Harrison secures $118,000 to raze blighted buildings

Several blighted homes in Harrison will be demolished next year thanks to a $118,000 grant awarded to the township in June.

Manager John Pallone said a majority of the money will be spent in the Natrona section of the township but noted there are other areas that will be addressed.

“The township is working with the engineer and public works crew to determine where we can spend the grant most efficiently,” he said. “The goal is to demolish unsightly homes and facilities that can’t be occupied any longer.”

Money was made available by the federal Community Development Block Grant program through its Safe Neighborhoods Demolition initiative.

Ridding blight is on the wish list of many small towns along the Allegheny River.

Tarentum officials approved the demolition of 26 abandoned properties in 2021 and are continuing the mission this year with eight homes on the list.

Brackenridge Council is seeking money from Allegheny County to launch its anti-blight effort.

Council applied for about $129,000 to raze vacant or dilapidated structures, most along Brackenridge Avenue, Mayor Lindsay Fraser said.

“Many old homesteads, hotels, restaurants and storefronts have become blighted because of industrial revolutions,” Pallone said. “These mill towns don’t have the economic base that they once had. They don’t have jobs to support the families they once had.”

Earlier this year, Harrison officials said they were aiming to clean up neighborhoods with long-abandoned and tax-delinquent properties, nearly 110 in all.

Targeted properties include homes along Chestnut Street, North Canal Street, Eighth Avenue and Wood Street.

“If your house is pristine and your neighbor’s house is falling over, it makes yours look like a dump,” Pallone said.