Staff with the city of Ocala is hopeful that a new owner will fix an old, run down property in disrepair in the Historic District.
Gus Gianikas, a senior planner with the city of Ocala, provided the update during a regular meeting of the Ocala Historic Preservation Advisory Board on June 3.
The property in question is located at the corner of SE 8th Street and Tuscawilla Avenue, right across from the street from Eighth Street Elementary School.
Gianikas indicated that the new owners, who are from Belleview, had intentions of renovating the property, which he derided for its problematic history.
“It’s been run down and people are dying from overdoses in it,” said Gianikas. He said that the leadership at the school was “extremely elated” to hear the news of the new ownership.
According to Gianikas, the building has multiple units with both a historic home and a 1960’s “block home” on the property, which the owners will likely renovate first.