Westmoreland land bank buys first properties in New Kensington, Arnold

An empty house at 163 Freeport Road in New Kensington is barely visible from the road, shaded by a large tree and with a front lawn covered in dead leaves and garbage. It was one of six tax delinquent properties in New Kensington bought Monday by the Westmoreland County Land Bank, the first to be bought in New Kensington since the city and school district joined the blight-fighting program earlier this year.

A single family once lived in this house at 1312 Kenneth Ave. in New Kensington before it was split into at least three apartments. Neighbor Jerry Kubaska said the house had been “immaculate” before falling into disrepair. Now that it’s been bought by the Westmoreland County Land Bank, Kubaska said it can’t be saved and he’d love to see it torn down.

Vegetation covers the steps leading to a vacant house at 1220 Victoria Ave. in New Kensington. Next door neighbor Kay Spirnock said shingles from its roof land in her yard, and she sees raccoons coming in and out of it.

Overgrown vegetation obscures the front of a residential building at 1500 5th Ave. in Arnold. It was the only property in Arnold that the Westmoreland County Land Bank bought at a judicial sale on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, the first since the city and New Kensington-Arnold School District approved joining the blight-fighting program.