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Irving commission pushes back demolition threat for fire-damaged Rochelle Boulevard house, gives owner 90 days to show progress
Summary
After weeks of missed deadlines, the Buildings and Standards Commission gave the owner of a fire-damaged Rochelle Boulevard home 90 days (to Dec. 23, 2025) to begin repairs, ordered continued inspections and reserved the city's right to demolish if work stalls. The owner's daughter and staff disputed whether an updated scope submitted days before the hearing justified a longer schedule.
The City of Irving Buildings and Standards Commission on Sept. 24 set a 90‑day deadline — to Dec. 23, 2025 — for repairs or demolition of a single‑family home at 408 Rochelle Boulevard that burned in October 2024, while giving the owner an opportunity to show progress at the commission's November meeting.
Julia Cuellar, a code enforcement specialist, told commissioners the property suffered a fire, that framing had not yet started and that the owner had submitted a construction scope on Sept. 16 with an updated version on Sept. 23. Staff recommended a demolition authorization to take effect if work did not commence, and asked the commission to allow city contractors to demolish the structure on or after Oct. 24, 2025 if the property was not repaired.
The owner's daughter, Aurora Antonis, said the family has hired an architect and a structural engineer, completed demolition and debris removal behind the scenes, and expects framing to begin “as soon as materials arrive.” Antonis said insurance proceeds have been received and the family is working with contractors; she asked the commission not to reintroduce an immediate demolition order. “We are moving forward,” Antonis said. “It might look from the outside like we haven't done anything, but everything's been done in the back end.”
Commissioners and staff disagreed over whether the late scope and schedule were sufficiently detailed. One commissioner called the recent schedule “deficient,” saying it lists trade‑timeframes but not the precise scope of work (for example, which mechanical systems or which plumbing fixtures will be repaired). City staff told the commission the case has a prior order with multiple missed deadlines and that providing a scope weeks after those deadlines does not entitle the owner to an automatic extension.
After extended questioning about timetables, the commission amended staff's recommended order to give the owner 90 days — not the 30 days staff first sought — to repair or demolish the structure, and to appear for an update at the Nov. 19 meeting. The order also preserves the city's ability to assess civil penalties for missed deadlines and authorizes staff inspections to verify progress.
The commission's vote was unanimous. City staff said typical reconstruction of a house of this magnitude could take six to nine months depending on contractor availability and scope, and that the commission would expect a significantly more detailed scope and schedule on return.
The next procedural step is the Nov. 19, 2025 Hearing, when staff will report on whether work has begun; if the owner cannot demonstrate progress or a satisfactory detailed schedule, staff said they would recommend moving forward with demolition authority and civil penalties.
