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Going down

Land Bank works with DEC to demolish Hideaway Bay

Submitted Photo The former Hideaway Bay in Silver Creek is slated to be demolished. The Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation is working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation on the project because of its proximity to Lake Erie.

The Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation is work with the state Department of Conservation to demolish a former lakeside restaurant in Silver Creek.

Gina Paradis, land bank executive director, said they are working with the DEC on the permitting process for the demolition of Hideaway Bay restaurant. She said because of the former restaurant’s proximity to Lake Erie, there is lot of permitting paperwork to process for the DEC.

”There are a lot of environmental regulations we have to meet. We’re hoping to get the demolition done during the first quarter (next year) and then we will prepare a (request for proposals). We will be working with the county Planning Department and the (County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency) in putting it out there for local developers to submit proposals for the property,” she said. ”We are hoping for proposals that will have a positive impact on the community.”

In other business, Paradis said the land bank board has approved the disposition of a house on North Martin Street in Dunkirk for renovation. She said the buyer has already rehabilitated a house on North Martin Street in Dunkirk. She said there have also been a couple other houses renovated on the street.

”The buyer already (purchased) a property couple doors down that was originally slated for demolition, but they rehab it. They did a 200 percent rehab on it. They went all out and made the property beautiful,” she said. ”We’re making an investment in that neighborhood. It is an important block. It is a nice neighborhood that is about a block from the lake in Dunkirk. It was a block we targeted to bring back up to be a nice attractive neighborhood, and it seems to be going that way.”

Paradis said the land bank has been granted $33,650 to hire two AmeriCorps workers, who will work for the land bank from Dec. 1 to Sept. 30. She said one worker will be focused on community outreach and the other on data compilation.

”This is a huge value to the land bank,” she said. ”One will be focused on program assistance and help with stakeholders and the performance matrix. The other will be focused on outreach with the community. To engage more with the public about what we are doing.”

Paradis said the land bank also received a Neighbors for Neighborhoods grant for a neighborhood rental program from the state Office of the Attorney General. She said the county was one of six land banks to receive the grant. There are 19 land banks in the county.

”This will create quality rental opportunities to help cultivate local landlords that do quality housing rentals. There is no specific award amount, but it is a two-year program that provides us a subsidy on a property-by-property basis. It was a really surprise that we were selected, and we’re excited. It was a very competitive grant.”

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