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Due to lack of interest, RDA gets creative with empty lot

By Josh Cotton 2 min read

The City of Warren demolished the structure on 908 Pennsylvania Avenue East last August.

Since then, there hasn't been interest in the vacant parcel.

The City of Warren Redevelopment Authority - which owns the property - found a use for it on Wednesday.

Gary Lester said this is the second year for the organization Moments on Target which aims to "get kids grieving the loss of a love one" involved in "healthy activities."

Lester said the organization would like to find some space for the children involved in the program to grow their own food that they would then tend and then turn around and use the food grown at their own picnic.

Terry Williams, the city's director of codes, permitting and recreation services, said Joe Reinke, superintendent of public works, recommended the use of this property for the program.

"We own that," she said. "The lot remains for sale. (There is) no interest at this point."

Lester said there are "so many ways you could connect with these things" and that such a garden could connect kids "so that they get a new interest."

Lester said the group went to Kalbfus Rod & Gun and one of the young men "had never shot a shotgun before (and) broke four of five clay pigeons the first time he ever shot a shotgun. (I have) never seen a kid's eyeballs get so big… You could see that he had never been affirmed like that before. This is the kind of thing we want to see happen…. So we're just looking for a little bit of space we could practice in. I don't think there's anything to lose here."

"Actually, this sounds like a win-win," Authority Chairman Randy Rossey said. "We would be required to maintain that property…. (It's) just sitting there vacant."

He said such a garden would put the property to excellent use.

The RDA approved to move forward with a $1 lease agreement that will be executed at the authority's next meeting.

Starting at /week.