The Clinton County Land Bank and the Clean Up Clinton County Initiative visited the newly-cleared 132 Main St., New Vienna site last month in December of 2022, signifying the completion to this extensive and challenging cleanup project.

In the summer of 2021, 132 Main St. was deemed a safety concern that qualified for complete demolition. The Village of New Vienna was awarded a Legacy Fund Grant to demolish the building, which was adjacent to a newly-installed public playground. During the stages of the demolition process, the neighboring building, which also had previously identified structural concerns, experienced a partial collapse, which led to the closure of Main Street for several weeks.

“The loss of both of these buildings was the result of many years of deferred maintenance and neglect, which eventually created a serious public safety hazard for the citizens of the village,” said Taylor Stuckert, executive director of the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission. “While it is never ideal to lose additional historic fabric, the cleanup initiative became unavoidable.”

The cleanup was made possible through a combined effort between the Village of New Vienna, the county commissioners, and the Clinton County Land Bank, and both buildings were able to be demolished in order to protect the safety of citizens, and to re-open Main Street up to the public.

Now that the property has been cleaned up there are a variety of potential uses that could come to this property and enhance the Village of New Vienna.