Board approves pact for demolition of homes

The city will open bids June 29 to demolish another group of 25 houses.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city's board of control approved a $69,600 contract for a Campbell company to demolish 25 houses on the northeast side of town as part of its effort to take down about 300 dilapidated structures this year.
The board voted Thursday to approve a contract with Pro Quality Development Inc. for the residential property demolitions.
Pro Quality also received a $65,000 contract last week to demolish 25 abandoned houses on the city's South Side.
The demolition work on the 50 houses will begin in about 10 days, said Carmen S. Conglose Jr., the city's deputy director of public works.
The demolition of 25 houses scattered throughout the North, South and East sides of the city is already under way, Conglose said. Siegel Excavating of Edinburg, Pa., is handling that project for $62,800.
Not done yet
The city will open bids June 29 to demolish a fourth group of 25 houses, located on the northeast side.
A fifth group of 25 structures for demolition is being prepared and should be ready in about 10 days, Conglose said.
So far, 107 structures have been demolished this year, the city's street department plans to demolish 36 other buildings this year, and the city expects to take down at least another 30 structures this year.
Before demolition began, city officials, with the assistance of the Youngstown State University's Center for Urban and Regional Studies, identified about 800 buildings, primarily dilapidated houses, in need of demolition.
The plan focuses on improving neighborhoods with new schools or other new construction as well as near hospitals and parks.
City council, on the recommendation of the city administration, allocated $1.27 million for demolition funding in the 2006 budget.
Until this year, the $275,000 spent in 2005 was the largest amount of money the city devoted to residential housing demolition.
The city plans about 300 demolitions this year. The city demolished 150 to 200 structures annually in the past.
skolnick@vindy.com