By CARL E. FEATHER - cfeather@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon
JEFFERSON —
Ashtabula County commissioners Peggy Carlo and Daniel Claypool on Tuesday signed the contract that will allow demolition of two of Conneaut’s most unsightly commercial buildings.
ProQuality Land Development of Campbell will demolish 448 and 462 State St., the latter known as the Harris Building. The total contract value is $131,000. The two commissioners approved the contract, which will tap the county’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant money to get the work done. Board President Joseph Moroski was absent on other county business and did not attend Tuesday’s agenda meeting.
Janice Switzer, program director for the county’s Department of Community Services, said the next step is to hold a meeting with the contractor and other affected parties to work out the details. The contract specifies a completion date of Oct. 31, but Switzer said that date may have to be extended.
The contract requires ProQuality to demolish the vacant structures, dispose of the debris and restore the lot. Switzer said the land, roughly one-quarter of an acre, will be seeded. Liens will be placed on the real estate. 448 State is owned by Fairwinds Inc., and 462 State is owned by James R. Van Putten and Brian Schulz, according to the Ashtabula County Auditor’s Web site.
As demolition nears, interest in the buildings is heating up, Switzer said.
“We’re getting calls from people who have different interests in the building, who want something,” Switzer said. For example, FirstEnergy wants access to remove all its meters and equipment. The Conneaut Lake Area Historical Society has requested ProQuality attempt to save the section of the building with “Harrington Block” on it.
Switzer said there is some asbestos that will have to be abated and a population of rats and other rodents that will need to be addressed so the critters don’t relocate other buildings when their abode comes tumbling down.
Commissioners also on Tuesday approved a contract with Janson Trucking and Demolition of Rock Creek to demolish residential properties under the NSP. A list of roughly two dozen homes in Conneaut, Geneva city and Township, and Saybrook and Ashtabula townships will be covered by Janson’s bid. Switzer said the list is dynamic and there is still a lot of work to be done before demolition plans can be finalized.
“We still have issues with a lot of the houses: asbestos testing, abatement. Some are still pending notification of lien-holders,” Switzer said. There also have been cases in which the targeted properties were sold to a responsible buyer or owners agreed to fix up the houses once they learned they were to be demolished.
The county has nearly three years during which to spend its NSP grant money. Switzer said the first Conneaut house to come down under the program was demolished Monday. The house was on Adams Street.
