Oxford mayor wants county to demolish condemned building

OXFORD – The fate of a boarded-up and condemned building in the Village of Oxford remains in limbo as Chenango County lawmakers wait out another tax sale round scheduled for the end of October.

The early 1900s era structure, located on state Rt. 12 in the heart of the village, was formerly owned by the Better Oxford Realty Corp. The realty company failed to pay property taxes for the past three years, however, so Chenango County took official ownership and put it on the chopping block at its annual tax sale in July.

A New York City business placed the winning bid of $2,600 for the former merchant and apartment building, but later forfeited. The property is one of nine in arrears that the county tax department will offer to the public again in a sale at 5 p.m. Oct. 28 at the County Office Building.

Mayor Terry Stark told members of the Finance Committee last Thursday that the village would agree to purchase the property if the county would pay to have it torn down. He said an Oxford businessman would, in turn, purchase the property from the village and expand his own enterprise, possibly creating jobs.

According to Stark, the businessman had attempted to purchase the property himself in the past, but found he could not afford the demolition cost and, in particular, the high tipping fees quoted at the county landfill. The structure is laden with asbestos contaminated materials, he said.