KOKOMO – City officials on Monday announced a program that will include the construction of new single-family, market-rate homes on vacant and underutilized lots in Kokomo neighborhoods.
The neighborhood urban infill program, as described in a city press release, will kick off this week when the Kokomo Community Development Corp. puts the first two homes, planned for the near west side on West Taylor and West Jefferson streets, out for bid.

Pedestrians and drivers alike may have noticed a number of vacant lots dotting the city limits, which are all that remain after 2016 brought substantial progress in Kokomo’s efforts to demolish blighted homes.
Last year marked a period of continued development for Kokomo, including the announcements of multiple housing projects in the area. While additions certainly are welcome, the city also made substantial leaps in knocking down a little more than 80 blighted homes in the community as part of the federally-funded Indiana Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program. And, with the Board of Works accepting more bids last week, progress will continue for the work.

KOKOMO - The Kokomo Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved bids for the demolition of seven properties through the city’s Blight Elimination Program.
Overall, two bids were awarded to Merritt & Son Excavating for a total of $14,736 and five properties were awarded to Vincent Concrete for a total of $38,932.

Kokomo’s Board of Public Works awarded contracts Wednesday for the demolition of numerous houses through its Blight Elimination Program.
In all, the board accepted contract recommendations from the development department for the demolition of 17 homes. The city is now required to wait for state certification before the homes can be razed, a process that hasn’t been given a timeline, according to city director of operations Randy McKay.
The 17 contracts, each of which was awarded to Merritt’s Truck and Auto Repair, amounted to a total cost of $190,870.
The houses chosen to be eliminated are: 520 S. Armstrong St.; 818 E. Broadway St.; 1504 S. Cooper St.; 1911 N. Courtland Ave.; 614 N. Delphos St.; 614 E. Foster St.; 914 E. Havens St.; 711 and 715 N. Jay St.; 411, 416 and 717 E. Monroe St.; 922 E. Mulberry St.; 711 W. Park Ave.; 708 and 812 N. Purdum St.; and 1305 E. Taylor St.