SEAFORD, Del. - An 150-year-old historic Victorian home on High Street in Sussex County is officially getting its second chance at life. The Seaford City Council Voted Tuesday night to allow the new owner of the so-called "Allen House" to move forward with repairs.
According to Mayor David Genshaw, the city
planned to demolish the historic building, but after hearing the plans by the new owner, the city council stopped that contract.
Currently, the home has a lot of damage to the structure: crumbling brick and collapsed columns on the porch. Officials say the first plans for repair will be to fix those columns and the outside steps. The city says the damages could cost nearly $1 million dollars to repair.
Mayor Genshaw says the new owner has six months to bring the outside of the home up to city code. If it's not done by that time, the City Council could vote to put the home back on the list for demolition.
"Hopefully we will not have to go there," said Mayor Genshaw, "Our hope is that the owner will do as planned."
The Mayor added that if the home would go back on the demolition list, it would not happen in six months. He says that process would have to be put back into the budget process.
