Columbus plans to tear down three homes in the city by the end of the month through its blight-elimination program.
The three homes targeted for demolition are at 925 9th St., 1461 California St. and 705 Werner St. The Columbus Board of Works on Tuesday approved a bid from Wooldridge Construction Group, based in Sellersburg, for $30,252 to tear down the homes.
The city plans to use grant funding from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to pay for the demolition, said Robin Hilber, the city’s community development programs coordinator. The city had received $750,000 in grant funding in 2015, but that funding was cut in half after it didn’t spend all of the money by 2016, Hilber said.
The three homes slated to be torn down are the last of 12 homes that will be paid for with the grant, Hilber said. The properties, which have been subject to break-ins, will be razed by Nov. 30, she said.
“It’s eliminating a blighted property from the neighborhood,” Hilber said. “Our hope is to put affordable housing back on the property to build those neighborhoods back up.”
