Blighted House Demolitions Beginning
Thursday, April 15th, 2021
Mayor Lester Miller, Commissioners, and several departments will hold a news conference on Wednesday, April 14at 11:30 a.m. at 4233 Pinson Street to mark the start of blighted house demolitions. Seven structures have been fully cleared for demolition, including 308 Old Mast Cove, 4233 Pinson Street, 4236 Pinson Street, 734 Carman Place, 4036 Worsham Ave, 4120 Dorothy Ave, and 628 Carman Place. The press conference and demolition on Pinson Street will be broadcast live at www.facebook.com/maconbibbcounty.
“This week, we are starting the process to have a major impact on these neighborhoods, and I expect that will grow every day as new structures are cleared for demolition,” says Mayor Miller. “This would not have been possible without our new focus on Code Enforcement and the leadership of JT Ricketson. Their task these past 100 days has been to find the worst structures, the ones that have sat for years bringing down our community, and get them ready for demolition.”
Several weeks ago, 57 properties were deemed unsafe and a public nuisance by the Mayor, and the property owners were given a chance to begin making improvements. Of those, 37 never responded and work was begun to prepare them for demolition, from testing and abating to utility disconnects to water line capping. Another 70 properties are currently being reviewed as potentially unsafe so that when the first 37 are torn down, another group will be ready. In addition to the demolition, crews from the Public Works, Solid Waste, and Parks & Beautification Departments will conduct a cleanup of the surrounding streets, from picking up litter to removing debris from dump sites to picking up tires to cutting the right of way.
“We have to do more to attack blight than just tear down houses, and I want to thank our departments for joining together to do focused work like this. Not only will we be removing an unsafe structure, but we’ll be also cleaning up the streets,” says Mayor Miller.