Heights condo project appears to fall into disrepair as years-long legal battle drags on

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A long-stalled luxury condo development in the Houston Heights is deteriorating in plain view, and neighbors say they’ve had enough.

What was once planned as Bella in the Heights-a six-story, 28-unit upscale condo project in the 800 block of Yale Street-now sits as a weathered shell. On rainy days, standing water pools inside the unfinished structure. Nearby residents say the site has become an eyesore in an otherwise well-kept neighborhood.

“It’s just gross. Standing water, everything that you see,” Linda Bocanegra said. She lives next door. “You have beautiful houses here… and you have this. This big ole eyesore.”

Despite its appearance, the property isn’t abandoned. Instead, it’s locked in a complex ownership dispute. Two separate entities claim to own the development, and the case is now tied up in court. Until a judge decides who legally owns the property, neither side can move forward with repairs or construction-nor are they willing to take on liability if something goes wrong.

Many neighbors say they assumed the project had simply been deserted.

“I honestly did assume it was abandoned,” Joy Kohl said. “I thought somebody had started the project and just quit.”

Google Earth imagery shows construction began in 2015, with the exterior shell largely completed the following year. Since then, however, the site has barely changed. Court records indicate the property has passed through multiple owners, lawsuits, and even a foreclosure during the last decade-while weeds and debris continue to build up.

“Get it together, get your ducks in a row and fix it,” Bocanegra said.

An attorney representing one of the parties involved told ABC13 he would contact his client to try to get a cleaning crew on-site, even as the legal fight continues.

For now, the structure remains stuck in limbo-slowly deteriorating as the dispute plays out in court.