Texas city officials suspend demolition permits

Duranguito, Texas, officials have suspended demolition permits for eight properties after they discovered the work may have been done in possible violation of a court order, a report by El Paso Inc. says. The demolition work started protests in the city.

City Rep. Cissy Lizarraga says in the report that the city should do more than rely on the courts or apologize for misunderstandings and that she introduced the agenda item to revoke any existing demolition permits and a moratorium on issuing new ones in the space where the most recent incident took place.

The properties were being demolished in a space where the city wants to build a multipurpose performing arts facility, the report says. Preservationists presented JMR Demolition, El Paso, with a court order while crews were demolishing five buildings on the property Sept. 12.

The emergency cease and desist order was obtained by Max Grossman, a local historian behind the preservationists, late Sept. 11. According to the report, the city does not own any of the properties on the site and did not initiate demolition. Duranguito Mayor Dee Margo says in the report that the city is complying with the court order.