‘Fight The Blight’ Program Heads To Northwest Atlanta
Bulldozers tear into crumbling apartments on Bolton Road in Northwest Atlanta. The teardown is part of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ “Fight the Blight” Program.
Grace Walker / WABE
Several abandoned apartment buildings on Bolton Road in Northwest Atlanta were demolished today.
It was part of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ “Fight the Blight Program.”
The project, which started in April, aims to remove abandoned buildings from the city.
“By demolishing neglected and abandoned properties, we can restore pride in our communities,” said Mayor Bottoms in an April press release. “This initiative is an important step forward in fulfilling my Administration’s commitment to creating clean, safe and thriving neighborhoods for all of our residents.”
At the demolition yesterday, Bottoms told a crowd, “We are making sure that you have, right in your own neighborhood, beautiful space. Because you so very much deserved it.”
Residents said crumbling buildings have been a problem for decades. And they aren’t just an eyesore — they’re also a safety hazard.
District 9 Council member Dustin Hillis said it’s a project he’s ready to see complete.
“These abandoned, burned and blighted apartments here along Bolton Road always seem to slip from our grasp,” Hillis said. “Mostly due to the sheer enormity with the project and the cost associated with such a demolition.”
The future of the now-vacant land is still not public, but Mayor Bottoms said the city will find a “useful purpose.”
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