WESTPORT — The Building Department has issued a permit to demolish the house at 437 Riverside Ave., a property that neighbors have considered blighted.

At the June 2024 meeting of the Blight Prevention Board, neighbor Charles Sherts said the property has been vacant for “about 10 years.” 

The board declared the property blighted in July. The HDC had approved the property for demolition on May 13, but no action to demolish the property was taken at that time.

In an interview with Westport Journal, Joe Strickland, the Blight Prevention Board chair, said he was “very pleased” the property was demolished before the deadline set by the board.

The two-story conventional was built in 1890. It has 1,300 square feet of living space, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a basement area, crawl space, garage, finished upper story and unfinished attic.

The property’s current assessment is $290,800.

Source: Town of Westport Assessor.