Schenectady

Nineteen more blighted buildings across the city will soon be coming down.

On Thursday, the Capital Region Land Bank issued a request for proposals with a Feb. 11 deadline to submit bids.

Land Bank Chairman Richard Ruzzo said the demolition of the vacant buildings, including several on Prospect and DeGraff streets and Second Avenue, "will boost neighborhood revitalization and improve the quality of living for our residents throughout the community."

Mayor Gary McCarthy, who has promised to tear down crumbling buildings, echoed those sentiments.

"We are pleased to work with the Land Bank to get rid of houses that are beyond repair while we continue to renovate and restore other homes for new residents through our HOMES program," he said.

The acronym stands for Home Ownership Made Easy in Schenectady, a program aimed at getting more people to purchase homes in the Electric City.

The work is expected to awarded by Feb. 19 with demolition getting started pretty much right away.

Anyone wanting more information can visit www.capitalregionlandbank.com.

The properties to be demolished are 1126 Albany St., 1205 State St., 1207 State St., 114 Porter St., 909 Wendell Ave., 858 Eastern Ave., 4 Elmer Ave., 123 Prospect St., 854 Eastern Ave.,105 DeGraff St., 108 DeGraff St., 101 Prospect St., 112 Prospect St., 129 Prospect St., 1035 Second Ave., 1039 Second Ave., 409 Duane St., 413 Duane St. and 706 Vale Place.