Pawtucket tackling blighted properties

NEW  INITIATIVE: Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien is seen in his office. The city has a new program that allows it to identify and petition the court to place qualifying blighted properties into receivership so they can be rehabilitated. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO
NEW INITIATIVE: Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien is seen in his office. The city has a new program that allows it to identify and petition the court to place qualifying blighted properties into receivership so they can be rehabilitated. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

Those living or working near deteriorating properties in Pawtucket could find some relief from a new initiative that aims to sort through and eliminate all blighted properties in the city.

“This innovative program is something that will not only contribute to cleaner, safer neighborhoods for our residents, but will also have a positive impact on surrounding property values,” said Pawtucket Mayor Donald R. Grebien. “The residents of Pawtucket work hard and take great pride in their neighborhoods and homes. They deserve to know that their city is working hard to protect the value of their homes and the beauty of their community.”

Rhode Island, like many states, was hit hard economically following the housing market bubble and subsequent financial crisis of 2008. And while the local housing market has since strengthened to some degree, Pawtucket – along with other Rhode Island municipalities – is still pockmarked with a number of vacant properties abandoned by absentee landlords and homeowners.

“In 2008, after the housing-market crash, urban cities [such as] Pawtucket were significantly impacted,” Grebien said. “We have come a very long way from 2008 and even though [the] list of properties listed as vacant and abandoned has shrunk to its lowest number in years, it will continue to be our goal to have zero blight in Pawtucket.”

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The new program allows the city to identify and petition the court to place qualifying properties into receivership. The city is defining these abandoned properties as those left to deteriorate, which “opens the door to problems such as blight, infestation and trespassing. Beyond the obvious public-safety risks, all of those items contribute to decreased property values for the neighborhood and have a negative economic impact on the city.”

If a judge agrees with the city’s petition, a court-ordered receiver – a private real estate investor – would take over the property, clean it up, rehabilitate it and sell it to a new owner. The Pawtucket planning and zoning departments have identified an initial list of 15 properties that have already been submitted to the Law Department for review. The list will “serve as a test case for the program,” according to the city.

Pawtucket has selected the 15 from a list of 140 properties that could qualify under the new program, and the Law Department is in the process of running title searches on potential locations.

If the city successfully petitions a judge to appoint a receiver, schedules for repairs and rehabilitation will be generated and monitored by the city. In some instances, if the properties are too far gone, demolition may be considered.

“There are several elements at play when assessing demolition over rehabilitation. The first and foremost is public safety. If a structure poses a risk to public safety, such as a fire hazard or imminent collapse, it is more likely to be slated for demolition,” Grebien said. “Another factor is the assessment of costs associated with rehabilitation versus that of demolition. There certainly are times when it is less expensive to demolish a structure and rebuild from the ground up with energy-efficient materials, as opposed to rehabilitation.”

The court-appointed receiver would be financially responsible for the rehabilitation of the property. The city will not contribute any out-of-pocket costs toward the process, nor does it benefit from any profit made from the resale of the properties. Pawtucket may, however, provide some financial support in the form of lien forgiveness if it’s necessary to ensure a clean title. Grebien says rehabbing these properties will have a positive impact on surrounding property values.

“Pawtucket expects to benefit from having vibrant neighborhoods, filled with houses and businesses that are being occupied and maintained by people that take pride in being part of the community,” he said.

A similar program, the EveryHome Initiative, was introduced in Providence last year. The capital is trying to clean up about 600 abandoned properties over the next six years. New Orleans took a similar approach to revamping its neighborhoods after Hurricane Katrina desolated homes throughout the city in 2005.

Pawtucket has not assigned a timeline for eliminating its blighted property, according to city spokesman Rico Avota.

John Barry III, Pawtucket’s District 4 councilor, says the new program represents a great opportunity for the city.

“My colleagues on the [City Council] and I routinely hear from the residents we represent regarding these problem properties and what the city can do to get them cleaned up,” Barry said. “I have routinely pushed for the city to do more to help keep our neighborhoods healthy and I am excited by the potential that this initiative presents.” •

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