LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – Road closures around the damaged DoubleTree hotel have cut off foot traffic to nearby businesses, leaving some owners with fewer customers.
Rolando Sauceda, who has owned his restaurant on Constantinople Street for 32 years, said sales have dropped.
“Well, sales have dropped. Normally, on Sundays, it’s a day filled with families coming in and sales are usually up. But now, because of the hotel, we’ve seen less movement and less foot traffic in the area.”
Sauceda said he sympathizes with businesses still unable to open and wants the city to help cover their costs while closures remain in place.
City evaluates next steps
Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino said he discussed next steps with the city manager over the weekend, set deadlines for certain actions and remains in communication with the hotel’s ownership.
“The building’s structural integrity has been called into question, and I have been informed that ownership is pursuing efforts to reinforce and stabilize it. These efforts are time-sensitive and must be evaluated by qualified structural engineers to determine whether the building can be made safe.
“If the building cannot be safely stabilized, we must move forward with a planned and coordinated demolition through the appropriate process. The City cannot allow an unsafe structure to continue placing people at risk. An uncontrolled collapse of thousands of tons of concrete could endanger lives and surrounding properties. Our responsibility is to act before that happens, with public safety guiding every decision.”
Trevino said protecting the community’s health and safety is his foremost responsibility and the city’s priority.
Julian Gonzalez, who lives blocks away, said police told him the building is unstable. He hopes city leaders can move the closure closer to the hotel so residents can move more freely near their homes.
Store access disrupted
Shopper Jesus Gutierrez said he found his usual store blocked off while running an errand.
“First off, you can’t go in — you can’t go in, you can’t carry what you’re going to buy. But — but it’s all to avoid an accident or something of the sort from happening.”
Gutierrez said he understands the closures are necessary for safety and hopes the situation is resolved soon so nearby businesses can fully reopen.
The Laredo Chamber of Commerce says impacted business owners may qualify for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan through the Small Business Administration.
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