My colleague Jeff Wheeler snapped the photo above to accompany my colleague Steve Brandt’s story about the once charming, now decrepit little house on Park Avenue South in downtown Minneapolis. After 130-odd years, 816 Park Avenue has a few weeks left before demolition.

Over on the other side of the river, the St. Paul City Council is scheduled to decide this week on the city’s request to demolish 975 Minnehaha Avenue East in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. On March 10, it was listed on a real estate web site for a mere $19,900, sold in an “as is” condition. It’s 106 years old and 1,869 square feet. The online slideshow shows a home with considerable charm, considering its vacant state. But should the council approve the demolition order, the owner will have to knock it down within 15 days. That’s the same fate awaiting 314 Bates Avenue, 770 Bush Avenue, 1035 Fremont Avenue, 127 Front Avenue and 57 Lyton Place in St. Paul. Here’s the way the city justifies these orders:

The above referenced interested or responsible parties shall make the Subject Property safe and not detrimental to the public peace, health, safety and welfare and remove its blighting influence on the community by demolishing and removing the structure in accordance with all applicable codes and ordinances.

127 Front Avenue, St. Paul

This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 10:17 am and is filed under Disposable cities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.