This was an old Kerr-McGee gas station that has been vacant for years. I am not sure who owns the property at the current time, but I sure do wish they would do something with it. A vacant building devalues each of the properties around this blight by at least $7,000.00 per a national survey on vacant property. South Irving has a boat load of buildings like this and the City Council and City Manager need to help us out. Perhaps they could buy this property, level the old gas station and clean up any contamination and sell the property to a developer for just the right use.
By the way, the Kerr-McGee mantra is: At Kerr-McGee, our values influence everything we do. We are committed to quality, safety, environmental responsibility and ethical conduct.
Perhaps they will come and revisit what they started and voluntarily fix it?
I am a dreamer.
The Old Kerr-McGee gas station is gone. It's dirt and good riddens, finally! After years and years of ugly and blighted. Thanks to Mr. Delbert McDougal and Company. You guys are fantastic and an answer to many prayers !!
God's Speed with your redevelopment of South Irving's Central City.
Perhaps if a developer could buy the property, at a reasonable price, it would be the site for a starter home for a nice young family. Right now it's just blight, plain and simple. That's why it's in our "Wall of Shame Calendar" for the second year running and I have no doubt it will make it three in a row. The neighborhood deserves better and I am happy to highlight it and shine the light of day on this issue in the neighborhood. Things are getting better in South Irving and this property is surely in the bull dozer's sights.
It is easy to demonize people who provide inexpensive places to live for poor folks as "slum lords". But where else are you going to house them ? Gummit housing has generally proved disasterous. Maybe that's the point-- Post Katrina New Orleans rid itself of considerable pesky poor-folks by tearing down cheap housing. But I'm glad you agree that property owners should be compenstated for any "takings".
The old Kerr-McGee gas station is not in the courts at this time. I fully expect Mr. McDougal can convince the owner to sell it for a fair price. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
FYI Sesquiculus: The cost to the neighbors property value on all sides is over 7,000.00 each because his property is vacant. This is a fact and this is not fair and right that the owner leaves a vacant building that attracts a negative element and is very costly for the neighborhood. The property owner should sell it to the City for a reasonable price and be done with it. I have no feeings for a slum lord except disgust. Owners have responsibilities to their neighbors and their community. I hope the court finds the owner guilty of abuse and neglect. Irving needs to make it an asset not a liability, like it is now, and has been for years and years. Stop the blight.
Grand sentiments. But, I remind everyone that if Ya wanna tear down something, ya gotta pay for it. Texas law gives property owners significant protection against "takings".
To save money, the city has been illegally attempting to do urban renewal on the cheap by using code enforcement to harass property owners into tearing down buildings for free or to sell out to their friends at below market prices. This has drawn significant litigation, which the city seems to be losing, although the agreements are publically being pitched as "wins" for political purposes.
I am not too worried about this property anymore as it is near the ground zero target area for Delbert McDougal's South Irving re-development effort. Praise be to Mr. McDougal and Company for doing what the propety owner, City of Irving, Kerr-McGee or any other developer wouldn't. Can you say 20 years of blight now finally being addressed. Shame on Irving's SIN (South Irving Neglect).
Your right S. Paul Jordan! Out of sight and out of mind is exactly the problem with many members of the Irving city council and the movers and shakers in Irving. Out of sight and out of mind is exactly why I believe Mayor Gears pulled the plug on the Citizen's Forum. I was showing PowerPoint digital images of blights like this hoping the televised images would create a fire storm against SIN (South Irving Neglect). Neighborsgo.com to the rescue. Thank you.
Sadly, this is the reality of South Irving that some ignore because they have been retired City employees or they live in North Irving and away from such blights. As they say: out of sight, out of mind...
