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7.(b) 0ntimed- NEW BUSINESS. Don Wiggins: Probably some of each John, actually these are owner - occiDied. Chair: It's the old story, you try to keep the neighborhood going and if you let it go completely down, everything goes down. I think Don has answered this a number of times through the years - that it's cheaper in reality to try to keep up the older places than to try to build a new one and as long as you can keep these houses going and keep people in them, you can keep the neighborhood going. Don Wiggins: Although this seems like a lot of money, it reflects the problems of our time and you also have to look at the replacement cost of new housing, which is astronomical these days. I guess the median price of new housing is now up around forty to fifty thousand dollars, which is ridiculous, but that's where it's at. Joh Lindstaedt: I seem to have a tendency, where I look at a block where sev ral houses are deteriorating, and see one of them being remodeled and the rest reaching that point... Don Wiggins: The chances are some of these others may be candidates for remodeling too but if you don't fix up the worst ones, that leans on the others to go down further. I don't think we have this thing really in hand nor do I know exactly how it can be handled but this is an approach and it does make sense. J. indstaedt: I agree with that, the only thing is - when you look at the whole block and there are some people who may own something in the neighborhood that is on the edge of deterioration that needs improving, this is a fragmented deal that concentrates on one section at a time. Don proc the livi are Our fact you the effe will new Chai beca Keas sump I wa saw much iggins: Your other alternative is to try to set up a clearance am in the neighborhood, wipe out all of these houses, then you have esponsibility of relocating all the people that are currently g in the houses and if you are going to put them in new housing, you alking about an awful lot more money than you are talking about here. inances dictate what is probably the cheapest way out. Plus the that I think it is to the advantage of the community. The only way re going to stop this "donut" deterioration bit where the center of ity goes to pot and everyone runs for the suburbs, is to find an tive way of transfer so the people will stay - so the neighborhood renew. This means you have to have a turnover, you have to have eople, young people coming into these established neighborhoods. r: Another thing, it is a voluntary program. They apply for this use they want to stay in that neighborhood. I was down in the Ohio - ey area last night and I was surprised, I hadn't been there since last er. There has been an improvement in the three or four months since s there - there were some burned out houses on Fellow Street but I Christmas lights in the windows on Ohio Street and things looked better than they did last summer. 91 ME