Although the possibility of demolishing the 100-year-old Gilbert Building in downtown Beaumont has been looming for months contingent on progress at the fire-gutted eyesore, the elected leaders of City Council granted another extension to local investor and arson suspect Tom Flanagan during its Jan. 7 meeting.
March 31, 2024, city officials tagged the building for imminent danger due to numerous property violations that posed a threat to public safety and reached out to Flanagan to discuss the structure's deteriorating condition. Less than 90 days later, June 6, 2024, the building suffered a catastrophic fire. Flanagan has stated he’s been “wrongfully accused” of setting the blaze even though, in early October 2024, law enforcement, including ATF officers, FBI agents and Beaumont PD, executed a search warrant on Flanagan’s office, suspecting him of arson for financial gain.
June 18, 2024, the City Council originally considered an order to demolish the Gilbert Building due to imminent danger but tabled the item for 60 days with conditions to erect a barricade and sign on to a work program.
Aug. 20, 2024, an extension of time was granted by ordinance with the condition to complete structural restoration within 150 days.
Now, 150 days later, the restoration has not been complete; however, municipal staffers site progress and encouraged council to allow Flanagan to continue the project.
According to city staff, Flanagan has so far upheld the agreement, has pulled a demolition permit for the building’s interior and shown observable progress.
Flanagan, presenting an amended schedule to council, explained that he had spent upwards of $500,000 in repairs and expected to reach $800,000 just to stabilize the structure.
“We purchased this building from the city. It had been vacant for decades, and it’s always been my intention to renovate the Gilbert Building,” Flanagan said of the property. He has now owned for over a decade. He then addressed the slow progress of downtown development.
“I don’t think that any of you would disagree that any city, anywhere in the United States, that has a declining downtown also has a declining city,” Flanagan said.
“I decided to live here, and we all know there’s something about Southeast Texas that’s wonderful, but there’s also something that’s held us back all these years. This attitude that it can’t happen here, it’ll never work, you’ll never see that here… I never wanted to be part of that,” he added, detailing alleged millions of dollars spent purchasing downtown properties. He urged the council to allow him to save the Gilbert Building.
The council expressed concerns that, once the building is structurally sound, Flanagan’s plans to restore it to a commercially viable space could stall.
“The schedule, if you’ll look at it, in February, we have to make the decision to do the structural improvements to further stabilize it. Once that’s done, then we’ll set our sights on a [goal],” Flanagan said, outlining his intent to use the building for commercial purposes.
Flanagan is slated to update the council on March 11. He has been given until Feb. 28 to obtain an engineer’s report and until April 23 to complete repairs.
In a stated effort to avoid spending taxpayer money on demolition, and protect Flanagan’s investment, the council voted 5-2 to grant another extension, giving Flanagan until April 23 to finish repairs.
Council members Taylor Neild and Randy Feldschau voted against the extension. Neild, CEO of H.B. Neild Construction, voiced skepticism, stating Flanagan’s timeline was “not realistic.”