DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County officials demolished a blighted home earlier this week, marking the 470th such demolition carried out in recent years as part of an ongoing effort to improve neighborhoods.
“So today, it gives me great joy to bring down this property. Because when we bring down blight, we restore hope,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said.
This morning, an excavator tore down a 1951 home that sat abandoned for more than a decade.
Neighbors told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna the blighted property has become a hotspot for crime, with a fire and even a loss of life happening there.
“I own a home here. We work hard for what we have. It’s been an eyesore, and today just represents progress,” Ashley Stanley, a nearby neighbor, said.
This property is the 470th blighted home to be destroyed by DeKalb County since 2019 as part of its revitalization effort. However, each demolition comes at a cost.
Cochran-Johnson highlighted the financial aspect, saying, “The demolition that has taken place today has cost taxpayers $37,941, and I’d like to put all property owners on notice.”
She says the county will try to recover every dollar by holding owners accountable and collecting from any property sale.
“I look forward to having lien sales on the courthouse steps to recoup the money spent by hard-working taxpayers like myself,” Cochran-Johnson said.
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