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Board hears demolition totals: 116 demolitions reported; 13 appeals to district court
Summary
Alice Guajardo told the Building Standards Board that 116 demolitions occurred across council districts for the reporting period and that 13 orders have been appealed to district court; members asked for trend data and clarifications about timing and permits.
Alice Guajardo, development services manager for code enforcement, presented demolition and case‑count data for the board covering Oct. 1, 2023 through April 30, 2025.
"That total for all Districts 1 Through 10 is a total of 116 demolitions," Guajardo said during her report, which broke down demolitions, owner‑demolished properties, orders released to contractors, pulls from the agenda and pending expirations by council district.
She explained that "released to contractor" means BSB orders have become enforceable because no appeal was filed within the statutory period, and that when owners demolish after a BSB order the case is recorded as "demolished by owner." Legal counsel clarified that 13 cases had been appealed to state district court and are now in litigation, handled by city lawyers.
The report also summarized BSB orders and actions in the reporting window: 34 dangerous‑structure presentations, 27 30‑day demolition orders (12 panel A, 15 panel B), 16 San Antonio property maintenance cases and five hold‑harmless agreements, for a combined total of 94 administrative items presented.
Board members asked staff to provide trend comparisons to prior reporting periods to determine whether the number of city‑demolished properties had increased. Staff agreed to compile comparative data for the next full board meeting.
Legal counsel also explained that the 30‑day clock for enforcement begins when the order is mailed and the 30‑day appeal period expires, which can extend the practical timeline before demolition occurs.
