Finally, blighted building is razed

By Denise Dick

Township trustees declared the apartment building a public nuisance in June.

BOARDMAN — After years of wrangling, the township has rid itself of a LeMans Drive apartment building that was in disrepair.

Maverick Contracting of Lisbon demolished the six-plex apartment building at 86 LeMans this month. The company had submitted the lowest bid — $6,384 — for the demolition. The highest bid was nearly $100,000.

“A very blighted building in the township is now gone,” said Peter Ross, assistant township zoning inspector.

The building was owned by D.H. Wydick of Canfield. She declined to comment.

Records at the zoning office show that problems in and around the building date back to 2002.

In November 2007, police were called to the vacant building and found indications inside that the building had been used for parties. They also found animal feces throughout the building.

In April, firefighters responding to an alarm at the building found debris scattered throughout, mold and water damage and piles of animal feces.

In June, a sanitarian from the Mahoning County District Board of Health recommended condemnation of the building and declaration of it as a public nuisance.

That same month, township trustees declared it a public nuisance, giving the owner 30 days to clean it up or have it demolished.

The demolition cost will be attached as a lien to the property.

That lien will also include about $5,000 the township had to pay for an asbestos assessment of the building.

No asbestos was found during the assessment conducted by MS Consultants of Youngstown. Such evaluations are required on industrial facilities and apartment buildings of at least six units.

Mahoning County property tax records show that the building was constructed in 1971 and list its total market value at more than $173,000.

Wydick bought the building in 1988 for $155,000.