City starting demolition study for run-down properties

By Chris Fortune

Vacant and unused buildings in St. Joseph could meet the wrecking ball as the city looks toward redevelopment.

Last fall, the city council approved up to $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to use toward the demolition of dilapidated properties. Later in the fall, the city realized the Department of Treasury required the funds to be under contract for the services before December 2024.

As a result, city staff are identifying firms to conduct an infill housing study.

“A primary objective was to get a head start of sorts on some of the dilapidated properties that we have in town,” City Manager Bryan Carter said. “But a secondary objective was to also do it in such a way that certain areas of town could be primed for redevelopment.”

The study will allow the city to use the funds more efficiently. If a certain block contained several deteriorating buildings, the city could choose to demolish them, and a significant portion of the block could be redeveloped.

One condemned building has been a nuisance for IBEW Local Union 545. Office Manager Kim Knipp welcomes the demolition of the building at 408 S. Eighth St., which has sat vacant for over a decade and a half. The building is not part of the infill housing study, but it is set to be demolished soon.

“We heard that the fire department was buying that and putting in a parking lot, which we would love that,” she said. “That’s an eyesore that we really don’t like.”

The city has not honed in on specific areas for demolition since the process recently started.

“We can do the request for qualifications and decide that the results are not worth the investment,” Carter said. “And in which case, we’ll pike out of it.”

Carter said the city wants to demolish structures that are not being used, but also in areas where people want to live.

“Along the (St. Joseph Parkway), you have a number of neighborhoods that are older but that are still in great shape,” he said. “If there’s an area adjacent to that, you might have an area that’s primed for redevelopment if it has dilapidated structures.”

Once the city receives responses from the firms that could conduct the infill housing study, it will have a better idea of timelines for demolition. All ARPA funds must be spent by December 2026.

“It’s important to realize with the infill housing study, it is not solely for the purpose of the limited demolition ARPA funds,” Carter said. “It would prepare us to modify our demolition program in the future, including use of our regularly budgeted demolition funds.”