A city committee has approved the demolition of a derelict home at 810 Norton Ave.

If city council also approves it later this month, the property will be offered to non-profit developers through the city's housing branch before being placed on the open market.

Corporate services committee passed the item without debate during its Nov. 16 meeting.

The property, which sits at the corner of Norton and Carling Ave., holds a 75-year-old single home. In 1990, the former regional government purchased it in anticipation of a future widening of Carling.

A city map shows the proposed widening area, which takes up less than a quarter of the lot.

Though the region did maintain the home to some extent, a report from city staff says "capital improvements were minimal to try and minimize costs."

In the interim, the house has become an eyesore in the community.

Henry Sweich, president of the Queensway Terrace North Community Association and a Norton Ave. resident, told The News earlier this year that a number of water main breaks and a broken fire hydrant connection in the area have hastened the home's decline.

Calling the site "a disaster," Mr. Sweich was critical of the city's treatment of it.

"The city's not, I think, the best landlord around. The building deteriorated. They did very little of anything."

The city's report estimates that repairs sufficient to bring the home up to current standards would cost $65,000. Demolition will cost just over $12,000.

City officials offered several non-profit developers the opportunity to repair and lease the house but found no interest.

Mr. Sweich said the association is hopeful that the property will remain residential.

"It's a residential community and we want to continue to maintain it as a residential community. Ideally, we'd like to have another home put on that site. I'm concerned about commercialization. I'm also a little concerned that it could be turned into a mini parking lot for the VON (Victoria Order of Nurses) across the street."