What additional vacant, blighted downtown commercial properties are slated for demolition via the HUD dole?  Now that the City owns the former Strand Theatre via their dubious $1.00 transaction, where will the money come from to demolish this asbestos-laden property at the taxpayers expense??

 

As senior City staff stated at prior City Council meetings, $300,000+/- of Neighborhood Stabilization Program - Round One funds were spent to acquire the former Apostolic Church on Central Avenue and to demolish it plus the adjoining Barb's Pub.  As requested previously, I again ask City Councilmen Smith and Laubach to obtain answers from Community Revitalization Department senior staff to the following questions:

 

1) The NSP-1 application submitted by the City to HUD in November 2008 DID NOT identify the use of these Residential Foreclosure Prevention funds to acquire/demolish blighted downtown commercial properties.  Since there's no public record of any HUD amendment request by the City to reallocate funds, how is this possible??

2)  City staff recently noted that HUD has no problem if up to $75,000 of NSP-1 funds are wasted per each residential purchase/rehab/resale project.  Please tell us taxpayers what your sentiments might be??

3)  City staff also noted that they're working with Fannie Mae and one local realtor to identify 20 three- and four-bedroom vacant, foreclosed residential properties in the $100,000 price range.  Please tell us how these NSP-1 funded acquisition/rehab/resale projects will help to stem the continuing downhill slide of many neighborhoods west of the former Middletown Regional Hospital??