Council gives owner extra time to stabilize fire-damaged Gilbert building, sets April 23 deadline for structural work

The Beaumont City Council on Jan. 7 granted an extension to the owner of the fire-damaged Gilbert building, approving a revised schedule that requires structural reinforcement work and sets April 23, 2025 as the target for restoring exterior walls, the roof and elevated floors to their original structural capacity.

The property owner, Tom Flanagan, told the council he has spent substantial sums to shore up the building since a June 2024 fire and that he intends to continue restoration. At the meeting he supplied a revised project schedule that calls for an engineering reinforcement package to the city by late February and a phased construction program through April. Flanagan said he has already spent roughly $500,000 on stabilization work and expects total stabilization costs to exceed $800,000.

Why it matters: The Gilbert building, a multi-story historic structure downtown that was tagged for imminent danger before the fire, has been the subject of repeated inspections, a prior council ordinance and a 150-day work program the owner did not complete. Council had been scheduled to decide whether to proceed with demolition; instead, after hearing staff reports and testimony from the owner and engineers, council approved a time-limited extension so the owner can complete reinforcement work.

Council action and conditions: The motion approved by council requires the property owner to obtain applicable permits, submit a written reinforcement plan to the building official and appear before council at the March 11, 2025 meeting to report progress. The council-recorded motion established April 23, 2025 as the date by which the exterior walls, roof and elevated floors must be restored to the structural capacity identified by a registered structural engineer; the owner must submit progress documentation and reimburse the city for prior barricade costs that had been required by an earlier ordinance.

Staff findings and inspection notes: City building officials said the property had been barricaded and that while significant progress is visible, critical structural work remains. Building official Boyd Meyer said inspections show advances but that the top floors and parts of the envelope still required demolition and shoring before a full structural analysis can be completed. Demolition coordinator described the site as highly staged: scaffolding crews work in rotation as interior demo proceeds and engineers assess remaining wall sections.

Council debate: Some council members said they wanted to avoid using taxpayer funds to demolish a building whose owner has invested in stabilization; others pushed for a stricter timetable and asked staff and the owner for a realistic schedule. Councilman Neal pressed for verification that city procedures — including a reimbursement resolution for earlier barricade costs and compliance with the International Property Maintenance Code — were being followed. Councilman Getz, who made the motion, said the extension balanced the public-safety risk against preservation of a historic downtown structure.

Outcome and next steps: The council-approved extension passed on a voice vote after a motion by Councilman Getz and a second; the motion required the owner to appear March 11 to update council on progress and to complete the structural restoration by April 23, 2025. City staff will inspect and verify structural work; if the owner fails to meet conditions the council retained authority to authorize demolition under existing ordinances.

Quotes: "Structures like this give us a vital link to our history," owner Tom Flanagan said. Building official Boyd Meyer said, "Every time I've gone there, more progress is being made," but added that the work becomes more complex near the top floors. "At that point, it should not be an imminent danger after that," Meyer said of the reinforcement work.