex. According to city data, this is just the latest in a long series of emergency calls to the location, many involving the fire department and police.
“Our firefighters have to go there weekly to put out fires,” Councilwoman Amy Peck said. “And our police officers are constantly responding to calls at this site. It’s not just a neighborhood nuisance—it’s a strain on first responders.”
A Plan for Demolition and Redevelopment
Earlier that same day, Peck had announced a plan to demolish the complex within six months. Thanks to Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 17 (TIRZ 17), the city recently purchased the property with big plans for the site’s future.
“We’re going to do flood mitigation there and eventually build a new Northwest HPD police station and fire station as well,” Peck said.
The demolition will be funded by $2 million from the city and additional property tax revenue collected through TIRZ 17—estimated at over $2 billion in total funding.
What’s Next?
It’s still unclear whether the most recent fire will impact the demolition timeline. However, Councilwoman Peck emphasized the city’s ongoing efforts to identify and address other nuisance properties across the area.
Meanwhile, residents like Flores are hopeful this long-standing issue will soon be behind them.
“That would be lovely,” he said. “So, we can finally get rid of all these people and get back to feeling safe.”