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HOUSES SLATED FOR DEMOLITION
407 Ohio St.
328 W. Funderburg Road
1432 Salem Ave.
1754 Lowell Drive
223 Marchmont Drive
1646 Wilbur Ave.
The city of Fairborn is in the process of demolishing six vacant residential houses in its continuing effort to remove structurally unsound buildings and stabilize neighborhoods.
The estimated cost to demolish the six homes is $60,000, with the work expected to begin in late October or early November and be completed around the first of the year.
Demolition bids are due Oct. 1, and Fairborn City Council could vote on a contract as early as the Oct. 5 meeting, according to Mike Gebhart, the city’s community development director.
The project will be paid for out of the general fund. The cost to demolish each house will be $9,000 to $11,000.
The property owners will be billed for the work or the cost will be assessed, Gebhart said.
“These are blighted structures that are a detriment to the health, safety and welfare of the community,” he said. “When you remove those buildings, it helps stabilize the neighborhood’s property values and improves the quality of life.”
Once completed, it would raise the total number of homes demolished in the city to nearly 30, going back to 2013. Included in that number are three lots that have been redeveloped by Habitat for Humanity: 201 Redbank Drive; 519 Flintridge Drive; and 180 Diana Lane North.
While the home on Diana Lane North is now occupied, the houses on Flintridge (Oct. 9) and Redbank (Oct. 16) will be dedicated next month and sold to the incoming residents, said Diane Graham, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton.
“We love to see development because nobody wants to see an empty lot next to them that used to have a house,” Graham said. “Fairborn’s a great community. Our architectural style fits great. We haven’t had any difficulty getting people interested in Fairborn.”
Fairborn received a $150,000 Moving Ohio Forward grant in 2013 to fund the demolition of the 20-plus homes in 2013 and the first half of 2014.
The demolition and clearing of lots allows builders to start from the ground up when redeveloping properties, Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick said.
“It’s a lot easier to envision something on an empty lot than looking at a house with broken windows or siding coming down,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
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