Saint John is shifting the focus of its dangerous and vacant building program to the north end from the south end.
It comes on the heels of two recent fires that destroyed two vacant buildings in that part of the city.
The city’s Rachel Van Wart says the program resolved 80 cases last year and their target this year is 75.
“Due to the density and the volume and the number of vacant buildings in the north end, we recognize that it is an issue,” says Van Wart.
But Van Wart says they will continue to address all high priority properties, no matter where they are in the city.
So far this year, eight properties have been demolished and 16 others have been repaired and reoccupied.
Van Wart says it’s taking longer to go through the process now because new legislation requires entry warrants to inspect abandoned buildings.
“We need to work with the legal department and schedule the inspection, schedule the warrant, send out a letter advising the property owner that we’re going to be conducting the warrant, paperwork,” she says. “It can add upwards of a month to the process.”
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(Photo credit: Saint John growth committee agenda)
