Bellaire parking lot lawsuit reaches settlement

A lawsuit against the city of Bellaire over the demolition of a parking lot that the city approved in error has reached a settlement.

Crews have begun to remove the parking lot at 4300 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, as a result of the settlement, the city confirmed in an April 20 email.

The teardown comes after a monthslong dispute between the city of Bellaire and MM Bellaire One LLC, the developers for Southside Commons, after it built the parking lot in early 2020 to serve as overflow parking for Evelyn’s Park and Southside Commons.

The developers first filed a suit with Harris County District Court on Dec. 7 seeking to block the city's order to demolish the lot, a result of a Nov. 16 decision from Bellaire City Council.

On Dec. 8, Judge Donna Roth agreed on a temporary restraining order to give all the parties involved time to resolve the dispute or proceed with the case that would be extended multiple times until both parties came to a settlement.

The terms of the settlement have not been shared. Requests for additional information from the city and MM Bellaire One on the terms of the settlement were not returned as of April 22.

In a court filing dated Jan. 19, MM Bellaire One requested at least $1 million in relief along with an injunction blocking enforcement of the demolition. MM Bellaire One spent $300,000 to construct the parking lot, according to the suit.