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A years-long winding road over properties seized in a drug forfeiture has come to an end.
And a productive end, at that.
The whole saga dates to a 2016 criminal case when a Warren man was sent to state prison – he's still there – on charges including running a corrupt organization.
As part of the plea deal, according to exhibits filed with a lawsuit on the issue, the defendant agreed to an asset forfeiture that included several vehicles as well as three properties in the City of Warren -- 13 Madison Ave., 11 Madison Ave. and 414 Laurel St.
The properties, by court order, were transferred to Warren County by the District Attorney's office..
After years of legal maneuvering a recent auction saw no bids on any of the properties.
That set the stage for Wednesday – the commissioners conveying 11 and 13 Madison to the Warren-Forest Economic Opportunities Council and 414 Laurel St. to the City of Warren Redevelopment Authority.
"We're hopeful the EOC has some good plans for the property" as well as the RDA, Warren County Solicitor Nathaniel Schmidt said.
EOC Executive Director Robert Raible told the commissioners that the EOC plans to build four units of ADA-accessible chronic mental health housing on the Madison Ave. parcels and added that the funding is in place.
The existing structure will be torn down and Raible said they plan to go out to bid by the end of the summer.
He said an architect is under contract and they had the property surveyed.
"We hurried up to wait," he said. "Not we want to shorten that waiting time to get moving."
Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said he "never thought this would ever happen.
"(I'm) just happy that it's going to go to a positive use," he added.
In other business, the Commissioners also approved a lease agreement that will move District Judge Laura Bauer's office from the intersection of Rt. 62 and Follett Run Rd. up to 4234 Market St.
The agreement with Holpez Holdings LLC is for 10 years at $2,500 per month, according to Lisa Hagberg, the county's director of finance and administration.
She said the agreement includes all utilities, mowing and parking.
"(For) many years we've been trying to come up with a new situation for them," Commissioner Ben Kafferlin said.