Illinois Valley

Streator approves $34K demolition project for three abandoned properties

City expects vacant homes to be torn down by the end of August

The vacant home at 525 Montgomery St. in Streator is among three properties slated for demolition this month after the City Council awarded a $34,500 contract to Kleckner Excavating Inc on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.

The vacant home at 525 Montgomery St. in Streator is among three properties slated for demolition this month after the City Council awarded a $34,500 contract to Kleckner Excavating Inc on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Bill Freskos)

By Bill Freskos

The Streator City Council met Tuesday night for a special meeting at which officials approved the demolition of three residential properties.

The abandoned, battered former homes at 525 Montgomery St., 511 S. Vermillion St., and 1011 Riverside Ave. are set to be demolished as soon as the end of this month.

The work is all part of Streator’s 2025 demolition project, which targets unsafe buildings in the city.

The abandoned house at 511 S. Vermillion St. in Streator is set to be demolished as part of the city’s 2025 demolition project.

The abandoned house at 511 S. Vermillion St. in Streator is set to be demolished as part of the city’s 2025 demolition project. (Bill Freskos)

City Engineer Jeremy Palm said Kleckner Excavating Inc. submitted the lowest responsible bid of six received during the Aug. 1 bid opening.

According to city documents, funding includes $42,000 from the Strong Communities Grant, which officials said made it possible to proceed with all three demolitions.

“Without that [Strong Communities] grant, we wouldn’t be able to do all three of these, so it’s working out well so far,” Palm said.

Palm expects work to begin shortly and be completed by the end of the month.

The abandoned house at 1011 Riverside Ave. in Streator is set to be demolished as part of the city’s 2025 demolition project.

The abandoned house at 1011 Riverside Ave. in Streator is set to be demolished as part of the city’s 2025 demolition project. (Bill Freskos)

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Bill Freskos

Bill Freskos is a multimedia journalist based in the Illinois Valley. He covers hard news, local government, sports, business enterprise, and politics while contributing to Shaw Local Radio stations for Shaw Media across La Salle, Bureau, and Putnam counties.