The Vermilion County Board is considering a new partnership to demolish dilapidated structures across the county.
Bill Pickett has the details…
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County Board Chairman Steve Miller says the partner would be Vermilion Advantage…
Audio Player{AUDIO: “Communities with-in Vermilion County would be able to identify specific residential properties that they would like to have demolished, and present the applications to Vermilion Advantage. Vermilion Advantage would approve or disapprove those applications. And the ones they approve they would fund with the $400-thousand dollars that we’re going to give.”}
The $400-thousand dollars would come from interest earned on federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money that was given to the county to help recover from the pandemic. Miller says there are properties that need to be addressed county-wide…
Audio Player{AUDIO: “We have abandoned buildings. We have damaged buildings that need to be demolished. And it impacts the neighboring properties. It impacts the communities that are involved.”}
The Finance Committee of the Vermilion County Board has already approved the idea and sent the proposal to the full county board. Miller hopes the project can continue for years….
Audio Player{AUDIO: “We hope that this is going to be a multi-year project that can be funded in the future from grants from the state and federal governments. But we needed to get this project off the ground and that’s why the county is considering doing this.}
Although the County Board met tonight (Tuesday, March 11, 2025), no action was taken on the proposal. Miller said it will be on the April agenda.
