43
Girard tears down 30 buildings
By LINDA M. LINONIS
GIRARD
The dust has settled on about 30 lots where buildings on the city’s demolition list are no longer an eyesore.
They have been torn down, and there are about 30 more set to meet the same fate.
The project was made possible by a $350,000 grant the city received last year through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. “The great thing about this is that we’re not using city dollars to cleanup the city,” said Mayor James Melfi. He noted that the city’s budget is too tight to pay for such an endeavor.
“There’s a protocol to follow,” said Melfi about how structures are put on the demolition list.
Personnel from the health department and zoning first inspect the buildings, then a letter is sent to the owner. The owner has at least 30 days to remedy the situation. If nothing is done to improve the condition after that time, there is a second inspection, and the health board makes the final approval for demolition.
“There are various reasons a building is demolished — deplorable conditions, abandoned, safety hazard, fire damaged and lack of stable structure,” Melfi said.
“But every situation is different,” Melfi said. “We work with owners if they are serious about remedying the situation and give them time to fix things.”
The mayor did note that most structures “are condemnable right now” when the city does so. The process from evaluating the structure to demolishing it takes an average of six months, he said.
Though some people may dislike the idea of a house or other building being torn down and leaving empty space, Melfi said the open area is a better option than a dilapidated structure. “The majority of the buildings have been in the Parkwood Avenue area that borders Brier Hill near Youngstown,” he said. The city mows the grass on the vacant lots.
The houses are demolished by private contractors who bid on the project. The lowest bid is accepted by the city.
Most demolition is straightforward. The situation gets trickier when there’s asbestos, because that involves a special process. Melfi cited the former Whistle Lounge on Lorain Avenue, where asbestos was present. The demolition cost was $57,000 because of the precautions that had to taken with such debris.
The former Washington Elementary School on Smithsonian Avenue was last used in 1990. “It was built about 1920,” Melfi said. “There’s asbestos there.”
Bids will be opened July 16 for the school demolition, which would take place within 30 days after that. “It could be before summer ends,” Melfi said.