Sharpsburg to use Allegheny County grant to demolish a blighted home

A two-story dilapidated home in Sharpsburg may be demolished next year with the financial boost of an Allegheny County grant.

County officials in early October announced about $2.1 million was awarded to help demolish 95 structures through the Act 152 Demolition Fund.

Grants averaged about $123,000 and were awarded to municipalities and councils of governments across the county.

Sharpsburg was allocated $33,616 to knock down a structure at 1527 N. Canal St., about a block away from the Coen convenience store.

It is unclear when demolition would be put out for bid, or when the home would be razed.

Borough Manager Christine DeRunk said there is more paperwork to be filed out.

“We still need to go through the administrative process with the county before there is more information to share,” DeRunk said via email.

The home was condemned in April 2021, according to borough documents posted on the property.

There were several violations of the International Property Maintenance Code. Pieces of both the interior and exterior have fallen off. Vegetation has reclaimed some of the facade.

Posted documents state the property is so damaged that “partial or complete collapse is possible.”

Councilman Jonathan Jaso said addressing such properties is important for the borough, and believes it will be at least a few months before the grant funds would be used.

“Ridding the town of blight is just smart practice,” he said via email. “Not only are you tearing down a property that is causing an eyesore, you are tearing down a property that is unsafe and could pose a health hazard and a fire safety hazard. We have done our best over the past many years to either demolish blighted properties or have then rehabilitated and but back to use and on the tax rolls. We are very fortunate and grateful that we have been able to qualify for these grants because it is quite an expense that we don’t have to burden the taxpayers with.”

Attempts to contact the property owners, listed on the Allegheny County Real Estate website as Donna and Elmer Eichner, were unsuccessful.

Total value of the property as of this year’s assessment was $27,700, according to online county records.

County officials said 55 applications from 53 communities requesting more than $4.1 million to demolish 218 structures were received by Allegheny County Economic Development.

Applications also included requests for development-related funding, including large scale, non-residential demolitions.

“This program has been immensely successful in helping municipalities deal with blight in their community, while also allowing them to embrace development and other opportunities to improve their neighborhoods,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.