NORWICH – City of Norwich officials, including Supervisors Linda Natoli and James McNeil, Aldermen Robert Carey, John Deierlein and Paul Laughlin and Code Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence, were unanimous in their praise for the design and construction of the newly-built house located at 23 Grove Ave.

The house is one of three nearing completion in the city as part of the Restore New York grant program, which provided $300,000 towards the demolition of dilapidated structures and replaced them with new construction. The other two homes under construction are on Fair Street and Waite Street. The Grove Avenue home has been sold for $106,000.

On a tour of the home Tuesday night, Fifth Ward Alderman Laughlin summed it up: “It really dresses up the neighborhood.” He also said the reasons for the demolition of the existing house were simple, as “we had bats coming in and out, the back porch was falling off and the windows were boarded up. This is just great for the entire neighborhood.”

The eyesore of the past has now become the envy of the present. Sporting oak floors, this 1,800 square foot house also includes new appliances (including a washer and dryer), three bedrooms and two and a half baths.