Cleanup under way for historic building collapse

RIO GRANDE CITY — Construction crews were collecting debris Wednesday afternoon after the top of one of the city’s historic buildings fell over Tuesday morning.

The top portion of the brick front wall of the former Guemar Shop fell onto the sidewalk and into part of eastbound Business 83, damaging a business next door.

An awning on the side of the building was also knocked down. Contractor Alejo Clarke Jr. said he expected to finish the cleanup process for the owners by Wednesday evening.

The building, located at 203 E. Main St., is part of the city’s designated historic district but has been vacant since 1986. It is owned by four siblings and has been in the family for over a hundred years.

“Our great-grandfather did not build it, but he bought it shortly after it was built in 1874,” owner Fred Margo said. “It’s very sad to see what happened.”

Owner Al Margo, of McAllen, said they suspected vibrations from passing trucks contributed to the collapse.

“You have constant traffic day and night,” he said. “I mean big trucks that are heavily loaded. They’re just pounding and pounding and pounding, so eventually a lot of stuff is going to be structurally harmed.”

Juan F. Zuniga, city manager for Rio Grande City, admits traffic is heavy but said there may be a number of reasons for the collapse. He said the city has received a lot of rain recently and noted the building’s age. The weight of the building’s awning may have pulled it down as well, he said.

“We will be requiring the owner to hire a structural engineer to look at the safety of the business and nearby businesses,” Zuniga said. “We want to make sure that it is safe.”

Zuniga also plans to notify the Texas Historical Commission.

Diana Hernandez, of Escobares, works at Vitaminas Y Más, the business adjacent to the building.

She initially thought the commotion from the collapse was a car crash. It wasn’t until she looked out the window and saw her van covered in debris that she realized what had happened.

The top of her white 2001 Ford Windstar minivan was dented, and the front windshield was broken. Hernandez worried her liability insurance would not cover the damage.

The roof of her business was also damaged. About a 3-foot portion of the neighboring roof collapsed as well, and a window railing was broken.

Fred Margo said he was waiting for the building’s insurance company to arrive so they could assess the damage. He plans to save the bricks in case they can reconstruct.

Local historian R.C. Salinas Jr. said he saw the collapsed building Wednesday morning during a walk and was stunned by the damage.

“I was horrified,” said Salinas, a 70-year-old resident of Rio Grande City. “The damage to the side of the (connecting business) is enough to unnerve anyone.”

Up until 1987, the building had served as South Texas’s gateway to the rest of the country’s latest fashion trends, Salinas said. Before that, it had housed a Piggly Wiggly grocery, a five-and-dime store and the city drug store.

The loss of history struck Salinas the most.

“If you knew the history of the building - and it was well known all over South Texas - you’d be horrified, too,” he said.

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Naxiely Lopez covers PSJA and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956)683-4434.