Miranda Pederson/Daily NewsRod Goodman, a executive director for Habitat for Humanity, works to remove a window Wednesday at 618 Covington Street. Habitat removed usable materials to be sold at the ReStore from the house that is now owned by the City of Bowling Green. The house is in a flood area and was sold to the city after the latest floods earlier this year.

The Covington Street floodwater retention basin is finally becoming a reality after nearly 12 years of city planning and negotiation.

The retention basin will act as an artificial pond for more than 100 acres to drain and should help prevent flooding in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Early Tuesday, members of Bowling Green’s Habitat for Humanity program went to 618 Covington St. to strip the last house in the area of supplies before it’s demolished by the city, which recently purchased the home as part of the basin project.

“The city gave us the chance to go in and get items we could use for sale or donation,” said Rodney Goodman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Bowling Green-Warren County Inc.

“We took windows, doors, appliances, lumber, electrical boxes, anything that we could save. Otherwise the materials just go to the landfill, and there’s no reason for that if other people need them.”

Habitat for Humanity will take most of those supplies to its ReStore outlets to be sold to the general public for a fraction of the retail price.

With the house stripped of supplies, the city can move forward with plans for the floodwater basin.

“Our next step is to check the house for any hazardous materials, such as asbestos,” said Brent Childers, housing and grants manager for the city. “From there we’ll move onto demolition and getting grant funds to move ahead with the construction of the basin.”

The other homes on Covington Street required for the project have already been purchased and prepared by the city. Now all that remains is to clear the land and await a decision on grant money from the city.

“It’s always hard to tell how long these things will take,” Childers said. “I’d say optimistically we can begin construction on the basin within a year, but you never really know.”