City of Spartanburg targets 9 houses for demolition

Condemned

The city of Spartanburg will demolish nine homes including two located at 148 and 156 Washington St. The homes will be demolished as part of a renewed city effort to rid communities of blight, said City Community Services Director Mitch Kennedy.

The city of Spartanburg has targeted nine houses for demolition in an effort to rid communities of blight.

City Council recently allocated $100,000 to the city's code enforcement budget to target houses that have long been condemned, said City Community Services Director Mitch Kennedy.

Houses scheduled for demolition between now and June 30 include 312 and 335 Brown Ave., 1 Buckthorne Road, 499 and 505 Greenleaf St., 336 and 338 Ridgewood Ave., and 148 and 156 Washington St.

The properties are included on the city's list of condemned properties; some have been on the list since 2004. In the past, the city hasn't had adequate funds for demolition, but Kennedy said the recent council allocation combined with an additional $141,000 for the next fiscal year, will help reduce neighborhood blight, Kennedy said.

After a house is demolished, the owner will still own the land, but the city will place a lien on the property's taxes to help recoup demolition costs.

The properties we're talking about are in bad condition from a code enforcement standpoint, Kennedy said. These properties have gone through our process, which is very lengthy, and the city is able to move forward with demolition through the international property codes that gives cities the authority to do so.

Most of the properties on the list are boarded up or were heavily damaged by fire.

Mayor Junie White said the city has limited funds to address the problem, but council will commit funds every year until the boarded-up houses are demolished.

Continued here:
City of Spartanburg targets 9 houses for demolition