Millions would be spent on Youngstown demolitions

July 19, 2012 at 6:57p.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

The city would receive $1 million of Mahoning County’s $1,531,680 allocation from an attorney-general program for housing demolition, under the county’s Land Reutilization Corp.’s proposal.

Also, the city plans to spend at least $1 million of its own money for demolition work, said Mayor Charles Sammarone.

The land reutilization proposal is expected to be approved around Aug. 1 by the attorney general’s office, county Treasurer Daniel Yemma, the corporation’s chairman, wrote in a letter to Rebecca Gerson, the city’s first assistant law director.

“My goal is to tear down as many vacant homes as possible,” Sammarone said. “I would have taken $20 million. If you’ve got $20 million in unused money, send it here and we’ll spend it.”

In anticipation of the demolition work, the city’s board of control agreed Thursday to hire Environmental Protection Systems of Girard to remove asbestos from about 300 to 350 vacant residential homes as part of the attorney-general demolition program. Because the houses have yet to undergo inspections for asbestos, the city’s contract with the Girard company for about $550,000 could fluctuate, but the amount is a good estimate, said Charles Shasho, deputy public works director.

Also, city officials say a lot more than 300 to 350 houses will come down as the money from the program doesn’t have to be completely spent until Dec. 31, 2013.

Sammarone had previously said he wanted 500 vacant residential structures down by the end of 2013, but that was when he was expecting the county to give $500,000 to the city. He declined Thursday to estimate how many houses will come down with the additional money.

By having one company handle the asbestos-removal work, the process will be better coordinated and move quicker, Sammarone said.