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City reports 69 demolitions year-to-date; ARPA-funded work near halfway point
Summary
Planning and Neighborhood Development Director Steve Gondol told commissioners April saw 15 demolitions, bringing the year-to-date total to 69; staff described neighborhood concentrations, a 24-property pile backlog, pipeline metrics and next steps including a work session on the housing condition survey.
Steve Gondol, Director of Planning and Neighborhood Development, delivered the April 2026 demolition and nuisance update, reporting 15 demolitions in April and 69 total demolitions for the year. Gondol said 60 of the 69 demolitions were funded through ARPA contracts and nine through Ohio Department of Development funding. "In April, we saw 15 structures demolished," he said, adding that the program is about 21% of planned 2026 demolitions completed and roughly 33% through the year.
Gondol listed neighborhood counts for April and year-to-date totals: April demolitions were distributed across Dayton View (1), Fairview (1), Hillcrest (1), McFarland (3), Miami Chapel (1), Old North Dayton (1), Santa Clara (3), and Southern Dayton View (4). He said 17 unique neighborhoods have experienced removals so far in 2026, with Santa Clara and Southern Dayton View among the heaviest concentrations.
On the demolition pipeline, Gondol reported 62 title reports completed in April and said the month produced 26 post-abatement inspections, leaving 26 properties ready to proceed. He outlined plans to remove approximately 50 piles in targeted zones (Westwood, Southern Dayton View, Northern Main Street corridor, Twin Towers and Burkhardt) and said there were no emergency demolitions in April.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about prioritization (whether proximity to schools and parks affects scheduling), the housing condition survey (staff said a work session is planned for late June or early July), and mitigation strategies that might reduce long-term demolition costs. Commissioner Fairchild requested trend analysis on the nuisance list, including breakdowns by blight vs. fire damage and whether affected properties had insurance.
Gondol also gave site-specific examples illustrating neighborhood impacts and noted efforts to pair demolition with tree removal and lot dressing when appropriate to prepare sites for future redevelopment. Staff said ARPA demolition funds are nearly fully encumbered or expensed and that some demolition work funded by other sources will continue into the latter half of 2026.
On specific cases, staff provided a status update for the Tasty Bird fire pile: the city has been working with the owner and the owner's insurance company to set up an escrow so that cleanup can progress, and a more detailed packet update will be provided on Friday. Commissioners also asked staff to review remaining debris at sites such as James H. McGee and North Main Street and to consider temporary security measures where scrapping activity has been observed.
Next steps: the commission expects a housing condition survey work session in late June or early July that will include nuisance-list trend data, mitigation strategies and a deeper discussion of 2027 planning as ARPA funding winds down.
