HOUSTON — A large fire at a long-vacant apartment complex in Spring Branch has renewed focus on Houston’s growing problem with abandoned properties – and what the city is doing to address it.
The fire broke out Tuesday at the former Park on Westview apartments, a derelict property that has been the site of multiple fires in recent years. Just hours before the fire, city officials had announced that the property was recently purchased by a local Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ).
“At this particular location, many fires were being set on a weekly basis,” Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Amy Peck said…