City seeks demolition grant

Doug Stewart, operating a track hoe, above, Saturday morning, complete the removal of a McCook house destroyed by a fire 41⁄2 years ago. The single-story frame house, located at 810 W. Fourth and owned by Christopher Boley, was declared uninhabitable and a health and safety problem by the City of McCook's Health Board in September 2008. The city hired Stewart Construction of Indianola to demolish the house after a contractor licensed for asbestos removal took out kitchen flooring and siding. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette)

Three residential properties, two commercial buildings and a vacant school would be torn down if the city is awarded the full amount requested in a demolition grant.

After the public hearing Monday night at the regular McCook City Council meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution that authorized Mayor Dennis Berry to sign all grant-related documents for a Community Development Block Grant, distributed by the Department of Economic Development through the Neighborhood Stabilization program.

The program is being funded by economic stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Buildings submitted for demolition include the Romanoff Building at 204 Norris Avenue; a commercial brick building at 102 W. Third, believed to be formerly used for ice storage and requested to be submitted by the owner; the former West Ward school building on the 300 block of West Fourth and West Fifth, now owned by the city; and residential properties at 301 E. Second, 208 W. Seventh and 1303 East B.

About $19.6 million from stimulus funds will be awarded to the state through the Neighborhood Stabilization program, said Chris Miller of Miller and Associates, the firm the council chose to use in applying for the grant. About $2.5 million of that will go to projects in counties that are rated a four, Miller said, which includes McCook in Red Willow County along with projects from the counties of Saunders, Dakota and Scotts Bluff.

Another town in Red Willow County, Indianola, also is putting in an application for demolition grant funds.

The city, along with the McCook Economic Development Corp., is requesting a total of $629,720 for demolition. Of that amount, $605,500 will be used for demolition and $24,220 for general administration activity.

According to the grant application provided to the council by Miller, estimated demolition costs for the projects, including asbestos removal, are $233,500 for the Romanoff building; $162,00o for West Ward; $70,000 for 102 W. Third; $60,000 for 301 E. Second and $40,000 each for 206 W. Seventh and 1303 East B.

These estimates do not include administration costs.

Miller told the council that if McCook is selected, a city representative and a representative of Miller and Associates will meet with officials for an interview process. Funds would not be released until the end of October.

In response to a question by Councilman Aaron Kircher, Miller said the grant application is completed and requirements have been met, such as the public hearing. Applications are due by Wednesday, he added.

City Manager Kurt Fritsch noted that Community Development Block grants are an exceptional program and that an opportunity such as this one "does not come around very often."