'It should've been torn down a long time ago' | Longtime Westbury eyesore finally being demolished after years of flooding, fire, and vandalism

HOUSTON, Texas — The once-thriving Spring Village Apartment complex on Chimney Rock Road is disappearing building by building and brick by brick.

“It should have been torn down a long time ago,” said one neighbor to the complex near Gasmer Drive.

The City of Houston bought the six-acre property near Westbury High School in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and then helped relocate many residents.

But the old buildings fell into disrepair as a long-term plan to replace apartments with a stormwater detention basin and recreation area slowly came together.

Complicating and delaying the demolition project was the process of asbestos abatement. Loads of the potentially hazardous material had to be carefully removed and properly disposed.

“It’s looking good man, looking really good over there,” said neighbor Tom Mooney.

His home has flooded at least three times over the years, but he says alleviating future flooding is just one benefit of this transformation. 

“They’ve had a couple of fires there,” said Mooney.  “And it just looked terrible.”

District K Council Member and current Houston Mayor Pro-Tem Martha Castex Tatum wrote “this is progress” in a recent Facebook post and spoke with KHOU 11 News months ago when we did a story on what was taking so long.

“We know residents are very concerned and want to see it demolished as soon as possible,” said Castex Tatum.

Demolition work should be completed in the coming months.