Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Bessemer — Bessemer city council members will discuss the fate of four city-owned structures at their 6 p.m. meeting today.
The locations are at 107 W. Sellar St., 508 S. Moore St., 506 S. Mine St., and 1807 Palms St.
At the council’s previous meeting on Jan. 21, city manager Charly Loper said she can apply for a $50,000 state grant, which she estimates will cover the cost of demolishing two of the structures. She added that the Palms Street structure may be removed from the list because someone is interested in buying the property.
Since the previous meeting, Loper requested that building inspector Donald Saari check the Palms property. “It is my recommendation that the structure be demolished,” he wrote to the council after his Jan. 23 inspection.
Saari said the house’s stone foundation has “numerous cracks and partial cave-ins” and that windows are “missing” or “cracked,” thus allowing the house to be vulnerable to the weather. He added exterior sheathing also is exposed due to missing siding, and that the garage also is “in very poor condition.”
Loper said assessor Melissa Prisbe already had reported earlier that the house is “essentially worthless” while the property’s value was assessed at $1,080.
The city manager said if the council chooses to sell the property, its members should add a contingency that the problems be fixed within a limited timeframe.
Council members tabled a decision at their last meeting when they could not decide whether a potential buyer should address the problems within one year or two years.
At tonight’s meeting, the council also will receive an update on the progress of the city’s pop-up shop program.
According to a list provided by Loper, six of the 13 businesses listed are still open in their original locations, one just opened in January, and one is opening soon. One moved to another location in Bessemer. One sold to another owner. One closed, one did not open, and one was evicted after not paying taxes.
The council also will have a brainstorming workshop on Wednesday at 6 p.m.