City Continues Demolitions: Officials To Destroy Condemned Houses By: Dennis Phillips, Post-Journal

From the Jamestown Post Journal

Last month, city officials approved pre-demolition asbestos inspection surveys for 29 foreclosed properties. Vince DeJoy, city development director, said he doesn't want people to know the exact location of the houses targeted for demolition to prevent thieves from stealing items like copper wiring. The inspections will be conducted on 21 city streets. The streets where the surveys will be done include Baker; Bush; Cowing; Crossman; East Second; Falconer; Haywood; Johnson; Institute; South Main; Spring; Thayer; Westcott; Willard; Winsor; West Ninth; West 12th; West 14th; and Barrett; McKinley; and Norton avenues.

These planned demolitions accompany the 32 city officials started orchestrating last September. DeJoy said within the next month, all 32 of these condemned properties will be tore down.

''So far, 28 have been demolished. The remaining four are in the process. They're either going through asbestos abatement or waiting for actual demolition, which means we're waiting for bids,'' he said.

DeJoy said city officials have demolished dilapidated houses at an unprecedented volume during the last year. He said in most prior years, city officials tore down eight to 10 condemned houses.

''It has gone smoothly given the fact we've done four times the volume we have done in previous years,'' he said. ''So we've learned a great deal in the last year on how to be more efficient and how to lower costs through bundling.''

With the experience they have gained during the last year, DeJoy said the next phase of 29 demolitions should go even better.

''We will be able to go through the process a lot quicker, go through the regulatory process quicker and get a bigger bang for the limited dollars we have,'' he said.

DeJoy said the funding to do the demolitions comes from three sources the state Office of Attorney General, the federal Community Development Block Grant and from the city's general fund.

''We've received nearly $500,000 from the grant the Office of Attorney General gave to the (Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation). We're going to get another $500,000 that will be available to us for this next year,'' he said.

The Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation received a $1.5 million grant from the state Attorney General's Office in 2013. Then, in 2014, Schneiderman awarded the Land Bank a second grant of $1.3 million. The money is for assisting state land banks in rebuilding and restoring neighborhoods hit hard by the housing crisis.

In 2014, city officials allocated $160,000 in CDBG funds for neighborhood target area demolition funding. The demolitions that started last year will occur on Allen; Charles; Crossman; East Sixth; Falconer; First; Hazzard; Institute; Jeffords; Liberty; North Main; Spring; Steele; Thayer; Tower; Water; West 16th; Weeks; Willard; and Fairmount; Foote; and McKinley avenues.

In 2015, city officials have allocated $100,000 from CDBG money for the neighborhood target area demolition program to demolish substandard houses that threaten public health and safety in designated low-to-moderate income neighborhoods.