Grant to Land Bank provides funding to raze Chautauqua County houses

MAYVILLE Assistance is now available to Chautauqua County municipalities for housing demolition, thanks to a $1.3 million state grant to the Chautauqua County Land Bank.

Through an agreement with the Land Bank, municipalities will be granted as much as 75 percent of the cost of demolition up to $12,500 per structure. The houses must be owned by either the municipality, the county or the Land Bank, with a 25 percent match from the municipalities in the form of landfill tipping fee credits, in-kind work from the municipality or a cash contribution.

Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan said there will be funding for about 20 homes outside of the two cities. Horrigan said that the Jamestown will target 40 homes for demolition over the next two years.

The cities of Jamestown and Dunkirk recently entered into partnerships with the Land Bank to support local demolition strategies and several rural municipalities are in the process of signing similar agreements.

Dunkirk Mayor A.J. Dolce said he is excited about how the funding will help revitalize neighborhoods. He said four houses have been targeted this year and he plans to raze 20 properties by the end of next year.

Dolce said the city will use tipping fee credits and money from the Community Development Block Grant Program to pay the citys portion of the costs. He said that the homes on the list for demolition are in neighborhoods that the federal government has designated as part of the citys long-term revitalization plan.

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Grant to Land Bank provides funding to raze Chautauqua County houses