22-05-2025
City of Danville receives $850K HUD grant to demo houses in central Danville
More than 30 city-owned vacant homes will be demolished in the coming months to make way for a rehab project in west-central Danville, thanks to a $850,000 grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's Economic Development Initiative program.
The properties to be demolished are all located in a swath of land between Logan Avenue and Gilbert Street east and west, and Madison Street and Williams Street north and south.
The city's project, named the Madison Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, was developed in 2023 due to the state of the neighborhood, which the City said is one of 'despair.'
The project will primarily be focused on blight remediation and exterior rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes within the project area to revive the neighborhood, according to the official project description in the HUD grant application.
'Many structures in the neighborhood are in a dilapidated condition; thus, funds will be utilized to demolish these uninhabitable structures. The project will focus significantly on the demolition of these deteriorating buildings,' the grant application reads.
Of the total $850K, $610,000 is earmarked for demolitions. Not all the properties in the area will be torn down, however.
According to the grant application, $165,000 of the grant is to be set aside for repairs to several residential structures that have been identified for minor to moderate repairs.
The remaining $75,000 of the grant is set aside for contingencies, or problems which may arise during the course of the project.
Asbestos and Lead removal before demolition
Currently, environmental assessments and asbestos surveys are in progress and will be completed before any demolitions are slated to begin.
The city plans to utilize a portion of the grant to remove asbestos and lead in the properties prior to demolition, as required by law.
Redevelopment: next steps
Once the chosen properties are demolished, the project will move into its next phase: rehabilitation and development.
The northern block will have 56 affordable housing units built on it, which will be potentially funded by IHDA's low-income tax credits.
The southern portion, once demolished, will be left as green land until viable development plans are proposed, according to the language of the grant.
As to how developers will be found to revitalize the area, Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr. said at Tuesday's City Council meeting that there will be no RFP issued.
'We will probably not issue an RFP, because, as you know, then we'd have to go with the lowest bidder,' Williams said. 'We will probably issue an RGQ or an RFI and then receive proposals to review.'
An RFQ, or request for quotation, is a detailed document that lists specifications for a project plan, whereas an RFI is simply a request for information, inviting different companies to submit basic information about their ideas for the development of the area.
It remains unclear as to when demolition work will begin. Williams and David Ruwe, Director of Public Works, could not be reached for comment before press time.
