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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE BUILDING OFFICIAL TO ABATE NUISANCES BY REMOVAL OF TWO STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF DULUTH AT A TOTAL COST NOT TO EXCEED $102,000.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that the council finds as follows:
(a) That the building official for the city of Duluth has inspected the below referenced buildings and has determined that said buildings are in damaged, dilapidated or dangerous condition and that, in his good faith, reasonable opinion, the cost of repairing and restoring said buildings is more than 60% of their current fair market value as shown on the records of the county assessor; and
(b) That pursuant to Section 10-3 (a) and (b) of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended (the “Code”), the building official has duly issued condemnation orders for said structures located on the parcels of land described below in the city of Duluth, copies of which orders as they pertain to each such property are attached hereto:
1. 111 Park Avenue, Tax Parcel Number 010-1130-00210
2. 116 Fir Avenue, Tax Parcel Number 010-1130-00210
(c) The City of Duluth authorized purchase of the property from the previous property owner for $5,000, through Council Resolution 24-0378R, approved on May 28, 2024, and,
(d) That the total cost for demolition of the two structures is estimated not to exceed $100,000, and the cost of a property survey is estimated not to exceed $2,000.
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, the building official is directed to proceed with the work ordered or to contract to have the work done.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution identifies two severely damaged or dilapidated buildings that have been condemned for demolition and authorizes city staff to take appropriate action for removal.
This will be the third time that the city will be seeking to issue a request for proposals to demolish and remove the two condemned structures at Park and Fir. Previous contractor responses to earlier request for proposals came in at 30% to 40% over the amount that that was approved for the nuisance abatement project.
The City purchased the property from the previous property owner, and in the future this property may be used as part of an economic development or housing project, or community garden or other similar public benefit project.
In addition to wrecking and removing the buildings the City will require that all exterior and interior foundation walls, columns, piers, footings, beams, floor slabs and other projections down to a minimum of 2 feet below the final grade elevation. All building service piping, heating equipment and systems, other fixtures, furniture, partitions, steps, rubbish or other debris shall be removed from the premises, as well as combustible debris. Concrete and wooden stairs and walks will be removed and those areas graded. However, the concrete stairway located to the east of the parcel, in the Park Avenue Right of Way, will remain.
The estimated total cost for demolition of these structures, and a property or boundary survey, is estimated to not cost more than $102,000. Demolition costs will be funded by 2021 and 2023 Blight Removal Community Development Block Grant Funds (Public Facilities Improvement Projects: Acquisition/Demolition Project). The 2021 fund balance is approximately $8,000 and the 2023 fund balance is approximately $190,000.