City works to clean up blighted homes
Published 2:00 pm Monday, March 13, 2023
- Thomas Howard / The Meridian StarA backhoe operator with Cullum Construction on Friday tears down a condemned house on 42nd Avenue. The house was one of 27 structures scheduled for demolition.
Dilapidated properties throughout Meridian are getting a spring cleaning as the city works to address blight and improve residents’ safety.
Meridian general contractor Cullum Construction began demolition of 27 condemned structures last week, and is expected to continue work as weather allows. Cullum was awarded the demolition contract by the city council in December at a cost of $148,239.
Code Enforcement Officer Terrell Thompson said Cullum’s work was a continuation of a city-wide effort to clean up the community by taking down dilapidated homes. Code enforcement is moving through the process of contacting the homeowner, scheduling a public hearing and presenting additional homes to the city council for condemnation.
Once homes are condemned, the city will package them together for demolition companies to bid. Having multiple homes to tear down at one time attracts more bidders and helps the city get a better price for the work.
