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Another 10 abandoned houses are meeting the wrecking crew, and 44 more will likely be targeted following a hearing next week.

City council last week awarded a $167,300 contract to Lutterman Excavating of Unity Township, Westmoreland County, to demolish 16 condemned structures, which are located in several different neighborhoods.

Demolition was expected to begin immediately, according to city officials.

. . .

The latest targets of an aggressive effort to rid the city of blighted properties in residential neighborhoods, the houses will be torn down using $100,000 from a federal community development block grant.

Because there's less funding available than the amount of the contract, Mayor Jim Brewster says officials will try to select the 10 worst houses from the 16 put out for bid.

"We'll try to get the remainder down at some future date," Brewster says.

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The $100,000 community development grant is being matched by another $100,000 from Pittsburgh's Allegheny Foundation.

Chaired by Richard Mellon Scaife, publisher of the Daily News and a chain of other newspapers, including the Tribune-Review, the foundation's mission includes civic development. It has given $350,000 toward demolition efforts in the city over the last three years.

Brewster says officials are currently awaiting the results of a multi-municipality bid for demolition that includes another 15 houses, mainly on Bailie Avenue between Cornell and Converse streets.

. . .

Meanwhile, on April 21, city Community Development Director Bethany Budd Bauer will chair a hearing on 44 additional houses that could be torn down as blighted structures.

The properties include six homes on Beaver Street; seven on Jenny Lind Street; four on Lawndale Avenue, three on Grandview Avenue and two each on Pirl, Evans and Hamilton.

Building Inspector Chris House and fire Chief Kevin Lust are expected to testify at the hearing, which is set for 10 a.m. in city council chambers at the Public Safety Building.

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In Other Business: City police are tagging and towing abandoned, unlicensed or un-inspected vehicles left on municipal streets --- and that includes watercraft.

Police in March issued 52 warnings to non-running vehicles --- mainly cars and trucks --- giving their owners 48 hours to remove them, police Chief Bryan Washowich told city council. Their owners removed 41 of the vehicles, but 11 had to be towed, including one boat.

Residents who see abandoned or unlicensed vehicles parked on public streets or property should call city police and ask for a traffic officer to be sent, the chief said.

The non-emergency number for city police is (412) 675-5015.

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