Costly asbestos abatement stalls demolition of hotel in Waco, Texas

Aug 11, 2008

Despite fines and penalties, Waco hotel owner Banson Fan maintainsthat he doesn’t have the money to pay the $50,000 tab for asbestos abatement of the former Townhouse Hotel. Until the abatement is finished, the hotel cannot be demolished. The asbestos abatement is required prior to demolition because the process would release airborne asbestos fibers into the atmosphere. Those fibers, if inhaled, could lead to asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma, a painful and fatal cancer linked to asbestos.

Texas District Judge Vicki Menard gave Fan a 45-day extension, but ordered that as of July 21st, the old Townhouse Hotel must be demolished. The hotel owner’s purported plan was to sell the hotel to someone who could afford the $50,000 asbestos removal and another $50,000 to tear the building down. Given that the building itself is worth only $11,853 and the land has been appraised at $23,532, Fan may not ever find a taker. If Fan fails to sell the place and neglects to pay the penalties he owes the City of Waco, the City will put a lien on the old hotel and sell it at public auction, according to Assistant City Attorney Ken Johnson. In the meantime, Fan is racking up additional penalties to the tune of $1,000 per day.

For the full story, go to the Waco Tribune-Herald.

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