More to removing abandoned buildings than demolition | Local News | newspressnow.com – News-Press Now

St. Joseph is an old, historic city that has the houses and buildings to show for it. But when those spaces are left vacant, the citys architectural jewels can turn into eyesores.

Abandoned buildings are something that have steadily developed over the years that can ultimately lead to neglect of the property. Abandoned buildings can increase when a citys population remains the same over the years while new structures have been built despite the lack of growth in population size.

At this point in time, St. Joseph actually has more structures than they have the demand for housing in our community, said Clint Thompson, director of planning and community development. That lack of demand based on the current population can cause a higher vacancy rate.

Part of the citys mission is to attempt to improve vacant structures either through preservation methods or by salvaging the property. If the building has become beyond repair or becomes too dangerous to be inhabited, demolition may be the result.

However, the goal isnt immediately demolition but rather for preservation of these properties. Demolition is not always the answer to help the community look more presentable as it can create different forms of blight.

Sometimes people can mistakenly think of demolition as a way to cure blight, said Isobel McGowan, president of the Historic St. Joseph Foundation. So, to me, demolition does not cure blight, it creates a new blight, a different blight, a vacancy blight.

The citys hope is to work with owners in maintaining their properties to prevent them from becoming dangerous and needing to be permanently removed.

It becomes about How can we work with property owners to ensure that they are maintaining and working to keep their properties up to the minimum property maintenance code so that the city doesnt have to take action, Thompson said.

To reduce the need for demolition, the city created a new program, the vacant residential plan, that aims to identify properties ahead of the building being listed as dangerous or in need of demolition. This program so far has identified about 250 abandoned buildings around St. Joseph that officials are trying to reestablish.

Kim Schutte, local historian and preservationist, said many of these buildings that have become abandoned have a rich history that make up St. Josephs identity and character. Preserving these buildings not only draws people to visit, but it is important in sustaining the future of the city, she said.

They come because we have these amazing buildings, because we have this amazing history. It is integral to our identity, Schutte said. So preserving that is absolutely key to our future and our future prosperity.

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More to removing abandoned buildings than demolition | Local News | newspressnow.com - News-Press Now