DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — What had been an eyesore for neighbors for nearly five years is now a pile of rubble.
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DeKalb County crews demolished a long-vacant home on Regalwoods Drive in Doraville, marking another step in the county’s ongoing effort to clear blighted properties.
NewsDrone 2 flew over the demolition site, capturing an excavator tearing into the deteriorating structure despite the cold temperatures.
For neighbors who gathered to watch, the moment was long overdue.
“It was a beautiful home,” said neighbor David Heymann. “During COVID, the owners started struggling, and it just went downhill from there.”
Neighbors say the home sat vacant for years, becoming an eyesore and a growing concern for safety.
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“This is a main entrance to our neighborhood,” said Chris Hester, who lives nearby. “Everybody had to pass by it every day. It was depressing. It was bad for property values. It was bad for morale.”
Residents also worried about what was happening inside the abandoned house.
“You get a vacant home like that and people start to move in,” Heymann said. “We saw cars parked there in the morning. People were sleeping in the house. We have little kids.”
DeKalb County Commissioner Robert Patrick said the property had a history of problems, including a fire several years ago.
“Contractors tried to board it up, but no one could actually get it together to do what was necessary,” Patrick said. “So the county stepped in.”
The demolition marks the 457th property DeKalb County has demolished or abated since 2019 as part of its blight-fighting initiative. County officials say enforcement efforts have ramped up significantly in recent years.
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According to CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, before she took office, code enforcement officers issued about 70 citations per month. That number has now climbed to more than 250 per month.
“Today’s demolition truly represents progress,” Cochran-Johnson said. “Not just for this street, but it demonstrates our broader commitment to addressing blight across DeKalb County.”
The cost of this demolition was approximately $34,000, an expense county officials say the property owner will ultimately be responsible for reimbursing.
For neighbors, the result is already bringing relief.
“We’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” one resident said. “We’re extremely excited to finally have this done.”