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City plans HUD-funded demolitions ahead of State Route 13 relocation; seeks permission to bid
Summary
City staff told the streets and public buildings committee they plan to use federally appropriated HUD funds designated for Mount Vernon to remove buildings and asphalt where the State Route 13 realignment will run and that they will seek permission to bid and award demolition work.
City staff told the streets and public buildings committee they plan to use federally appropriated HUD funds designated for Mount Vernon to remove buildings and asphalt where the State Route 13 realignment will run and that they will seek permission to bid and award demolition and related work.
Staff said the member‑designated HUD award is already on deposit with the U.S. Treasury as a 2024 award and that the city must complete the HUD-funded spend down by about September 2030. They described separating the HUD-funded building work from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) construction contract because HUD and DOT procurements must remain distinct.
"HUD has to do with buildings," said Staff member, explaining the rationale for a separate, HUD-funded demolition contract that can pay for asbestos surveys and demo work while ODOT retains responsibility for the roadway construction.
Staff said they have advertised for design, asbestos and real-estate services and plan to allocate part of the HUD funds to engineering and services and the remainder to demolition. They told the committee the city will prioritize buildings it already owns and will not start demolition on property that the city does not own or where tenants have not vacated.
Officials emphasized federal relocation rules. "Under the Uniform Relocation Act passed by the federal government in the sixties, there was a very prescriptive set of rules on how we handle offering, buying, relocating all of the businesses," said Mister Ball, adding the city has contracted a certified third‑party firm, OR Collin, to manage negotiations and ensure compliance with ODOT and HUD decision points.
Staff named several properties that could be in the demolition area, including a medical office (cited as Dr. Brizzoli's office), Smitty's Carpet (under negotiation), Amvet's, a quick-lube property the city already owns, Domino's Pizza and Holmes Tire. Staff cautioned they likely do not have enough HUD funds to demolish every affected building and that final demolition lists will depend on appraisals, negotiated acquisitions and the outcome of procurement.
Committee members asked about the certainty of funding and the timeline. Staff said ODOT construction funds are confirmed and programmed and that the HUD money is an awarded 2024 appropriation currently available for drawdown after completing required paperwork.
Staff also said the city must follow federal procurement and administrative rules (noted as 2 CFR 200 and HUD/CFR requirements) for the HUD portion, and that negotiations and some approvals will escalate to ODOT headquarters when offers or compensation requests exceed local decision thresholds. Appraisals will be completed by an ODOT‑certified appraiser, staff said.
Finally, staff asked the committee for permission to proceed with bidding and awarding a HUD‑funded demolition contract specific to the State Route 13 project so the demolition can be completed in advance of the ODOT roadway construction. No formal vote or recorded motion to authorize bidding appeared in the transcript; staff said they would return with procurement documents and recommendations.
