Officials plan to demolish five of the buildings because of their derelict conditions. They hope to find a developer to renovate the sixth, a historic 2 1/2-story home on South Jackson Street.
“It’s going to cost a bit, but it’s a very cool house, and it’s in good shape,” said Scott Tyler, the city’s director of health, housing and building. “We want to see somebody fix it up.”
St. Clair County foreclosed on the six buildings after their owners failed to pay property taxes for three years or more, parcel records show. The buildings would have been offered for sale in a county tax auction if the city hadn’t decided to buy them.
City officials already had filed documents in St. Clair County Circuit Court, asking for permission to demolish the five derelict buildings, but a judge hadn’t yet decided the cases.
“(The purchases) will keep us from having to spend money in court,” said City Clerk Jenny Meyer. “We can just buy them and tear them down.”
The city will pay $786, the minimum auction bid plus fees, for each of the six buildings for a total cost of $4,716.
The five derelict buildings will become part of a package of 13 to 15 buildings the city plans to demolish later this year, according to Tyler. He expects that to cost between $175,000 and $225,000.
Officials originally had planned to buy a seventh building, a derelict home at 514 Freeburg Ave., from the county. But it was removed from their list shortly before aldermen voted.
“The house actually sits on two parcels, and the other parcel is not up for sale,” Meyer said. “So it doesn’t make sense to buy half a house.”
The city of Belleville is buying a 2 1/2-story home at 400 S. Jackson St. that sat vacant for years before St. Clair County foreclosed on it. Officials hope to find a developer to renovate it. Joshua Carter/jcarter@bnd.com
The five buildings headed for demolition include homes at 113 S. 18th St., 121 S. 17th St., 12 E. D St. and 611 E. McKinley St. and the former church at 807 Scheel St., near the Belleville MetroLink station.
Tyler said most of the buildings were abandoned by owners years ago and occupied by squatters who filled them with trash, stole fixtures, started fires and otherwise contributed to their deterioration.
Tyler gave the example of a small shotgun-style home with red asphalt siding on 18th Street. It was built in 1910, county parcel records show.
“It’s in horrible, horrible shape,” he said. “People have broken into it, and they’ve destroyed a lot of it. The neighbors are jumping up and down now that we’re finally going to do something about it.”
Tyler said the derelict two-story brick home on East D Street was occupied until recently by a mother in a wheelchair and her two sons. The landlord had disappeared and stopped coming to collect rent. That home was built in 1911, county parcel records show.
“We tried to help (the family) find a new place, but they refused it,” Tyler said. “They didn’t want to leave because they were living there for free.”
Eventually, the mother went into a nursing home.
The home not slated for demolition is at 400 South Jackson St. Tyler and Meyer determined it was in much better condition than the other buildings, despite the fact it had been vacant for years.
Officials had posted signs declaring it unfit for human occupancy, but that was due to lack of water or electricity.
“It’s never been condemned that I know of,” Tyler said.
The 2 1/2-story frame home was built in 1900, according to county parcel records. It still has original woodwork, massive oak pocket doors, antique light fixtures and other historic features.
Officials plan to post a “request for qualifications” on the city’s website, asking local developers to present plans for fixing up the home. In the past, the City Council has sold some buildings for $1 as part of development agreements to facilitate renovations.
“It’s definitely a home that’s worth saving for that neighborhood,” Meyer said.
the city should be giving away the buildings they want to save instead of demoing it...I would take two off their hands to begin with
Carl Schmiedeke
8d ago
I don't know what they are talking about, that home at 400 S. Jackson was torn down years ago, now there's just a large empty lot now, it used to have a beautiful large tall wrought iron decorative fence all around the property, there was a big heavy set mentally ill guy living there with someone, when I was a kid, that place scared the shit out of me, it looked haunted, but it's gone now, just an empty lot, sounds like corruption to me
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