19th century Evansville row house gets temporary reprieve

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Preservationists hoping to save a blighted 19th century row house from demolition have won more time for their push to rescue the Evansville building.

Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development Director Kelley Coures tells WFIE-TV (http://bit.ly/1JejyGr ) a city code enforcement officer on Thursday delayed the Owen Block house's demolition order until March 12.

The department says it's raised $165,000 so far to save the 131-year-old historic building.

The nonprofit preservation group Indiana Landmarks is raising money separately to help developer Mike Martin stabilize the building and bring it up to code.

Martin would then turn the row house into a 15-unit apartment building that Coures estimates would bring in $20,000 a year in property taxes.

The row house has long appeared on the Preservation Alliance of Evansville's "Most Endangered Places" list.

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Information from: WFIE-TV, http://www.14wfie.com/