Macon-Bibb celebrates 400th blight demolition

Macon-Bibb County celebrated its 400th blight demolition Tuesday, marking a huge milestone in the ongoing fight against blighted structures.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb County celebrated its 400th blight demolition Tuesday, marking a huge milestone in the ongoing fight against blighted structures.

“It is a great day to be in Macon-Bibb County,” Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller said. “We’re so excited to be here. As we know, we’ve been working on this a long time. It’s been a long time coming, and let me get something straight from the very beginning, we’re celebrating passing 400 demolitions in less than two years on this focused effort.”

Miller’s remarks were just the start of the excitement surrounding the newest demolition in the ongoing fight against blighted structures.

Despite the cold and rainy weather, a large crowd gathered to witness the tearing down of 3272 Vineville Avenue, the site of the former Just-a-Biscuit. This site, in particular, holds a special place for the mayor.

“There’s a bit of history about this building here, and it began the day I took office,” he said. “I’ve heard time and time again how tired people are going down this busy highway and becoming an eyesore for thousands and thousands of people.”

Miller added that during his early months in office, one of his commissioners would frequently bring up the old building, so it was added to a list of the top 10 places the mayor’s council wanted to take care of. During the mayor’s speech, he personally thanked everyone who made the demolitions possible but wanted to remind people that this isn’t the end of the fight against blight.

“This is not about one person or even one group,” he said. “It’s about everyone working together for what is best for each street, each neighborhood, each zip code, and the entire community. This is what team Macon-Bibb looks like, and this is what we can accomplish if we all work together.”