SHAMOKIN - The cost to repair seven condemned flood-damaged homes is five times the price of demolition, acccording to numbers crunched by a local realtor.
Total project costs to knock down six homes on South Rock Street and a seventh on North Third Street are estimated at $203,120.
That's compared to combined estimated repair costs of $1,029,340 for six of the structures, according to appraisals prepared for the city by local realtor Bressi and Martin.
Repair costs for a seventh structure were unavailable.
The combined pre-flood market value of the homes is $78,790, which is less even than the estimated $86,450 - the lowest of the six estimates - it would take to repair just one of the homes.
All were condemned after being ravaged by historic flooding caused by back-to-back storms last September.
The city is targeting the acquisition of the properties through sale in order to undertake the demolition project.
That hinges on approval of an application for $203,120 from the Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Needs assistance
Without financial assistance from the federal and state government, the project is impossible, given the Shamokin's meager budget.
It won't be until August or September that City Hall finds out the fate of the application - along with a separate application for $1.2 million to make repairs to Shamokin Creek's stone channel.
It remains unclear exactly what property owners would be offered for their homes.
"FEMA hasn't communicated with us very well on that," said city Clerk Steve Bartos. "They will get some kind of compensation for the demolition of their homes. We're buying them out and then we pay for the demolition."
Of the $203,120 sought, the city could be on the hook for $6,093.60, according to its grant application.
The federal share of the grant would be 75 percent, or $152,340. The remaining funds would come from the state.
Apart from property acquisition and demolition - the two largest expenses - other costs include engineering, labor and land stabilization and restoration.
Six of the seven homeowners signed off in December to apply for the grant. The seventh property owner is deceased and city officials will look to purchase the environmentally hazardous property in a May judicial sale.
The signatures were a necessity for the application.
"We couldn't have submitted an application without them," Bartos said.
The program is completely voluntary and despite the condemnations, a property owner could decide against demolition.
Targeted for demolition are a row of homes from 10-16 S. Rock St. as well as 44 and 48 S. Rock St. and 606 N. Third St. All were condemned by the city after the Flood of 2011.
If knocked down, deed restrictions would be put in place to keep the area off-limits to any kind of development. The land would be stabilized in the event of future flooding and remain simply a grassy area.
An alternative to demolition would be a stream channelization project and the installation of a small levee or flood wall to protect the homes, according to the grant application.
That project would far exceed the initial $500,000 cost estimated made by various government officials, engineers and contractors, the grant application says.
Shamokin has received $41,120 from FEMA for emergency costs incurred during the September flooding.
Of that sum, $37,620.47 was deposited to a city bank account Friday. The remainder had previously been received.
That money is reimbursement for, among other expenses, debris removal and disposal and emergency services, Bartos said.