Saint John will continue 'aggressive' demolition of vacant buildings
Saint John plans to continue an "aggressive" program targeting owners of vacant and dilapidated buildings and that could mean as many as 30 unsightly structures could be razed in 2019.
The city demolished 27 buildings in 2018 as part of the Dangerous and Vacant Building program while property owners voluntarily removed another six.
A $25,000 top-up to the program's 2019 budget could ensure 30 more buildings are brought down this year.
Near the top of the list, according to Saint John Mayor Don Darling, is a long-vacant former motel building on Rothesay Avenue.
"If I say, 'East side and dilapidated building,' I think of the Fundy Line Motel," said Darling.
"I've received a significant amount of phone calls and requests for action and that one is moving quickly up the list."
The large former motel building sits on a 1.3-hectare (3.2 acres) site and is assessed at $388,100. The property is registered to Fundy Line Motels Ltd. of Shediac.
Popular program with politicians
The program is a popular one with the public and with councillors who agreed unanimously Tuesday night to extend the top-up.
"It's attracting people to those neighbourhoods again," said Coun. John MacKenzie.
"It's transforming the whole southern peninsula and north end."
Coun. Donna Reardon said there are ongoing concerns with these buildings.
"We're always concerned about vacant and dilapidated buildings catching fire," Reardon said.
"We're worried about people entering them and, you know, sometimes squatting in them."
Much of the city's effort was focussed on the city's old north end last year.
Ten vacant buildings there were demolished, two were repaired and reoccupied.
The target is to resolve 80 files in 2019, for the most part by encouraging owners to repair and reoccupy the buildings, according to Jacqueline Hamilton, the city's commissioner of growth and community development.
But the report to council forecasts 30 of those files will result in "total building demolitions."
