Vacant housing demolition hits snag in Benton Harbor

April 27, 2012|By John Paul | WSBT-TV Reporter

BENTON HARBOR – The finger pointing in Benton Harbor continues. This time it involves Berrien County leaders who say a state agency is stopping their efforts to tear down two abandoned properties.

As new development and improvements pop up in Benton Harbor, Berrien County leaders though have turned their focus from Main Street to Colfax and Pipestone streets, and all of the abandoned, dilapidated properties throughout the city.

"These structures have been vacant for so long," said Bret Witkowski, Berrien County treasurer. "When a structure is vacant, it invites activity that nobody and their kids should have to be forced to live with."

At least 90 houses and structures have been demolished.

The goal is to demolish a total of 250 houses and buildings before a federal grant expires in November.

The county is on track to do that, but getting the OK to tear down structures on Colfax and a three-story brick building on Columbus hasn't been easy.

Witkowski said the process had been smooth.

"Everything has been smooth until SHPO (Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office) got involved," said Witkowski. "They got involved with three properties. We just said forget it – we'll tear it down ourselves. The city took it out of the general fund to pay for the cleaning."

But a spokesperson from Michigan's State Housing Development Authority said the agency is following federal requirements.

The properties may be historically significant and SHPO needs more information to make sure demolition is the only alternative. Something the agency said can't be waived or ignored.

A spokesperson from Michigan's State Housing Development Authority said the historical review doesn't mean the building can not be torn down.

They need more information to make sure demolition is the only alternative.

Both sides confirm one study had a $19,000 price tag.

SHPO isn't asking anyone to pay that. Officials said the state and local levels will continue talks and look at alternatives to find out the historical significance of the two structures--- it could be age, architecture or a building important to local history.

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