Huntingburg properties being cleaned up

Huntingburg completed repairs on an eyesore and dangerous sidewalk along Jackson St. near Maple Park School. The remains of a home destroyed in a storm and the failing retaining wall there have been problematic for a while.

The bank that owns the property has been unresponsive in repairing and cleaning the site. The city took quotes on cleaning the bank-owned property and repairing the wall from local contractors. They decided to allow the Huntingburg Street Department to fix it while they completed the sidewalk repairs. This saved the city about $2000 and the Street Department will be paid from the Unsafe Building Fund for the work they completed.

“They actually tore out the old sidewalk and widened it to about 5 feet,” Mayor Denny Spinner said. “That whole corridor looks so much better. With the traffic the school offices bring, it was a really good project.”

In addition to this project the city is working to have several buildings demolished. The 1019 North Main Tattoo Parlor should be down by the end of August. The owner, Curtis Palmer, was given until August to tear the building down but he appealed to the Board of Public Works last week to be allowed until the end of the August to complete the tear down.

He told the Board he was in contact with Craftsman Construction to demo the building and level the lot but had not been able to finalize the contract. The Board gave him until Friday, August 10 to present the city with a contract or he could face fines up to $5000. Palmer  made the deadline and should have the house done by the end of August. If it isn’t completed by then the city will address it at the first September Council meeting.

The City is also moving forward on demolishing another unsafe building. Rex Gress and Sons, Inc. was awarded the contract to demolish 711 East Seventh St.