Janesville City Council considering buying four properties
Post-foreclosure by the numbers
Since December 2008, the city of Janesville has purchased 36 properties as part of a larger effort to revitalize neighborhoods and prevent blight.
1: Property was rehabilitated and sold under the Buy, Rehab and Resell program.
5: Homes were rehabilitated under the Neighborhood Stabilization program, and three of those were sold.
5: Houses were rehabilitated through a shared effort with the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development.
21: Properties were demolished.
Photo
At its regular meeting Monday night, the Janesville City Council will discuss the potential city purchase of this property, located at 55 S. River Street.
Photo
At its regular meeting Monday night, the Janesville City Council will discuss the potential city purchase of this foreclosed property, located at 116 Oakland Avenue.
Photo
At its regular meeting Monday night, the Janesville City Council will discuss the potential city purchase of this foreclosed property, located at 614 Wilson Avenue.
Photo
At its regular meeting Monday night, the Janesville City Council will discuss the potential city purchase of this foreclosed property, located at 614 S. Locust Street.
JANESVILLE — The Janesville City Council will consider buying four properties—three residential and one commercial—at its meeting Monday.
The former Plaza Furniture store at 55 S. River St. would be purchased from Siker Trust for $290,000. If the deal is completed, the city would demolish the 20,000-square-foot, two-story building along the river and "secure the site for post-parking plaza restoration activities," according to a memo from the community development department.
The city is expected to remove the parking plaza over the river sometime in the next several years. In the interim, the Plaza Furniture site could serve as off-street parking, while the city works to redevelop the plot.
Residential properties at 614 Wilson Ave., 614 S. Locust St. and 116 Oakland Ave. are in property tax foreclosure.
Under the Rock County Tax Foreclosure Program, the city has the first chance to buy a property because of unpaid property taxes. The city is not allowed to do interior inspections of the homes, so their conditions are unknown. The homes eventually would be demolished or rehabilitated and resold.
Details about the residential properties include:
-- 116 Oakland Ave., a 1,700-square-foot, single-family home with five bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. Assessor's records list the property in fair condition. The house was built in 1880. Delinquent taxes total $11,257, with $4,357 returned to the city for delinquent special assessments.
-- 614 Wilson Ave., a 1,274-square-foot, single-family home built in 1912. The home is a contributing structure in the Old Fourth Ward Historic District. The home has two bedrooms and one bathroom. Assessor's records list the home in average condition. Delinquent taxes total $7,784 with $1,230 returned to the city.
-- 614 S. Locust St., a single family 1,064-square-foot home built in about 1900. The home has three bedrooms and one bathroom. Assessor's records list the home in average condition. Delinquent taxes total $7,740, with $1,612 returned to the city.
Sep 22, 2012 at 5:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
I believe buying these is the only way for the city to recoup it's "lost" property tax revenue for these properties (Not the Furniture store tho). I am of the opinion that the city will attempt to try to sell some of these first to adjoining landowners (after tearing down the "Unfixable" houses. There must be many more tax delinquent foreclosure houses than just these three, So I am guessing these fit some sort of vetting process as to which properties to purchase at the County sale.
The furniture store is probably a smart purchase assuming the price is fair. this might be a key piece if the parking plaza is going to be removed. It would be a great redevelopment for the downtown to put a riverfront dining restaurant /coffeehouse there.
Sep 22, 2012 at 1:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
The Fourth Ward was a charming and unique neighborhood 30-40 years ago--but the city allowed subdivision after subdivision to sprawl(mostly on the east side) people gobbled up these big new houses leaving the "ward and hood" to be bought up by slum lords---to late for a do-over I think.
Sep 22, 2012 at 1:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
The historic Fourth Ward has all the potential to be a charming and unique neighborhood, an asset to the city. Rehab ho!
Sep 22, 2012 at 10:27 a.m.
Suggest removal
Will be glad to se ethe ugly roof gone. But $300k WHAT. I don't think that is a good number.
Sigma- I agree- let somebody else buy them. You can prevent "slum lords" from buying them buy just stating owner occupied only.
The last article on this they spend how many thousands and then sold it or are trying still for an $80k loss or so. Some still sit there empty because nobody is going to spend $130 for a 4th ward home. IF you did it the right way and just break even that woudl be fine. But the properties still sit there empty on the tax payer dime. We need roads fixed . The city should be "flipping" homes!!
Maybe do ONE then sell, then another if that one sells. Like lil said 36 or so- STUPID.
This is a lot of money. Why aren't the tax payers involved in this decision- referrendium(sp)?????
If they are that nasty do as stated on previous comment also- tear them down. Put the land for sale and let somebody buy the lot and build their own home if they like 4th ward so much!
Sep 22, 2012 at 7:24 a.m.
Suggest removal
...and based on the number provided by the gazette above, the house on Hawthorne is not the only one the city has "in progress" in this program. They've bought 36, but they only list what has been done with 32 of those properties. So does that mean including the one on Hawthorne, the city has 4 properties just sitting? That information should be a big part of this conversation.
Sep 22, 2012 at 7:17 a.m.
Suggest removal
Here's an idea - Why doesn't the city do something with the properties it ALREADY owns? For example: the house across the street from me on Hawthorne that they've owned for 2 years?! Apparently they don't have the staff to act as a general contractor or the money to renovate, so they've let it sit empty for YEARS. Now they want to buy more? I SAY NO! They do the bare minimum to maintain this property, and it isn't doing anything to help the property values of those of us around it, but now they want to buy more? If they don't have the staff or the money to turn the properties they already own, how are they going to do it with these new ones? I can understand buying the Plaza Furniture building, but NO MORE residential until they get the ones they already own off the books.
Sep 22, 2012 at 7:07 a.m.
Suggest removal
I would agree to buying these properties if it didn't cost so much to tear them down. Seems that the city always pays about twice for that then is prudent. If they raze them at a low cost, they can at least sell the land and re-coup some money. I don't agree to fixing them up. If the past teaches us anything, they will lose money when/if they sell the remodeled properties.
Sep 21, 2012 at 6:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
WHY? Get rid of the wheel tax if they are just going to be stupid with our money. I feel dumber reading this article and being a resident here now.
-
The city having first chance to buy these is taking advantage of the citizens. Let someone else buy them. Why is the city even involved in this? WASTING MY TAX MONEY!!!!!!!!!
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.