City to take steps toward demolishing Gateway Hotel

The City of El Paso has begun the process to condemn the Gateway Hotel and ultimately demolish it, City officials announced at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Officials with the City told ABC-7 earlier this week they’re pushing for the building to be condemned and ultimately demolished.

The hotel has 90 rooms, 41 of which were occupied as of Monday when City inspectors evacuated everyone from the building, deeming it unsafe to live in.

City inspectors said they received complaints from the hotel’s residents since 2011. Inspections would be done and violations were corrected by the next inspection. That changed with this past February’s inspection and follow-up inspection on Monday when City officials say the violations had not been corrected.

Some of the violations included boilers leaking carbon monoxide and that heaters posed an explosion hazard. There also were exposed wires.