OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — If you remember this house, it caught fire twice in the last year, sparking safety concerns and questions in the neighborhood about when it could be demolished. Now, the city says it is on the list.
- The city says the bid for demolition was awarded, but there is no timeline yet for when that will happen.
- The city says asbestos abatement is happening now.
- Abatement has to happen first before a wreck permit can be pulled.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Two fires: one in December and a second, smaller fire in March, and now this Victorian home is a shell of itself.
The fire report from March cites evidence of continued homeless occupancy, noting it had been unsecured.
The house remains open to this day, windows broken, overgrown grass, and clothes on the sidewalk.
Whitney Julian lives next door and says it has become less safe over the last year; she's even seen people break in and go inside.
"It's just not great having that going on so close to your home and your kids, and so it's certainly been a problem," Julian said.
The city says the bid for demolition was awarded but there is no timeline yet for when that will happen.
That is up to the demo company.
"We are hoping this will help kind of get things cleaned up and have it be less of an opportunity for people to just go in and try to take shelter there," Julian said.
Neighbors spotted crews on site cleaning up the property this week.
The city says asbestos abatement is happening now.
Abatement has to happen first before a wreck permit can be pulled, meaning the neighborhood is one step closer to seeing this house demolished.
