Estfania Herrera sits with her two children as she talks about the lack of help from the management of The Bonnie apartments property management.
Michael Cuviello/Dallas Morning News
More than a month after a deadly natural gas explosion destroyed The Clyde apartments in Oak Cliff, plans to redevelop the blast site have been halted, deepening uncertainty for the families next door as they navigate life in homes they no longer consider fully livable.
When the May 28 explosion engulfed The Clyde in flames, it leveled the 23-unit complex, killed three people, injured at least six others and displaced the survivors.
Before the explosion, plans had been submitted to turn the property, which includes the neighboring Bonnie apartments, into an 82-unit senior housing development, according to city records. Records show the application was terminated June 5. The developer that had been planning to buy the property, O-SDA Industries, did not respond to a request for comment about whether the plan was permanently called off or would be picked up again.
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Though The Bonnie apartments remained standing, residents say they’ve been without gas service since the explosion, forcing them to boil water for baths, cook on hot plates and griddles, and wait for answers about when life might return to normal. A lock was visible on the property’s gas valve this week.
“It’s no longer safe to be here,” said Estefania Herrera, who lives at The Bonnie. “We want help. We want answers. We want a new home.”
Herrera said she stayed in a hotel after the explosion but returned when that assistance ended. Since then, she said, she has been warming water in a pot so her children, ages 11 and 8, do not have to bathe in cold water.
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In a statement, natural gas utility Atmos Energy said it was working to restore service, but a gas line not owned by the utility must be repaired and tested before service can return. The company said service would be restored only after repairs are made, city permits and inspections are complete, and Atmos conducts a successful pressure test.
Atmos referred questions about the status of those repairs to the building management. Atmos said service had been restored to all other customers in the area.
Revival Property Co. LLC, which manages The Clyde and The Bonnie, has not responded to requests for comment by phone and email from The Dallas Morning News. The company lists Samuel Afalo as its owner. Afalo did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
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Herrera said residents have received little information from Revival since the explosion and have seen few repairs beyond broken windows being fixed. When Herrera contacted Revival about the outage, she said she was told only that she could move out and receive her deposit back.
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“We’ve been completely abandoned,” Herrera said.
Dallas City Council member Chad West, who represents the area, said in a statement this week that safety should remain a priority for residents at The Bonnie and other complexes near the explosion site. West said his District 1 office and the city began assisting residents after learning people at The Bonnie did not have reliable access to gas and hot water.
“Upon hearing that neighbors at the Bonnie do not have reliable access to gas and hot water, the District 1 office and city began assisting residents to guarantee that they have the ability to move out at no cost and with their deposits returned to them,” West said. “We will continue to do so until this situation is resolved.”
West encouraged anyone able to help residents find stable housing to contact the District 1 office.
Dallas city code requires property owners to maintain water-heating equipment and provide hot water of at least 110 degrees at required plumbing fixtures. The News contacted Dallas code compliance about conditions at The Bonnie, but did not immediately receive a response.
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Herrera said residents were unaware of the redevelopment plans for the site until after the explosion. She said learning about the plans added to residents’ frustration because they were still waiting for basic answers about the building’s future. Some families have already left The Bonnie, but moving is not financially feasible for everyone, Herrera said. About a dozen apartments remain occupied.
Even if she received her deposit back, Herrera said, the money would do little to cover the cost of securing a new apartment.
Esther Ybarra, who said her family has lived at The Bonnie for about a decade and previously lived at The Clyde, wants property management to give residents a clear timeline and explain whether they can safely remain in the building.
“We are sick of being blindsided,” Ybarra said. “We’re sick of being avoided when we seek answers.”
Residents said they have received help from groups including Mission Oak Cliff and Catholic Charities, but they want property management and local officials to take a more active role in finding long-term solutions.
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Anthony Lazón Conde, who works with Dallas for Change, a community group assisting residents after the explosion, said volunteers became involved because some residents were unsure whom to trust or where to turn. He said volunteers have helped connect families with basic supplies, including food, water, toiletries and clothing.
“We are displaced, even though we’re still at this building,” Herrera said. “We want help.”