Jan. 14—princeton — Once a new batch of demolitions is finished, the number of dilapidated and decaying structures removed from Mercer County’s landscape will be approaching 300, the county’s dilapidated structures officer said Monday.
Demolitions were underway Monday along Monroe Street just outside of Princeton. The structures there were the last of a batch with 62 in it, said Lori Mills, dilapidated structures officer. The 57th structure in that batch was being torn down Jan. 10. Weather and road conditions had improved when more work got underway.
“The weather did slow us down for about two days when it just wasn’t safe to have trucks out on the road hauling debris,” Mills said.
In January 2024, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection awarded Mercer County a $750,000 demolitions grant. County residents along with residents in the towns of Athens, Bramwell and Oakvale can apply for demolition grants. The county had already finished spending a $1.5 million grant the state awarded the county in 2023.
Mills calculated how much of the current $750,000 remained.
“Right now we’re at $467,000,” she said. “And I’m getting ready to start on a new batch that has a little over 40 structures in it. By the time we get 40 done we will be approaching a total of 300 structures.”
The batch being completed around Monroe Street, located near the Pepsi plant, is significant because it was an area where six to seven decaying structures needed to be torn down. About a dozen other structures need repairs or cleaning.
People who cannot afford to have their dilapidated structures torn down can still apply for demolition grants. Mills said she’s encouraging potential applicants not to procrastinate because the demolition program is currently one of the biggest in the state. There is no guarantee that Mercer County will get another grant after all of the $750,000 awarded last year has been spent.
“It’s really important for folks to apply,” Mills said.
Mills said applications are available on the door of her office in the Memorial Building located at 1500 West Main Street in Princeton near the Mercer County Courthouse. Residents can also contact Mills at lori.mills@mercercountywv.org and ask her to email them an application.
Under the $750,000 state grant, a three-year lien is placed on homes and buildings, but this lien is forgiven after three years, Mills said. The DEP also requires partial fee for mobile home demolitions.
This flat-rate fee is $500 for a single-wide mobile home and $1,000 for a double-wide structure. Tearing down a single-wide mobile home and having the debris taken away normally cost around $1,500.
Contact Greg Jordan at
gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com