Ortonville- Village officials have closed on a deal to purchase the home located at 61 Narrin Street? now all that is left to do is demolish it.
Village Manager Ed Coy said the home is the first deal to be closed as part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The federal program established last October provides grants to counties, which in turn approve funds for local municipalities to acquire properties for demolition or rehabilitation purposes. Oakland County is receiving $17.3 million through the program and in March, $491,932.92 was formally approved for allocation to the village to address abandoned and foreclosed homes. The money can be used in three different ways? to tear down homes that are beyond repair; rehabilitate homes; and offer assistance to qualified potential buyers.
The Narrin Street home was a HUD property that the village purchased for $1. Once the existing home is demolished, a new one will be built in its place. The village has the same plan for a home at 174 Ball St., which is set to be closed on Sept. 10. Coy said he hopes to close the sale on a home at 21 Church Street a few days later. That home will also be demolished, but because the lot is too small, it will not be rebuilt. The village can either sell the property to the neighbors, or keep it as a village property and maintain it.
Coy said the village is not looking at acquiring any other properties right now.
‘There are other properties that need attention in the village, but we need to be cautious about overcommitment,? he said. ‘We would rather give unused money back than commit funds we don’t have.?