SHAMOKIN - City officials said demolition of a longtime eyesore on North Market Street should soon continue at a faster pace.
Shamokin Community Development Director Lynn Dixson said Madonna Enterprises of Port Carbon, the contractor for the demolition project at 28-32 N. Market St., had a prior job in Allentown, which limited the amount of work at the Shamokin site.
The fourth floor was removed over the past several weeks, however, piles of debris have remained in and around the building, leading some to complaints about the lack of progress.
Heavy equipment was staged behind the building on Coal Street Wednesday, a sign, Dixson and Code Enforcement Officer Rick Bozza said, that the apartment building will soon be gone.
"I truly believe if he wouldn't have been with his job in Allentown the building would have been down by now," Dixson said. "By the time all the red tape went through, and he signed with the city, he was already was working in Allentown."
Dixson noted that Madonna Enterprises recently demolished 18 W. Church St. in a timely fashion, and that the city was happy with the work.
No buyers
The former apartment building had a minimum starting bid of $1,235.62 at a judicial sale in August, which represented the costs incurred by the county to bring the property to sale. However, no one bid on the property.
Former owner Orlando Mirarchi and his company, Orlando Development Corp., failed to pay more than $9,000 in past property taxes.
After a partial collapse that left a two story-high gaping hole in the building in 2009, then-Shamokin code enforcement officer Barry Stoud cited Mirarchi in 2010 on 21 counts of failure to repair the building according to the building code. Mirarchi appealed the decision, but the appeal was denied.
Still, Mirarchi can no longer be cited under the code because the building was offered in a June tax upset sale. A past court decision ruled that the county was the trustee for the property.
Demolition has been approved by the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Community development block grants will be used to finance the demolition, which is expected to cost between $60,000 to $70,000.
Dixson said there is no deadline for the completion of the project.