SHENANDOAH — State Sen. David G. Argall, R-Berks/Schuylkill, state Rep. Neal Goodman, D-Schuylkill, and borough and county officials attended the demolition of 13 homes that were destroyed by an arson fire in Shenandoah back in 2016.

The demolition was made possible due to the $1.4 million grant that was awarded to Schuylkill County’s demolition program from the Department of Community & Economic Development last year.

Schuylkill County officials celebrated the midway point of dozens of demolition projects that have either been completed or are planned for later this year using this funding to enhance the community. Argall said the county estimated that approximately 50 demolition projects would be funded through this grant. To date, 56 properties have either been demolished or are in the bid process. He attributes this increase in projects to bids coming in lower than expected.

“The revitalization of our communities is essential in order to boost economic growth and create more opportunities for local residents, and today we are here to celebrate one of the biggest projects to date because of this funding,” Argall said. “I am glad that I fought to bring this funding back home to Schuylkill County because we now have the necessary tools to make our communities grow.”

Goodman applauded the program’s results. “This is another example of how the demolition fund is changing the face of Schuylkill County for the better. State lawmakers can give local officials a lot of tools to fight blight, but at the end of the day, funding for projects such as this one is the biggest hammer in the toolbox.”