2 blighted Sewickley properties receive Act 152 funding for demolition

Two blighted properties in Sewickley can be demolished thanks to a $30,690 grant from Allegheny County.

According to county executive Rich Fitzgerald, the county has awarded more than $1.9 million in funding to support 31 applications and 100 demolitions. The grants averaged $62,422 and were awarded to municipalities and councils of government (COGs) across the county. Particular emphasis was given to structures designated on the county’s real estate website as unsound, and demolition clusters where structures were located in close proximity.

The Sewickley properties are located at 929 and 932 Crescent Ave.

Sewickley Mayor George Shannon said that he wasn’t involved in the grant proposal and that he thought former borough manager Marla Marcinko was.

New borough manager Donna Kaib declined to comment, stating that she has only been in her new role for a short time.

The Allegheny County Real Estate Portal website lists the property owners of 929 Crescent Ave. as Louis & Mozelle Lockhart. The portal says that they’ve owned the property since 1957. Both, however, are deceased. County taxes on the property have not been paid since before 2018.

The portal lists the property owner of 932 Crescent Ave. as Scott Easter, who purchased it in 2005 for $19,900. County taxes on the property haven’t been paid since 2018.

According to a news release, applications were evaluated on several criteria including inclusion on existing demolition lists, community impact, and potential re-use of the property.

The borough of Sewickley does have a list of blighted and/or abandoned properties on its website, and 929 Crescent Ave. is one of four properties on the list. The other property, 932 Crescent Ave., is not on the borough’s list.

Harshman CE Group oversees building, zoning and code enforcement for Sewickley. Randy McCray of Harshman declined to comment, saying that inquiries on the matter regarding timelines and future plans for the parcels could be made at the borough council meeting – the next meeting is Sept. 14.

“There has been a tremendous need for blight remediation throughout the county, and this program has allowed us to support the work of our local municipalities and others to improve neighborhood conditions,” said Lance Chimka, Allegheny County Economic Development director. “I’m thrilled that we were able to support those efforts through Act 152 funding and to bring other resources to bear to assist other communities in fighting blight.”