The Salem City Council Tuesday night approved a $47,000 Tax Increment Financing Agreement with Jered Gambill to purchase and rehabilitate four downtown addresses.
Gambill will be provided with $10,000 of the amount when completing the purchase of the property at 122 West Main and 102, 104, and 106 North Walnut. The rest of the money will be awarded after Gambill completes roof repair, tuck pointing and other measures to bolster and protect the structural integrity of the buildings.
Economic Development Director Leah Dellicarpini says the work will shore up more downtown buildings.
The council also approved two requests from Gambill to allow upstairs living in buildings he is renovating at 118 and 120 West Main. Mayor Nic Farley hopes to see more downtown living in the future. It is a recommendation of the city’s comprehensive plan.
The city will experiment with a new idea to get substandard homes torn down without doing it themselves. The city purchased a lot with a dilapidated home for $814 from the Marion County Trustee. The council immediately voted to surplus the property and seek bids to purchase the lot. The minimum price will be the cost to purchase the property and obtain a title. Farley says the goal is to get someone to purchase the property, tear down the home, and reutilize the land. The process would save the city the cost of demolition. Farley says other cities have done the program successfully.
The council approved the purchase of two new walkable floats for the Salem Aquatic Center at a cost of $15,000.
The council awarded bids on four materials needed for the summer road improvement program to the low bidders.
