WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY — Efforts are underway to fight blight in the City of Wilkes-Barre. Another problem property is set to be demolished.
A fight against blight is underway here in the city of Wilkes-Barre one problem property at a time.
A yellow sign is posted on the decrepit doors of 493 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Contingent on the city council’s approval, the abandoned home will be torn down.
“It makes me feel better, a lot better. I want to see my community look nice, like nice out here. because it’s looking real bad,” said Raynelle Conover a neighbor.
Neighbors say the property is also a safety concern for the young kids who live on the block.
“We want to live comfortable. Like we want to have our kids out here playing freely, not picking up needles and stuff like that off the ground. It’s real trashy, a lot of animals running around tearing up trash and stuff like that, or people just riding past, throwing their trash on the ground,” explained Conover.
Addressing problem properties is part of mayor george brown’s blight remediation plan.
“Before we tear a house down, we make sure that we send an engineer out, a structural engineer, to tell us, can this house be remodeled and brought back to life, or is it a danger to the residents,” added Mayor George Brown.
Over the last four years, Brown spent more than $400,000 demolishing a total of 24 units in the city.
“The idea here is to clean up the neighborhoods but mainly remove eye sores that are a danger to the neighborhoods,” continued Mayor Brown.
The Wilkes-Barre City Council is expected to approve the project during Thursday’s “regular session.”
