Flood-prone Des Plaines homes set to be torn down in coming weeks
Six flood-prone Des Plaines homes are scheduled to be demolished in the coming weeks — the first set of structures to be taken down under a voluntary federal buyout program, city officials said.
Within a year, a total of 21 homes will be razed, and the land they sit on will be graded, seeded, and left as open space.
The city received $7.8 million in state and federal funds last year to buy and demolish the properties, most of which are concentrated on Big Bend Drive — a block bordered by the Des Plaines River on three sides that has been the site of consistent flooding since 2008.
Jon Duddles, the city's assistant director of public works and engineering, said Monday that fencing already has been installed around six properties in anticipation of demolition. The houses will likely be torn down one at a time, he said.
The city council last week approved a $749,800 contract with Albrecht Enterprises to demolish the 21 homes. The city has bought 12 of the homes; the other nine are in the purchase approval process.
It could be up to a year by the time all the homes are demolished, Duddles said.
The city is seeking $4 million in additional federal and state funds for another round of buyouts, but its application is pending. Those funds could pay for about a dozen buyouts. About 100 homes remain on a city buyout waiting list.
The city also hopes for funding from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.