Battling blight

DUNKIRK — This community has been chipping away at its issue with blighted properties. Now, with the help of a state grant, it will swing a giant wrecking ball at the problem.
Dunkirk will take the next step in that process when it holds a public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday at Dunkirk City Hall for the project being funded through Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program. A representative from Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, which administers the grants, will be on hand to answer questions.
In October, Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann announced the city had been granted $176,000 as part of a round that saw $12 million distributed throughout the state. Monday’s meeting provides local residents the opportunity to voice their opinion if they object to any of the nine listed properties being torn down.
But because Dunkirk has already taken ownership of the properties through the tax-sale process, Mayor Dan Watson and Jay County community developer Ami Huffman said they don’t expect anyone to raise any issues.
“These are the worst of the worst,” said Watson. “People just walked away from them.
“These houses that we have on the list … are all beyond saving. When you have houses like that and you live next door to a house like that it devalues your property. It’s a place for rodents; it’s a place for crime, just all kinds of things. Getting rid of them, cleaning them up, trying to get them back on the tax roll … that’s the ultimate goal.”

The nine properties included in the grant funding are:
•316 W. Jay St.
•349 W. Washington St.
•325 E. High St.
•217 N. Main St.
•221 E. Railroad St.
•324 Shatto St.
•325 E. North St.
•219 N. Indiana St.
•826 S. Franklin St.
Huffman and Watson noted that they have a few questions for the IHCDA, including whether they can have homes inspected for asbestos, lead and other hazardous materials before bidding out the project. They feel knowing such details about the properties would be helpful to contractors interested in the job.
The meeting also offers an opportunity for potential contractors and adjacent property owners to learn more about the project.
Dunkirk city councilman Jack Robbins has been trying to improve the blight problem for several years, working with Jay County Commissioners to gain control of abandoned properties and cleaning them up with city crews. But he was limited by money and manpower to just a few each year — six total since 2011.
“We just had so many houses here in town that it was just horrible,” said Robbins. “I wasn’t in office for two months and that was the biggest complaint I got.
“Everybody’s got their other jobs to do. It takes us a while to get them done.
“This way, they can get done all at once.”
Huffman praised Robbins for his efforts, noting that he attended the blight grant meetings with her. She said most municipalities at this stage of the process are trying to gain control of the problem properties, but, thanks to Robbins, Dunkirk already has ownership.
“Jack Robbins was a rock star,” she said. “Jack has driven this project. This is what I hope for as a community developer … that someone locally takes a hold and says ‘I want to figure this out and I want this to happen here.’ And he was doing it before this program even came about.”
Properties had to meet strict criteria in order to be eligible for the Hardest Hit funding, scoring at least 83 points on a 104-point scale. Points were awarded for structural (roof, exterior walls, foundation) damage, proximity to schools, libraries, parks and community centers, complaints to police, presence of asbestos and lead-based paint (based on age) and involvement of community partners.
Most of the Dunkirk properties have not been inhabited for at least a decade, Huffman said.
Bidding for demolition of the blighted homes is slated for early spring, with the work to follow later in the spring and summer.
The properties will be transferred to Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation and then made available for purchase to adjacent property owners for a few hundred dollars. Those that are not bought must be taken care of by the city as green spaces or “pocket parks”.
And depending on where the bids come in, more properties could be added to the list.
“They’ve said if you have money left over at the end of it if there’s a few more houses you want to get … you could do that,” Huffman said.