The city set out to get eight rundown houses fixed up and back on the tax rolls.
Seven of them are moving along, with hope for the eighth.
The eight houses are under a city program to attract developers for rehabilitation and bring them back to life. The city Planning Department used a request for proposals process, or RFPs, to seek interest from developers.
On Monday night, the City Council agreed to sell the two most recent houses — 219/221 W. Lynde St. and 256 N. Pleasant St. — to developers under the second phase of the program.
Five others were sold to developers previously.
“I think, so far, it’s gone well,” city planning and community director Michael A. Lumbis said.
This time, a duplex at 219/221 W. Lynde St. was sold to Matteson Property Management for $6,724, while Rios Renovations LLC purchased 256 N. Pleasant St. for $4,714.
Matteson Property Management plans to invest $92,400 into the duplex on West Lynde Street. Rios plans to put in $56,700 for the North Pleasant Street property.
Both houses are going through complete renovations that includes new exterior siding, kitchens and bathrooms, HVAC systems, plumbing and interior improvements. The duplex also will get a new roof and front porch.
Both developers have six months to get the work done, Lumbis said.
The city received three other proposals for the duplex; Rios submitted the only one for the North Pleasant Street house.
Matteson was involved renovating two other houses in the program as a contractor hired by the developer who purchased them from the city, Lumbis said.
There were no takers for a house at 531 Bradley St. But Lumbis said that another city program might still be used to get that Bradley Street house rehabbed.
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