Council authorizes advertisement for demolition at 700 Franklin Street; staff to inventory salvageable items

Council authorized staff on Jan. 14 to prepare and advertise a demolition bid packet for the borough-owned property at 700 Franklin Street, and members questioned whether the borough should remove salvageable items first.

The motion to authorize advertisement was offered by Councilperson Stahl and seconded by Councilperson Kaufman; the council carried the motion by voice vote. Staff said the packet had not been prepared prior to the meeting and requested direction on how much access staff should have to remove items before the demolition is advertised. Council discussed options: contractors could bid to salvage valuable items as part of their bid, or borough staff could remove reusable materials (cabinets, appliances, furnace) for use in other borough projects or for municipal auction.

Public Works and administrative staff said they can inspect the building and identify items borough staff might repurpose, but cautioned about storage, modification and labor costs for salvage. Council suggested setting a clear cutoff date before the bid advertisement at which point salvage operations would stop so bidders know the scope of the demolition. One council member noted the McGinnis house had been advertised “as is” in a previous demolition and said the borough could similarly remove items it intends to keep prior to advertising.

Next steps: Public Works staff (Jake and others) will inspect the property and report back with a list of salvageable items and a recommended cutoff date; staff will prepare the demolition bid packet and return to council with an advertisement timeline.