Demolition crews will be busy in Schuylkill County come spring.
The countywide demolition and rehabilitation program recently awarded contracts to bring down three buildings and is currently accepting bids for three more projects.
When the weather breaks, Madonna Enterprises Inc., Port Carbon, will knock down properties at 227 E. Mahanoy Ave., Girardville; and 58-60 Main St., Tremont. The contracts were for $17,280 and $37,439, respectfully.
Meanwhile, Northeast Industrial Service Corp. agreed to demolish 292 S. Third St., Coaldale, for $16,770.
Projects now out for bid are at 0 Cedar Alley, Frailey Township; 911 Brock St., Ashland; and 106, 108, 112 and 116 W. Main St., Girardville.
"It's that time of year," Gary Bender, county grants, demolition and community development block grant coordinator, said Friday. "We are getting into spring and we wanted them out there."
The Girardville properties are owned by the borough and are being demolished to make way for Schuylkill Community Action housing. After demoltion, the property will be transferred to SCA.
"It's clear and level and perfect for development for a nonprofit," Jeffrey A. Feeser, director of housing at SCA, said Friday.
It is not the first time SCA has worked with the county demolition program.
"They are very instrumental in several of our projects," Feeser said.
The county demolition program has been around since 1998. Funding for the program comes from 30 percent of the county's annual Community Block Development Grant allocations set aside for projects involving slums or blight. That is generally about $80,000 a year, Bender said.
"It's been a very successful program over the years," Bender said.
Bender said there are usually two demolition projects going on at the same time.
Communities involved in the program are asked to contribute about 25 percent of demolition costs, which can be used toward other projects.
"The importance of demolition can be seen just going around the county," Bender said. "I think it is very critical the county has a demolition program."
Feeser said county involvement has become even more important since federal and state funding has been cut back over the last several years.
"Gary Bender helps us out immensely and he's a great person to work with," Feeser said. "He has the foresight as far as removal of blight and the vision of bringing back some of these municipalities that have been deteriorating for a number of years."
Feeser said SCA is still waiting on acquiring more than $1 million in grants to build the six rental units in Girardville. The nonprofit organization's next project is to build three rental units in Ashland. Feeser said the property, from 711 to 719 Centre St., was bought by the borough and demolished about 10 years ago.
"The elimination of blight is huge because property values are slowly coming back in Girardvile through the efforts of the borough and SCA," Feeser said.