1609 Heights Drive

The neighborhood we are working basically consists of one street that is about four blocks long.  About 1/4 of the lots are just slabs of former houses, another 1/4 are abandoned houses and the remaining 1/2 are apparently occupied in various stages of repair/disrepair.

This house sits two doors south of the house we’re working on, adjoining the empty lot next to our house. 

At about 9:00AM we noticed a flurry of activity and heard the rumbling of heavy equipment and trucks.  It turned out that the house was scheduled for demolition.  Talking to one of the workers, we found out that the home was abandoned and the city ordered that it be torn down.

No matter what shape a house is in, it's depressing to see one torn down.  (I always think of the families that lived there.)  You can see 1613 in the far left side of the picture.

This was the view from the kitchen door.

Less than three hours later...

The next step is to have the slab painted brick red to seal in any asbestos fibers (from the flooring, I’m assuming).  Apparently the lot will be offered to the neighbors for purchase, but realistically, none have the money to buy it.  So eventually, even the slab will be removed and the lot will revert to green space.

The circle of life in St. Bernard, LA.