Mar 23, 2024 By Mike Jones 3 min read

Washington County is creating a program to help tackle blight with the help of up to $12 million in federal pandemic recovery stimulus funds.

The commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to approve an agreement between county officials, Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington and the Washington County Land Bank to initiate the countywide blight program.

The commissioners still must authorize the release of funds for individual projects, with the money coming from the county’s allotment of the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

“Addressing blight is essential to sustaining healthy communities, economic development and the quality of life in Washington County,” commission Chairman Nick Sherman said in a written statement. “Blighted communities are liabilities that drain municipal resources and inhibit economic growth. They also bring despair and a negative image to the community.”

There will be four prongs within the Blight Mitigation and Demolition Fund program, with each offering a different area of focus. The programs are Commercial, Industrial, Economic Development Blight Mitigation, Mon Valley Blight Mitigation, City of Washington Blight Mitigation and Priority Blight Mitigation.

For Commercial, Industrial, Economic Development, the focus will be to identify strategic opportunities for development and redevelopment. That will utilize funds to create “pad-ready” projects or new construction sites, which will include acquisition, demolition and site preparation.

Mon Valley will partner the Redevelopment Authority with the Mon Valley Alliance to expand blight inventories to include mapping and listing of properties, also allowing it to proceed with demolition of condemned properties. The Land Bank will acquire and redevelop strategic properties in participating communities, according to county officials.

The Washington section will move forward with the demolition of condemned and priority properties in the city, creating a comprehensive inventory of blighted areas.

Similarly, the Priority Blight program will proceed with the demolition of condemned and priority properties across Washington County and continue a blight inventory, while also offering training and education for municipal officials.

“This is a first-of-its-kind concentrated program on blight. This program is meant to take a more comprehensive look and fund a multitude of projects in our communities,” Sherman said. “By looking at data-driven blight removal strategies like other successful cities, we can better prioritize our removal efforts.”

The program will have a working relationship with various stakeholders across Washington County between the commissioners, Redevelopment Authority, Mon Valley Alliance, Local Government Academy and various municipalities.

“This type of strategic collaboration is exactly what is needed to expand and accelerate our efforts in tackling blight in our communities,” Redevelopment Authority Bob Griffin said in a written statement.

Commissioners Electra Janis and Larry Maggi added that this will spur new development by removing old and dilapidated properties.

“Too often, an old, abandoned building prevents a new business or development from entering our community. These blighted or abandoned properties lead to economic decline, decrease the quality of life for residents, and impede economic development,” Janis said in a written statement. “If we can demolish these buildings, we can open doors to new opportunities.”

“Blight has plagued many of our communities for years and it’s a problem many municipalities and property owners don’t have the resources to solve,” Maggi said in a written statement. “Building demolition is a costly, time-consuming, and confusing process requiring permits, planning, and a lot of money.”