21 Sites Added to Duquesne Demo List

City officials will seek county funding to demolish vacant homes

By Tom Leturgey
The Tube City Almanac
September 17, 2024
Posted in: Duquesne News

This abandoned home on Auriles Street in Duquesne is targeted for demolition by city officials. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)

Duquesne City Council has approved the demolition of another 21 vacant properties.

During a special session Sept. 3 before the regular monthly meeting, council and Mayor R. Scott Adams unanimously agreed that one house on South Fifth Street, nine on Seventh Street, two on Auriles, one on Klere, two on Earl and six vacant homes on Erwin should be razed.

The properties are vacant and, according to records, behind on Allegheny County taxes.

However, that doesn’t mean that a wrecking ball will start soon. Mayor Adams and Councilwoman Elaine Washington noted that they will have discussions with Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey, as well as County Executive Sara Innamorato’s office, about obtaining funding to begin work.

Duquesne City Manager Douglas Sample said that the properties needed to be listed as “dangerous structures” to move forward with demolition.

City Councilwoman Denise Brownfield noted that one of the houses, 123 Fifth St., recently had its porch collapse, and she feared for the safety of nearby children.

During his solicitor’s report, Myron Sainovich asked for a motion to adopt the list of properties, and they were unanimously approved.

This vacant house at 14 N. Second St. is targeted for demolition. A resident said he had been fighting to have the building demolished since 2021. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)

Later in the meeting, a resident disrupted the meeting to ask about 14 N. Second St., which he has been fighting to have torn down since 2021. The resident said that he had spoken to each of the city managers since then, as well as current office holder Sample. Sample explained that the property had been on an “alternate” list since 2020, but the municipality ran out of money before it could be razed.

The resident, who has owned his property since 2008, noted that neighboring property is “overgrown with debris” and “raccoons are harassing” neighbors and their pets.

The resident said that none of the properties on the 2024 approved list are “as bad as 14 N. Second St.” He added that his only concern is for the “safety and beautification of the city.”

Mayor Adams said that it’s a slow process and there has been “money from 2019 that hasn’t been released yet” for demolition projects. The entire situation appears murky.

Also, this summer, other residents have discussed with the Tube City Almanac, their own frustrations with other blighted properties. Residents near 143 Union St and 106 North Fourth St. in the city complained to the city and County about those vacant and neglected properties. They have gone to the County, and the contacts there say that the city needs to address those issues.

On a related noted, Mayor Adams asked Public Works Director Steve Arbasak if residents would clean up overgrown vegetation and other debris on their own, would municipal workers pick it up?

Arbasak said they would, if it wasn’t blocking roadways and access points.

Councilmember Denise Brownfield led the first reading of the ordinance designed to adopt the 2024 Property Maintenance Code. No further action was taken.

The city has discussed hiring a code enforcement officer, or asking an existing city employee to take over those duties, but no official action has been taken.

Mayor Adams said that the city is looking into purchasing house demolition equipment on its own to avoid “being handcuffed by grant money.”

In March, Duquesne City Council initially targeted 17 properties to demolish. At that meeting, Brownfield discussed the possibility of using Gaming Economic Development Tourism funds to demolish dangerous properties in the city. Duquesne recently was awarded $75,000 for a demolition project that’s estimated to cost $285,000.

Local resident Sylvie Deaderick attended the special meeting. Deaderick represents PA Home Matters Duquesne LLC, and said the company had submitted construction documents for 13-31 S. Seventh St. on April 29.

In the spring, Deaderick had protested that owners hadn’t been notified that properties had been targeted for demolition. Sainovich countered that the city had posted properties and sent correspondence to the last known address of property owners, including 13-31 S. Seventh.

Deaderick told council that the company had plans to renovate in the spring; however, that work has not started.

In the Spring, Duquesne officials moved to advertise a contract to demolish 16, 18, 28, 30, 35, 119 and 121 South Seventh Street through a $75,000 federal grant from the federal Community Development Block Grant program.

City leaders want to be able to level the land and market it to developers who can repurpose the properties for new uses.

Two vacant homes of South Seventh Street that on Duquesne’s demolition list. (Tom Leturgey photo for Tube City Almanac)

Tom Leturgey is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh and the editor of KSWA Digest, the online news and features home of the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance. His work also appears in The Valley Mirror and other publications.

Originally published September 17, 2024.

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