A local home for mentally challenged adults will soon become the property of the Oxford Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
On July 22, the DDA is expected to close on its $390,000 purchase of the Oxford Colonial Adult Foster Care facility located at 19 W. Burdick Street.
The home and half-acre parcel it sits on is owned by Loren Hotchkiss, who purchased it in 1995 from his brother. Hotchkiss? brother became the owner in the early 1980s.
Fire Chief Jack LeRoy recalls the home has served as an adult foster care facility since at least the early 1950s.
The home will be either relocated or demolished to make way for 40 to 50 new paved parking spaces in downtown’s northwest quadrant. The DDA expects to spend $110,000 in bond money on the entire project.
With a current total of 77 spaces, the northwest quadrant has the lowest amount of parking among the downtown’s four quadrants.
Developer Charles Schneider’s plans to build a three-story, 21,000-square-foot commercial building in the northwest quadrant added to the need for more parking in the already deficient area.
The DDA secured a purchase agreement for 19 W. Burdick Street back in April, but has been awaiting the results of environmental testing before closing on the deal.
Apparently, an auto repair facility and gas station used to be located near the property and concerns were raised over possible contamination and cleanup issues.
‘We need to know what’s there before we get ourselves into anything,? said DDA Executive Director Amanda Cassidy.
Although the official environmental test results and report are expected July 13, preliminary findings appear to indicate nothing to prevent the DDA from purchasing the home and land, according to Cassidy.
‘So far we’re fine,? she said.
Social workers, family members and Oxford Colonial staff are working together to relocate the group home’s 15 residents to other adult care facilities, according to Hotchkiss.
‘Some are already gone,? said Hotchkiss, noting all the residents should be moved out by Aug. 20.