After more than three years of having the derelict Rory Holland home marring the corner of South and Green streets in downtown Biddeford, the city is finally moving to take the property by eminent domain and demolish the building.

This action is long overdue and will be an important step in helping the community move on from the crimes that happened there.

The two-story home at 58 South St. has been vacant since Holland’s 2009 arrest for the shooting deaths of Derek and Gage Greene. He has since been convicted and is serving two life sentences for the crimes, which occurred just outside his home.

For those who live in the neighborhood, and particularly for the Greenes’ family and friends, the house is a grim reminder of the murders. City Councilor Bob Mills, who serves the ward in which the home is located, perhaps said it best when he called the Holland home “a monument of tension and violence.”

It’s also a hazard and an eyesore, as is the abutting home at 56 South St.

Especially during the period before Holland’s trial began in 2010, his home was the site of repeated vandalism. Windows were broken and break-ins reported, to the point that the code enforcement office had to board up the windows. A cleanup was done in October 2011, when the damaged fence was removed and the boards put up, but the home is still terribly unsightly and only continuing to deteriorate without any stewardship.

The city made some strides toward cleaning up the area earlier this year, when the council approved a plan to purchase the long-vacant building to the rear of the Holland home, at 56 South St. Owner Janice Appel, who is believed to have had a relationship with Holland, was offered $25,000 for the property in February. It was supposed to be torn down this spring, and while we’d rather see it long gone, it does make sense financially to wait until both buildings can be demolished at the same time.

As for the Holland property, the city is offering $30,000, per the appraisal, but knowing Holland’s proclivity for litigation in the past, it seems likely that he might challenge that figure and seek more compensation. Also complicating the matter is the fact that Holland’s name is not the only owner; Susan Varney is also listed on the title, according to the city.

We are hopeful, however, that the deal will go through with little dispute, particularly since Holland is in jail and has no means of caring for the property, and Varney is obviously not interested in taking it on herself.

Once the deal is finalized and the wrecking crews have completed their work, the city plans to beautify the plots and use them to increase access to the adjacent Williams Court Park.

The park was meant to be a new gateway for the downtown and a point of pride for area residents. That’s where the lantern hangs that includes the hand castings of several neighborhood residents and stands as “a symbol of hope and strength” for the neighborhood, as Linda Hardacker, community development coordinator, said before its casting in 2010.

By clearing South Street of these unsightly buildings, the city will also be clearing away some of the dark baggage that goes along with it. No longer will people drive by and take note of “the murderer’s house.” Instead, they’ll point out that “there’s a park over there” and maybe even stop to enjoy it for a while.

Derelict buildings with no caretakers have no place in the future of Biddeford’s downtown, especially when they evoke negative memories. The demolition and beautification of these properties will help expand the Main Street renaissance upwards to this part of the downtown and instill a renewed sense of pride in the neighbors there.