Allegheny County is awarding local municipalities about $2.7 million to demolish blighted properties. The money will go to tear down 138 structures countywide.
“Some of the buildings have been left uninhabited, or in some cases they've actually caved in,” said Bob Macey, who represents District 9 on Allegheny County Council. “We have one building in Glassport where there's actually a tree growing up in the middle of the building.”
Funding for 95 of the demolitions awarded comes from the county’s blight removal program, which is composed of fees charged for deed and mortgage records. The fund was made possible by the 2016 passage of Act 152 in the state legislature, allowing counties to collect a fee for each deed and mortgage recorded and deposit them into a pool exclusively for the demolition of blighted properties.
Macey said the county raised more than $1 million for demolitions in the first several months after it began charging fees. It also leveraged Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) funds to grant demolitions at an additional 43 sites this application cycle.
The blight removal program targets unsound structures, which Macey said can help make way for future development. Properties slated for demolition include six in Stowe Township and 11 in the city of McKeesport.
“These communities of modest means, although they have a desire and a need to demolish these facilities, don't have the funding,” said Macey, whose district includes McKeesport.
Macey said the blight removal program intends to help municipalities take more aggressive measures to remove blight and attract new families and businesses.
