The City of Knox has successfully taken down eight dilapidated houses through a state blight elimination grant program. Mayor Dennis Estok told the city council Tuesday night two more are slated for demolition next week and should be down by the end of the year. Continue reading
Efforts to demolish uninhabitable houses in Knox are picking up speed. Mayor Dennis Estok told the city council Tuesday two of the four homes purchased by the city as part of a blight elimination grant have been torn down. Continue reading
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers is attempting to clear misinformation that residents have received concerning the homes that are part of the Blight Elimination Program Grant.
If a property owner is not interested in being a part of this program, that person can opt out of consideration. The city is not forcing anyone to sell or vacate a property, according to Mayor Chambers.
He explained that five homes were added to a list of proposed homes for demolition, but those have since been removed from the list.
The Knox City Council met this week and heard from Viola Woods, the attorney for the new owner of 304 S. Main St. in Knox, more commonly known as Marsh Manor.
Woods had asked the council what needs to be done in order for her client to improve the property enough to bring it back up to liveable standards, as it had previously been condemned following a fire that destroyed a portion of the house.
Knox City Attorney David Matsey told the city council this week that Marsh Manor, located at 304 S. Main St., was recently sold in the county’s online tax sale.
Matsey says the woman who purchased the property was unaware that the building had previously caught fire, and he says she paid about $15,000 in a bidding war on the property. The back-taxes on the property are currently around $18,000.
Knox City Attorney David Matsey says the city may soon be purchasing two properties. The properties belong to Don Nordstrom, and the city is currently waiting on a proposal from the owner regarding the purchase price.
Matsey identified the properties as 304 S. Main St., formerly known as Marsh Manor, and the vacant laundromat located across the street from the Knox Community Center.
Knox City Board of Works members heard this week that the storm water drain project is officially completed. The $837,095 project provided several drains in flood prone areas of the city, mostly around Portland, Washington, and John Streets.
$25,000 was left over after the project was completed and now the city is now researching if the funds can be used for other projects.
The process of getting the old Marsh Manor on Main Street in Knox demolished is moving along. City Attorney David Matsey told the city council members recently whats next in the demolition process.
“We’re getting ready for the bidding process for the demolition of Marsh Manor. We’re putting together the bid specs.” Matsey said.
The home, that was turned into an apartment building, was built in a bygone time when asbestos was used for many things including insulation. Mayor Rick Chambers said that he has been in touch with a company that can come in and remove the asbestos before the demolition begins.
Asbestos was used primarily in 19th century buildings because it was resistant to fire, heat, and chemicals, but in the early 20th century it was noticed that workers in asbestos plants were getting sick– some even dying. Lung diseases, including cancer, have been attributed to asbestos inhalation.
After the removal of the asbestos the wrecking ball can be brought in to take the building down.
The fate of Marsh Manor on Main Street in Knox will be decided on May 25th. According to Planning Commissioner Greg Matt, the building has been boarded up after the last of the renters were evicted. According to some, the building had been home to several “squatters” too before it was finally emptied.
Once a home to Dr. Kelly, a prominent dentist in the community, the home had been turned into an apartment building. It had fallen on hard times during the past few years, with a fire the final blow to its viability as a rooming house.
