UPDATE: Three blighted properties demolished through county program
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTOS - (LEFT) Blighted and fire damaged homes sit ready for demolition on January 7, 2018 at the corner of East Centre and North Union Streets. (RIGHT) An empty lot where a multitude of homes stood, twice damaged by fire (2/23/2018)
By Kaylee Lindenmuth
SHENANDOAH – Three more demolition projects have continued to clean up the region’s blighted properties as 2018 progresses.
The three properties – 129 East Lloyd Street, 9-11 North Main Street, and the unit block of Union Street – were demolished through the Schuylkill County Demolition Program, and a $1.4 Million grant awarded in 2017.
The project to demolish a multitude of fire-damaged homes at Union, Centre, and Mount Vernon Streets on the east end marked the halfway point of the countywide demolition program, according to a press release from Senator David G. Argall (R-Berks/Schuylkill).
“The revitalization of our communities is essential in order to boost economic growth and create more opportunities for local residents, and today we are here to celebrate one of the biggest projects to date because of this funding,” said Argal in the releasel. “Despite Pennsylvania having some of the toughest laws in the nation when it comes to fighting blight, the problem lies in the fact that many municipalities lack the necessary funds to demolish blighted buildings and properties. I am glad that I fought to bring this funding back home to Schuylkill County because we now have the necessary tools to make our communities grow.”
In October, county commissioners awarded demolition contracts to Kass’s Contracting, Shenandoah, to demolish properties at 520 West Mount Vernon Street, 401-403 West Oak Street, and combined properties at West Coal and North Race Streets, at a combined cost of $46,400, and by December, the properties on Oak and Mount Vernon Streets were demolished.
Then, in November, commissioners awarded eight more projects to Kass’s Contracting for the demolition of the following properties at a combined cost of $250,090:
- 300 West Penn Street
- 9-11 North Main Street
- 17 North Union Street
- 23 North West Street
- 319 West Cherry Street
- 129 East Lloyd Street
- 39 West Coal Street
- 233-235 West Oak Street
As of February 23, properties at 129 East Lloyd, 9-11 North Main, the unit block of Union Street, as well as the two properties demolished by December, had been knocked down.
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