On February 8, 2017, Rehabilitation Technician Joe Lewis and Property Maintenance Inspector Susan Jones conducted an interior inspection of the property located at 507 E. Columbia. The City acquired this property through a Judicial Deed process due to the structure meeting state requirements to consider it abandoned. There were also no responses received from notifications issued to the last known owner. The property has been vacant since 2009 and has been cited for numerous nuisance and housing violations. The interior inspection was necessary to see if the structure would be a candidate for rehabilitation. Interior observations found that most of the plaster has been removed from all the interior walls, the electrical wiring was removed, and the plumbing removed. A family of raccoons has also taken up residency over the years. It appears the cost to rehabilitate this structure may exceed fair market value for the neighborhood, one of the criteria to consider when considering demolition.
