City to respond to Duranguito contempt of court accusations in court

The City of El Paso will have to respond to contempt of court allegations as the legal battle over the Duranguito neighborhood heads to the courtroom yet again.

The neighborhood is the preferred site for the City’s new multipurpose performing arts facility. Activists fighting to protect the neighborhood argue it is worth preserving because of its historical value.

The Texas Supreme Court assigned a senior judge from El Paso to oversee the court hearing.

Historic preservationist Max Grossman filed a motion for emergency relief September 11th. After it was granted, the City was ordered to cease all efforts to demolish seven buildings in the neighborhood.

The morning of September 12, 2017, demolition crews hired by the private property owners damaged several buildings in the neighborhood, despite the court order.

In a statement, the City said the hearing is “a normal next step in the process when one party alleges contempt of court and requests a hearing. The City feels certain that after presenting the facts the court will agree that the City of El Paso complied with the emergency orders issued on September 11th and September 12th.”

The City said the order to stop the demolition was not directed to the property owners and the City had to pass the court’s instruction along to the owners.

Grossman said the City should still be held liable. “The bottom line is the City controls the properties and that is the legal standard and that is what we’ve briefed to the courts,” said Grossman.