Tuskegee ready to fill potholes, demolish eyesores | News

TUSKEGEE, AL (WSFA)- It's been more than 40 years overdue.

"It's a tremendous neglect of streets for a long time, but you know the good news is that we are getting it done and we are really happy," Tuskegee Mayor Omar Neal said.

Mayor Neal says deferred maintenance on seven streets in the city like Southmont is finally in the works.

"Horrible conditions, the value of homes are going down, and it makes it uncomfortable for me to go see my mother," Tuskegee resident Edwin Lewis said.

Lewis grew up on this street and says it has looked like this all his life.

"This is really just a dream come true. It's a blessing that we just didn't think would ever happen," Lewis said.

It's the Community Development Block Grant Comprehensive Project. The mayor says now the federal money is on deck to get the ball rolling.

"[We've] secured our construction engineer and the person who will oversee the project," Neal said.

Several eyesores will finally go away; homes that haven't been occupied in years. Eric Moore is grateful they will be demolished.

"On this street alone, there may be three or four just burnt down, they need to be knocked down, been there years, just grown up, leaves and vines just everywhere," Moore said.  

There are 50 dilapidated homes in the project area, in Councilwoman's Georgette Moon's District 3.

"The grant will cover this abatement issue once and for real. This community will become a model community for the citizens of Tuskegee and we fought very diligently to get this done," Moon said.  @

The mayor says bidding is taking place now and construction will start in a few weeks. Workers will start demolishing 21 of the 50 dilapidated homes in the area and repaving the streets.

The mayor said this is a very comprehensive project and are asking residents to bare with them as they transform the city and bring it up to it's proper standard.

The total project is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

The mayor says it will cost $600 thousand dollars, all of which is federal money. 

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