Superior home in need of foundation, owner

A home on East Seventh Street is now available through the city of Superior’s Vacant Home Restoration Program. The big issue with the two-story, three bedroom home at 2122 E. Seventh St. is the building’s failing foundation.

“If left on its own, it will collapse,” said Jeff Skrenes, housing coordinator and planner for the city of Superior.

The plumbing systems are also damaged beyond repair by rust, corrosion and freezing; updates are needed to the electric wiring; new electrical service and a new heating system are required; adequate slope and drainage must be provided to prevent water build-up in the basement and crawl space and prevent deterioration of the foundation walls. It also needs work on windows, doors, siding and the detached garage.

Bidding on the East End neighborhood home begins at $1, according to city documents, with a good faith deposit of $2,000 or 5% of the winning bid price required.

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Skrenes said the property was abandoned and lost to tax forfeiture in mid-2020 and remains under the redemption period, although the prior owners have indicated they want to sign it over. The condition of the foundation, however, warranted an accelerated timeline.

“Other than the foundation, it is a fairly solid structure,” Skrenes said.

The city’s Vacant Home Restoration Program seeks to strengthen the tax base by returning vacant structures back into habitable homes, increasing housing stock while preventing environmental waste and empty lots.

“When we envisioned it , we were hoping for five properties a year,” Skrenes said. “It’s been closer to two.”

In terms of restoring properties, it’s been a success, Skrenes said. Since the program launched in 2018, only one of the properties the city listed has been torn down — a fourplex that needed to be moved to a new lot before construction on the new Cobblestone Hotel could begin.

Currently, three properties are available through the program, a home at 1627 Washington Ave. in the Billings Park neighborhood, which Skrenes said has a pending application; a free home at 1122 Cedar Ave. that must be moved to a vacant city lot; and the East Seventh Street property.

Visit the city website or contact Skrenes at 715-395-7245 or skrenesj@ci.superior.wi.us . Offers to purchase can be submitted via email to Planning@ci.superior.wi.us or by regular mail to City of Superior Planning and Development Department, 1316 N. 14th St., Superior, WI 54880.