Dangerous & Dilapidated Program (skip to Available Sites)

General Information

The Dangerous & Dilapidated (D&D) Program was adopted by the City of Indianola in May of 2000. The intent of this non-profit program is to remove buildings that are unsafe for living conditions to allow for redevelopment of an attractive-looking, safe property.

The City’s investment is the cost to purchase the properties and tear down the dilapidated structures. The city then receives revenue from the land sale to the redeveloper. This revenue is put back into the D&D fund, and the process starts over. The program is not intended to make money, however, the indirect benefits of providing affordable housing and beautifying neighborhoods and highways helps offset the direct cost.

How the Program Works

A Residential Development Committee, made up of city staff, business owners, bankers, and real-estate brokers who understand the process of buying and selling properties, selects the D&D properties. When considering properties for the D&D program, the Committee:

• looks at the condition of the properties

• prioritizes the properties

• considers a price for the properties

The City Building and Zoning Official with cooperation of the City Attorney are responsible for negotiating and purchasing properties, and the Indianola City Council approves all purchase agreements.

The Committee makes decisions based on these four guidelines:

• First, the property must be vacant.

• Second, the visibility of the property is very important. If it is located on a main street or highway, the property will become a higher priority.

• Next, the committee looks at the physical condition of the property. If repair or renovation is not economical, the property will be of higher priority.

• Finally, the willingness of property owners to sell and negotiate is considered. No property is purchased through condemnation; it is strictly a voluntary agreement between the owners and the city.

When a property has been approved by the Committee to be added to the D&D Program, the existing structure is torn down and then requests for bid proposals are issued.  A proposal form that includes the address and legal description of the lot is available from this web site or may be obtained from the City Clerk's office at City Hall.  SEALED BIDS ARE DUE BY A SPECIFIC DATE AND TIME AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LATE.  The City of Indianola reserves the right to refuse any or all bids.

Available Sites

302 West 2nd Avenue

Success Stories

In order to fully appreciate the scope of this program, we invite you to view our success stories including before and after pictures of the properties, what the City's investments were and what the properties sold for - we think you'll be impressed!

For more information on this program please contact the Building & Zoning Department at 961-9430.