Meridians vote scheduled for today
The City Council is slated to hold a vote this afternoon on plans to raze a set of troubled Westside apartment complexes known as The Meridians.
The complexes are at the far west side of San Bernardino, near the crossing of Fifth Street and Meridian Avenue.
The vote by the council, acting as the Community Development Commission, would clear the way for San Bernardino Economic Development Agency officials to begin the process of purchasing 18 apartment complexes. Agency officials would also be required to help tenants move out of the complexes before the buildings could be demolished to make room for new development.
Officials expect the cost of redeveloping the apartment complexes will be about $6.3 million.
A second phase of redevelopment activity for nearby commercial property could cost about $11.7 million.The council would need to take a future vote to begin this phase.
In today’s (Sept 17th) Sun the following story appears; “The Meridians, a cluster of Westside apartments that officials say have become magnets for crime and urban blight, are one step closer to being demolished.” I do not understand, someone please help me with this one.
It appears there is at least one absentee landlord involved in this. Yet the City will use public EDA funds to buy and teardown these old apartments. Where does the landlord responsibility fit into this issue? This article indicates the EDA will buy the property however; will the selling price be less the teardown costs? The landlord allowed this property to deteriorate to its current condition and should be held accountable and responsible for its cleanup. This would allow for more effective use of available EDA funding towards the rebuild once the new owners are identified. Fair market value should also take into consideration the costly expense of doing away with any and all buildings that need to be removed. That expense should be the responsibility of the landlord, does it?