Thursday's Internet Edition, September 02, 2010.

At least seven structures, including this duplex on High Street, are slated for demolition this summer as part of an ongoing neighborhood beautification project in Spencer. Photo by Jim Cooper

The work continues an effort that has seen about a dozen buildings torn down in the past decade.

“When you go around your neighborhoods, they stick out pretty badly,” mayor Terry Williams said. “It’s really going to take care of most of what we consider to be slum or urban blight conditions.”

Williams said the vacant structures tabbed for demolition include one on Chapman Avenue, one on Center Street, two on West Main Street, two on Spring Street and a duplex on High Street.

D&D Enterprises will do the work during August in conjunction with the city, which will provide some assistance with labor and equipment. The price is still being negotiated with D&D owner Bob Drennen, the mayor said, but is projected to be somewhere in the $30,000 range.

“We haven’t locked in a fee, but we’re close,” Williams said. “There is some asbestos siding, and (the price) will be based on testing.”

The Chapman Avenue and Center Street properties are being taken down with the cooperation of the owners. The city has purchased the other five lots at a cost of approximately $12,500.

“It’s an expensive process, but one that has to happen,” Williams said.

According to the mayor, having the city buy the properties is less expensive than paying attorney’s fees and other costs associated with condemnation proceedings. He said the goal is to get the lots cleaned up, back into private ownership and onto the tax books. Many properties that have been cleared in the past have been sold to adjacent landowners.

“We hope to recoup as much as we can,” Williams said. “This is much more gain than loss to get rid of the slums and blight in the community. It’s something cities have to do. As a community changes, things have to be done.”

Some of the structures that are about to be demolished were occupied before the city became the owner. Williams said as far as the city was concerned, they all were “uninhabitable.”

Along with the seven buildings chosen for the current project, two more could be added. Williams said city attorney Tom Whittier was still negotiating with the owners of a fire-damaged house on Circle Avenue and a former gas station at the corner of Market and Beauty streets.

“That’s it for the most part,” Williams said. “We’ve looked at a couple of others, but we haven’t been able to negotiate a fee.”