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LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas today began the demolition of four dilapidated houses and two vacant apartment buildings on the 1300 block of Ohio Street to make way for two new scholarship halls.
Barring delays, the four houses should be torn down by the end of the day. The two apartment buildings will be demolished later in the week. The land will be cleared of debris and seeded for grass within three to four weeks, subject to weather. The boarded and fenced structures have been vacant for some time.
Last month, Kansas Gov. Bill Graves ruled there was no feasible and prudent alternative to demolition of three of the dilapidated houses that fell within the environs of the Usher House, a property on the National Register of Historic Places. The Sept. 4 ruling by the governor allowed the university to tear down the houses after six days. However, the university delayed demolition as individuals explored moving one or more of the houses. Last week the university was informed that effort had been dropped due primarily to cost.
The university will actively consult with the city and the neighborhood as architectural designs are developed for the scholarship halls.
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