PARKERSBURG - City Development Director Ann Conageski provided Parkersburg City Council - acting as the Urban Renewal Authority -with an update on the city's demolition list.
Council met as the URA following Tuesday's regular meeting. Conageski provided members with a list of 13 houses slated for demolition.
Conageski said officials will open bids on the projects at the end of this week. The demolitions will cost about $155,000, about $10,000-$12,000 per house. That money will come from the general fund.
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Photo by Jody Murphy
City Development Director Ann Conageski talks to members of the Parkersburg City Council Tuesday, as City Attorney Joe Santer listens.
Council member John Rockhold asked how many of these sites will be suitable for future construction. Conageski said a few, but noted the city does not own many of those sites.
"We take it down and put liens on it," she said.
The city expects to contract demolition for 10 more houses, with money coming from Community Development Block Grant funds and the city's general fund.
The URA unanimously approved the sale of 1413 Spring St. to Jeanne Feathers for $1,500. Feathers requested to purchase the property after reading an article in the News and Sentinel about the city seeking to sell properties. Feathers told the URA she plans to use the property as a side yard.
URA got a short update on the 1335 St. Marys Ave. building. The property burned in February, resulting in the death of two toddlers.
Conageski said the owner of the house, William Johnson, was trying to sell the house to a neighbor who planned to fix it up.
"There are two estates and they are trying to get the deeds cleared," Conageski said.
Council had a short meeting prior to the Urban Renewal Authority meeting, unanimously approving $60,000 in overtime grants for the narcotics taskforce ($40,000) and the police department's detective bureau ($20,000).
