Crews begin demolishing old hotel properties in efforts to clean up blight
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA Action 8) – The City of Montgomery continued its efforts Wednesday of removing blight from parts of the city, including the old hotel properties.
City leaders are moving forward with tearing down the Candlelight Hotel and the long-abandoned Days Inn on South Avenue.
City leaders say those two properties have contributed to crime, safety concerns, and negative impressions along a major gateway.
“Removing this blight uplifts the entire neighborhood,” says Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed. “It proves that we are a compassionate city that would not allow divestment and decay to define our communities.”
Leaders say removing blighted properties is a matter of public safety, because they can attract crime, create hazards, and impact nearby neighborhoods and high-traffic corridors.
“Montgomery, we are thriving,” says Montgomery City Councilmember Franetta Riley. “We are working, we are doing what we need to do to invest back into our great city. We are the Capitol and we will be here to stand solid and continue to invest and making sure that our communities are safe our residents are safe and the people that travel through MONTGOMERY are safe.”
So far, crews have demolished four to five sites as part of a broader effort.
In total, the city plans to demolish eight properties across Districts 3 and 4.
