In 2021 McKean County launched the Act 152 Blight Demolition Program which provides grants to demolish blighted structures using fees collected by the Recorder of Deeds Office when deeds and mortgages are recorded.
To date, the program has demolished a total of 30 buildings. The total cost of these projects was $304,366.12, including $218,176 in Act 152 grant funding, and $86,190.12 in local match provided by the property owner or local municipality.
The program saw continued success in 2024 and has provided much needed funding to aid in the removal of blighted properties throughout McKean County. There were a total of seven buildings demolished this past year, including three projects in the City of Bradford and one each in Eldred Township, Hamlin Township, Kane Borough, Lewis Run Borough, Mount Jewett Borough and Wetmore Township.
The first round of 2025 Act 152 Blight Grant applications are currently being accepted and are due by 4 p.m. March 31. These grants will be reviewed in early April with a goal of awarding grants in late April. Grant guidelines and applications for both the municipal and private landowner programs are available at mckeancountypa.gov or by contacting:
Rick Fry, planning director, at (814) 887-2754 or rfry@mckeancountypa.gov or Ann Robinson, economic development liaison, at (814) 887-3107 or arrobinson@mckeancountypa.gov.
