INDIANAPOLIS – More than 300 structures are sitting around Indianapolis vacant, waiting to be demolished.
One problematic property that we questioned the city about last fall is finally moving closer to demolition.
The abandoned apartment building on the corner of E. Washington and Wallace Avenue is just one of hundreds of examples across Indianapolis of a property that has been a hazard and has needed torn down for years.
The red tape has allowed squatters to continue to go inside; as a result, this property has caught fire twice in the last three years.
However, after years of neighbors reporting it and questioning from our team, finally there is some movement in the effort to get it taken down.
A judge has now put up the demolition order up for bid.
While this is movement, there are still quite a few hurdles to jump before the wrecking ball comes in.
According to a representative from the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, once a bid package has been determined it usually takes two months to complete the bid/contract process. Then asbestos testing and abatement must also be done before the demolition can move forward. They say the asbestos testing usually happens simultaneously with the bid/contract process.
Once a contract has been executed, assuming there is no asbestos that has to be removed, the notice to proceed is issued. If asbestos is found, that will slow the process until it is removed.
The representative says demolition can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days once the notice to proceed has been issued.
Best case scenario for people living near this property: this years-long process will finally be dust in the next three months. Worst case, it is there for the next five to six months.
The city says all of the demolitions are dependent on budget and time constraints in addition to Indiana code.
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