"Out with the old in with the new": Talladega destroying homes to rebuild city

THESE RESIDENTS. TONIGHT, EFFORTS BEGIN TO MAKE ONE CITY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA A LITTLE BRIGHTER FOR ALL THIS, AS PEOPLE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA ARE NOW ON ROUND TWO OF RECOVERY EFFORTS. AFTER TWO POWERFUL HURRICANES MADE LANDFALL WITHIN DAYS OF ONE ANOTHER, CAUSING WIDESPREAD DAMAGE. WE BEGIN BACK HERE AT HOME IN TALLADEGA, WHERE THE CITY IS TEARING DOWN WALLS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT. WVTM 13 S BRYCE OSELEN SPOKE WITH CITY LEADERS ABOUT THEIR GOAL TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THE CITY. REPORTER. RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN THRILLED SOMETIMES THE HOMES ARE GOING DOWN. THEY LITERALLY DRIVE BY AND THEY CHEER. REPORTER THE CITY OF TALLADEGA PLANS TO DESTROY ONE HOME AFTER ANOTHER BECAUSE THEY’RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE CHANGE COMING TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS HAPPENING. IT’S BEEN A PLUS FOR THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY ALL GET TO SEE HAVE A MORE BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD. THE CITY OF TALLADEGA RECEIVED A $400,000 DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, WHICH WILL HELP THE CITY’S BLIGHT REMOVAL PROGRAM. CITY LEADERS SAY OUT WITH THE OLD AND WITH THE NEW. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER MARY SEWARD SAYS THE PEOPLE OF TALLADEGA HAVE SPOKEN. SOME OF THEM HAVE COMPLAINED FOR A LONG TIME THAT, OH, WE’VE GOT THESE HOMES THAT ARE AN EYESORE. THEY’RE SEEING THEM GO DOWN AND GOING DOWN RAPIDLY, AND THEY ARE JUST SO HAPPY ABOUT IT, SO PLEASED. AND WE’RE JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT HAPPENING FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THE CITY HAS, AT LEAST 60 HOMES ON ITS HIT LIST. BUILDING INSPECTOR JEANETTE JUNKSTOCK SAYS THE CITY IS DESTROYING WITH A PURPOSE. WHAT YOU WANT TO ATTRACT CITIZENS, YOU WANT TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND A GOOD, HEALTHY PLACE TO LIVE. AND BY DOING THIS, IT DOES SOME OF ALL OF IT. THE CITY PLANS TO HAVE THE HOMES TORN DOWN BY THE END OF THE YEAR. SEWARD SAYS IT’S A W FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM. MAYBE. PERHAPS THEY COULDN’T AFFORD TO TO DEMOLISH IT. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. THEY’RE ABLE TO DEMOLISH IT AT NO COST TO THEM, AND THEY GET TO KEEP THE LAND. SO IT’S A WIN WIN FOR EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. YOU GOOD? YEAH. YOU GOOD MAN. I’M GOOD MAN. YOU GOOD? IN TALLADE