Some of the city’s blighted houses may be demolished in the near
future with help from Community Development Block Grant funds.

At a public hearing prior to Tuesday’s Bradford City Council
meeting, Sara Andrews, executive director of the Office of Economic
and Community Development, said there would be approximately
$40,000 allocated to demolish blighted properties.

However, there could be more funding available if council
chooses. She said there are approximately 30 to 40 properties that
need to be demolished and that may demand more funding.

Andrews said she spoke with Mayor Tom Riel to address the
demolition situation and the possibility of borrowing block grant
money to do more demolitions.

Riel said the city will need more than $40,000 for demolition
this year, as it could cost more than $50,000 to demolish just one
building.

In response, Andrews said the city could demolish five or six
smaller structures with the proposed funding.

If it borrowed money, the city would have to pay interest on the
loan, which at the moment would be 2.25 percent, she said.

Tuesday’s meeting was the first of two meetings, with the second
scheduled for early April. Since it’s still early in the process,
city council could decide to change the funding amounts.

Andrews said there is expected to be $375,000 in total funding,
and there is no indication that the amount of money will change
from last year. In fact, she predicted a $45,000 increase.

However, the OECD received $93,960 in federal stimulus funding
last year for a total of $443,960.

All of Tuesday’s proposals were in accordance with the
three-year plan for Bradford, she said. Within that plan, Andrews
listed endeavors and operations, including housing rehabilitation,
code enforcement, Elm Street Revitalization, Callahan Park
improvements and gateway improvements. At least 70 percent of the
proposal activities will benefit low and moderate-income
persons.

Money would be allocated to get the Kennedy Street Bridge
replacement under way. State and federal funding will make up 95
percent of the project’s cost and the city must pay the remainder,
which is projected to cost $40,000. Andrews said construction will
begin in June or July.

Also, Andrews proposed $75,000 to fund the Elm Street
Neighborhood Streetscape project. As part of the Safe Routes to
School funding, the project would include infrastructure
improvements on State Street between North Center and Pearl Street.
Also, Andrews proposed another $30,000 to go to housing
rehabilitation programs.

Some projects, such as sidewalk improvement programs may be
skipped for a year in order to free up more grant money, she
said.

Meanwhile, about $50,000 would go to pay the salaries and fringe
benefits of code enforcement, Andrews said.

Andrews reminded those in attendance of the importance of
filling out the Census. She said many of the grants and funding
programs the OECD receives are due, in part, to statistics from the
Census.

She said it costs a resident 44 cents for a stamp to mail back
the Census. But if a Census worker has to come to a house, it costs
taxpayers more than $50.