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Village acquires former Wiss Hotel, will seek grant for demolition

By Howard B. Owens

The Village of Le Roy has acquired title to the former Wiss Hotel. The question now: What to do with it?

The village would like to find a buyer, according to Mayor George Brady, but with demolition costs reaching well into the six figures, the building probably needs to come down before any commercial developer will take a look at the parcel.

"The hotel is right at one of the major crossroads of the nation," Brady said. "Unfortunately, it was built before there were cars and it's filled with that miracle substance of the 1930s, asbestos."

The village will seek an emergency grant from the state or feds to help pay for the demolition, Brady said.

If a buyer comes along before then, the asking price is just a few hundred dollars for the county filing fee.

File photo

Beth Kinsley

Does anyone else think that it's kind of ironic that the owners were paid $108,000 in 2000 for a parcel of property that the school is on now but didn't pay their taxes on this building and now the taxpayers have to pick up the cost? Howard, do you know how far back the unpaid taxes go?

Feb 1, 2012, 12:06pm Permalink
tim raines

On a previous post, the county treasurer says he starts the foreclosure process of unpaid taxes at 33 months but bankruptcy filings and other legal problems can push it back years.

Probably not the best way to collect property taxes. 1 year or less of unpaid property taxes is the norm.

Genesee county needs to move faster.

FOR SALE: A run down asbestos contaminated ex hotel at the crossroads of America

Do I hear 1 dollar............

Feb 1, 2012, 2:22pm Permalink
Beth Kinsley

This particular piece of property may have taken longer because it is my understanding that neither the county nor the village wanted it because of the excessive costs involved with remediating the asbestos and tearing it down.

Feb 1, 2012, 2:23pm Permalink
bud prevost

Beth, the property is also affected by the old service station on the corner of Bacon and Lake (NAPA store used to be there).
BTW, 2 years of Steve Hyde's "deserved" bonuses would take care of the problem of paying for the demolition. Bass ackward thinking seems to predominate the thinking of local government.

Feb 1, 2012, 4:50pm Permalink

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