Here's a bit of news that should gladden the hearts of the members of the Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Wellsville Revitalization Committee. When this project is completed there will be a new house beautifying part of Main Street offering another place to live with the influx of people expected when Baard gets going.
Last year the house at 746 Main, on the corner of 8th, was declared uninhabitable. It was a rental unit and the occupants were forced to move out. It went into foreclosure. Although it was never condemned it was determined to be too costly to rehabilitate. It was an eyesore for some time and rapidly getting worse. With some old newspapers used for installation, found between the sub-floor and floor, it is believed the building was erected c1917.
Enter Wellsville businessman Bill Bratt. Bratt is, or was, a retired building contractor and has a few well maintained rentals around town. He bought up the property and this week had the old building demolished. He plans to rebuild a one story, single family, energy efficient 20X40 home on the lot.
It will be a small home but it will be a vast improvement on what was there. Pictured above is what was there and what that piece of property looked like yesterday. X-treme Trucking handled the demolition and were scheduled back to finish cleaning up today. Bratt was installing a safety fence around the perimeter yesterday. He is considering using the old cellar as part of the house if it's feasible. This project was not part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Mr. Bratt said he was getting bored with retirement life and needed something he would rather do, other than watching television. Having learned the trade from his father we suspect Bratt was born with a hammer in his hand!
Regardless it will be a well built, attractive home. It will greatly improve that corner.
ole nib
9 comments:
does he have to meet any zoning regs for this regarding minimum setbacks etc
When talking to him yesterday he's already met with the Zoning Administrator and was given the go ahead. He indicated he cleared that hurdle first thing.
nib
Good for Bill Bratt ! Maybe he will start a trend on Main Street, won't that be great.
Many years ago, I lived right across Main St. from that house.
Sad to see this house had deteriorated so badly; good to see someone is doing something about it.
I believe the building diagonally across the 8th/Main intersection was demolished a few years ago. Anyone know if there are plans for that lot?
Phil - the old Boley building was torn down after a fire several years ago. We understand that lot is now owned by the First Christian Church. Haven't heard anything but we're guessing parking lot for the church. So far nothing has been done.
nib
That old house razed on Main street was right across from where I lived in the 1980s. The family who owned the home at that time were Nick and Shirley Puch. They lived on the first floor and their son and Shirley's mother lived in the apartment upstairs.
They told me that a doctor had owned the building years before and had his office on the first floor and lived on the second floor.
Time changes cities into towns and buildings decay and are replaced. We change and mature too.
MelL
Mel - Believe it was Dr. Mapa that had a practice there when he first came to the area. He's still doctoring but his office is now in ELO.
nib
When Baard Energy gets going ?? That horse is dead Nibless. Nice improvement but anyone that still thinks Baard is actually going to happen is living in Twin Peaks.
It's good to see something being built on this lot. Too many buildings in town are razed and the lot left empty. I'm curious to see the population when census results are released.
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