Renovation work began late last week on the exteriors of several long-vacant properties owned by Shiloh Baptist Church in the 1500 block of 9th Street NW.

Workers could be seen on Friday afternoon and again on Monday installing new windows and frames on the dilapidated structures, which have been the source of contention within the neighborhood for decades.

DCist was the first to report back in July that Shiloh had at last decided to sell two of its properties in order to renovate its remaining vacants. Those two properties, at 1600 8th Street NW and 1543 8th Street NW, are currently for sale by a D.C.-based Long and Foster agent, listed for $450,000 each.

Residents have long complained that the church had reneged on repeated promises to return its properties to some useful purpose, instead allowing them to go to seed, attracting drug users, rodents and trash.

In 2007, six of Shiloh’s properties were condemned by the city, forcing the church to perform cursory repairs to bring them up to code.