Several blighted properties demolished, slated for demolition in area towns

1/7/2018

By Kaylee Lindenmuth

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTOS - (LEFT) 401-403 West Oak Street in Shenandoah on July 17, 2017. (RIGHT) 401-403 West Oak Street in Shenandoah on January 7, 2018.

SHENANDOAH - The battle against blight continues in our region, as long-abandoned properties in the region are slowly being demolished, thanks to a county program.

One year ago, a $1.4 million grant was awarded to Schuylkill County to fund demolition projects in the area.

The grant funds the Schuylkill County Demolition Program, which funds the demolition of blighted properties acquired by municipalities and submitted to the program.

In Shenandoah, two properties on a list submitted by the borough in July have been completely demolished, and county commissioners have already green-lit ten other projects in the borough.

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTO - Properties at Race and Coal Streets in the borough's Glover's Hill section stand on January 7, 2018

In October, County Commissioner's approved the demolition of 520 West Mount Vernon Street, 401-403 West Oak Street, and combined properties at West Coal and North Race Streets, with all projects undertaken by Kass's Contracting at a combined cost of $46,400.

By December, the properties at West Mount Vernon and West Oak Streets were mere empty lots, while the Race Street properties, the subject of a four-year legal battle, remained standing.

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTOS - (LEFT) Fire damaged properties at 9-11 North Main Street sit abandoned in downtown Shenandoah next to BB&T Bank on January 7, 2018. (RIGHT) A Sentinel File Photo from the fire which damaged 9-11 North Main Street in the early morning hours of February 14, 2016.

At the November 15 meeting of the Schuylkill County Commissioners, another round of Shenandoah properties were approved for demolition, including a downtown property damaged by fire, and an east-end property which caught fire in 2014 and 2016.

At the meeting, Kass's Contracting was awarded the contract to demolish the following properties at a combined cost of $250,090:

300 West Penn Street
9-11 North Main Street
17 North Union Street
23 North West Street
319 West Cherry Street
129 East Lloyd Street
39 West Coal Street
233-235 West Oak Street

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTOS - (LEFT) An excavator sits outside a fire-damaged abandoned property at Union and Centre Streets on January 7, 2018. (RIGHT) A Sentinel File Photo shows fire crews battling the second fire to damage the properties, occurring on June 22, 2016.

Since early December, an excavator has sat to a property damaged twice by fire at North Union and East Centre Streets.

As of the writing of this article, all properties approved for demolition in November, as well as the Race Street property, still stand, awaiting demolition.

Four properties in Mahanoy City were also approved for demolition in November through the county program as well.

AMC Enterprises of Frackville received the contract to demolish two Mahanoy properties, located at 600-602 West Railroad Street, and 612 West South Street, at a combined cost of $24,278. Kass's Contracting was awarded the contract for demolition of properties at 1115-1119 East Pine Street and 412 West Mahanoy Street at the combined cost of $46,950.