{"id":583853,"date":"2026-02-12T04:47:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T04:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/583853\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T04:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T04:47:13","slug":"how-the-city-of-san-antonio-is-handling-vacant-building-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/583853\/","title":{"rendered":"How the City of San Antonio is handling vacant building concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 A burned building<\/a> on San Antonio\u2019s North Side is another echo of safety concerns across the city. <\/p>\n

Over the last two weeks<\/a> after KSAT\u2019s town hall<\/a>, KSAT has been taking a closer look at what the city is doing to address abandoned buildings that become the location of crimes. <\/p>\n

The most recent case came on Sunday night. A fire tore through an abandoned restaurant on Botts Lane<\/a>. A San Antonio Fire Department Battalion Chief told a KSAT crew on the scene that although the building was fenced off, it appeared the fire was started inside by people experiencing homelessness. <\/p>\n

On Wednesday, KSAT spoke to Shanon Miller, the director of San Antonio\u2019s Office of Historic Preservation. Her office oversees the Vacant Building Program<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a number of ways the city deals with vacant buildings,\u201d Miller said. <\/p>\n

The Vacant Building Program is one of them. The program was created to \u201caddress the root causes of vacancy, increase public safety and encourage economic development.\u201d Miller said multiple other city departments help deal with vacant buildings, too. <\/p>\n

Still, she said it\u2019s a long process. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of steps along the way before we get to enforcement,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

When asked if this is a growing issue across San Antonio, Miller said, \u201cWe\u2019ve seen the numbers (of vacant buildings) be relatively stable over the years, but the properties change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bringing productive use to vacant properties is something she said the city is prioritizing. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople\u2019s property rights are important, and so it\u2019s not easy to require somebody to do something with their property,\u201d Miller said. \u201cWe have to go through a lot of steps and a lot of documentation and really try to work with it. And that\u2019s what we want to do.\u201d <\/p>\n

People can report unsafe or dilapidated buildings by calling 311 to connect with Code Enforcement. People may also contact the city\u2019s Vacant Building Program through their website<\/a> or by emailing VBP@sanantonio.gov.<\/p>\n

For issues involving active trespassing or suspicious activity, people should contact the San Antonio Police Department non-emergency line at 210-207-7273.<\/p>\n

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