Council advances demolition of former Wilmington Hyde shopping center and related appropriations

Kettering City Council on June 23 authorized staff to seek demolition contractors for the vacant portion of the former Wilmington Hyde shopping center and approved related supplemental appropriations, city staff said.

City staff described the action as part of a nuisance-abatement effort focused on the vacant portion of the building; occupied spaces (including named businesses) would not be affected. The resolution authorizes the city manager to use competitive bargaining to negotiate a demolition contract and waived sealed bidding for the work. Staff provided an estimated project cost of $1,368,200 and said those costs will be placed on the property tax roll of the current property owner so the city can seek reimbursement at a future date.

At the same meeting council also approved supplemental appropriations connected to items discussed earlier on the agenda. The clerk read a supplemental-appropriation figure of $657,158; staff then outlined specific supplemental amounts including the $1,368,200 demolition line, $117,000 for dispatch consoles (to be reimbursed by Miami Township over five years), and $171,958 charged to the wireless 911 fund. The transcript presents these numbers sequentially; staff and council did not reconcile the different totals during the meeting (see audit note). Council approved the appropriation motions on roll call.

Council members asked for confirmation that demolition costs would be recovered through property-tax billing; staff repeated that the city will place the demolition costs on the property tax roll for potential future recovery. The finance department will process the appropriation entries and report back as required.