The Construction Council voted unanimously on Oct. 9, 2025, to order demolition of the property at 730 Gabriel in District 2 after Development Services staff recommended removal as an unsafe structure.

Cynthia Santana, an official with the city’s dangerous-structures unit, told the council the single-story house, built in 1949, is vacant, lacks water and electrical service, and shows extensive roof, foundation and framing failure. Santana said inspectors found collapsed roof sections, separated wall framing, evidence of prior occupancy by people experiencing homelessness, and a large bee hive that prevented full access to the rear of the building. She recommended demolition under City Code Chapter 6, Article 8, citing subsections 1, 2, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17 and 18.

Property owner Ronda King spoke at the hearing and said the house is where she was raised and that she has faced medical and financial setbacks including hospitalization and a current kidney condition that reduced her income. King said she has tried to arrange financing and obtain contractor estimates but that her health has limited her ability to complete repairs. Her cousin, Casandra Smith, asked the council to consider time to pursue city or private contracting options to remove or repair the structure.

After the presentation and public comment, a council member moved that 730 Gabriel be declared a public nuisance and demolished within 30 days; the motion passed unanimously. Staff later noted that owners will have 45 days to comply with the remedial plan described in the order. The council directed that the property be secured and cleared of debris as part of the demolition order.