The City of Redding is tired of waiting for the owners of a burned-out bar to tear it down. Tuesday night the City Council may decide to do it with taxpayer Dollars. The old Bert and Ernie’s on Industrial Street has been shuttered since 2012 when it lost it’s license to operate. It’s been an eyesore and a health hazard ever since and it’s burned twice, most recently last month in a fire that erased any dim hopes of salvaging the building. That fire happened the day before a scheduled abatement hearing. Members of the public and neighboring business owners have had enough and are demanding the removal of the blighted nuisance. The property is set for a tax auction next month, but city staff doubts that they’ll recover the $80,000 owed in administrative penalties. The estimated cost of demolition and scraping the lot is between $30,000 and $40,000, and staff is recommending that the council take that option and deal with it immediately.
-Steve Gibson