The city of Marthasville is seeking a state grant to assist with the demolition of vacant buildings that city leaders say are a blight and a risk to public safety.Marthasville is applying for $94,000 from the Missouri Community Development Block Grant program for the demolitions, said JoAnn Toerper with the Boonslick Regional Planning Commission. Boonslick is helping coordinate the grant application process.Toerper said the city would also pay $20,000 out of its own funds and supply $4,000-worth of in-kind contribution for the demolition project.The properties identified for demolition are mostly residential, with one large exception. A vacant hat factory on North Two Street, which was purchased by the city last year, is a major factor in the grant application and will be very expensive to remove.Toerper explained that owners of commercial structures, such as the hat factory, are required to contribute 20 percent of the cost toward demolition of such structures.The factory, three houses and two trailer homes are on a demolition list provided by the city.Marthasville Mayor David Lange said that structures considered dilapidated based on city ordinance must have been vacant for at least one year to be considered for removal. Private property owners involved would also need to voluntarily sign consent forms allowing the demolition.Demolition listThe structures on the city’s demolition list are:• A house at 105 A East South St., owned by Lester and Esther Rottmann.• A house at 103 N. Three St., owned by Sandra K. Lane.• A house at 206 N. Three St. (next to the hat factory), owned by the city of Marthasville.• Hat factory at 205 N. Two St., owned by the city of Marthasville.• A trailer home at 400 W. South St., owned by John Edwards.• A trailer home at 103 N. Fourth St., owned by Alexis Lorraine and Jeremiah W. Gourley.“Almost all of these homes have open windows and structures where birds can get in, and rodents and squirrels that are living in the structures,” Lange commented.The property owners involved would still own their land after the demolition, Lange said. At that point, they could use or develop the land however they want.Toerper added that all the private property owners involved signed consent forms for demolition before the grant application was submitted.Lange said the Marthasville Board of Aldermen hasn’t decided what will be done with the hat factory and an adjacent house also owned by the city. A water tower on the property will remain even after demolition, the mayor said.Competitive grantDuring a public meeting with Marthasville residents Sept. 19, Toerper, with Boonslick Regional Planning Commission, explained that many cities compete for state block grant funding.“Missouri has about $600,000 per grant cycle designated for demolition across the state,” she said, adding that grant funding is very helpful because of how expensive demolition is.“The grant project for the city of Marthasville will cover asbestos removal, demolition inspection, the process of demolishing, getting title liens cleared,” Toerper elaborated. “By the time you get done with that, (the cost) adds up quickly.”She added that normally, block grant applications aren’t even open in the fall. The state usually only takes applications in April, but this year there is an unusual opening that she hopes the city of Marthasville can take advantage of.“The demolition grant process is highly competitive so all you can do is apply and wait and see. If the funding is not awarded with this grant cycle and the city is willing, they can apply again in April 2019,” Toerper said.

An abandoned hat factory is among six structures that the city of Marthasville wants to demolish if it gets a community development block grant from the state of Missouri. Four other structures are vacant, privately owned residences. 

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