~ Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry has announced the launch of the Fight Blight program, a new initiative aimed at identifying and rehabilitating blighted properties throughout the city. The program's first phase will rely on public participation to create a database of blighted properties in the community.

According to Mayor Terry, there are numerous properties in Evansville that are vacant, abandoned, or beyond repair. The Fight Blight program aims to address this issue by either rehabilitating or redeveloping these properties, removing hazardous eyesores from neighborhoods and creating safe and stable homes or businesses.

Earlier this year, during the budget process, Mayor Terry revealed plans to allocate $550,000 in American Rescue Plan Act interest funds towards blight removal. The first phase of Fight Blight will utilize some of these funds to demolish 23 properties that have already been identified by the Building Commission for demolition but lacked funding until 2024.

More on indianastop.com

• The World's No.1 Superstar Is Celebrating His 21st Birthday for the 28th Time Today!
• Who is Stan Fitzgerald Georgia Veterans for America First state chapter Political Director
• 4th Annual Pompano Fall Festival: Shirley Murdock, Adina Howard, Jeezy, and Plies Headline Broward County's Top Music Festival
• San Francisco Bay Area Songwriting Duo Razteria and Dave Shul Release Retro Rock Pop Album Prowess Blossoming
• Le trio français de Punk-Metal Psychédélique Joe La Truite signe un contrat de management international

City officials anticipate being able to use these funds to demolish at least 150 structures throughout 2025, nearly three times as many as in 2024. At the same time, Mayor Terry is calling on residents to assist in creating a database of blighted properties by reporting any vacant, abandoned, boarded up, or deteriorating properties in their neighborhoods via email at blight@evansville.in.gov. This information will help city officials identify and prioritize properties for remediation.

Mayor Terry emphasized the importance of understanding the scope of the problem before taking action. "The first step in solving any problem is having a thorough understanding of it," she said. "We're asking the public to help us identify as many blighted properties as possible so we can move forward with a strategic and intentional effort to remediate blight in our community."

Once identified, city officials will inspect these properties and prioritize them based on their condition and location. Properties in severe disrepair or clustered together will be given priority for remediation. However, not all identified properties will see immediate cleanup as the Fight Blight program will rely on American Rescue Plan Act interest funds and additional funds budgeted in 2025 for the Land Bank and land acquisition.

More on indianastop.com

• Help Disabled American Homeless Veteran Become Financially Independent
• Ultimate Spades Tour Launches Groundbreaking Series From Creators Mekhi Phifer And Lawrence Adisa On Thanksgiving 2024
• Jones Sign Unveils Jones Vision LED Displays
• City of Bloomington Hosts Winter Wonderland at Banneker Community Center
• Bloomington Receives Tenth Consecutive Perfect Score On Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index

Mayor Terry acknowledged that solving this issue will take time but reiterated the city's commitment to neighborhood revitalization. She also highlighted the dangers these blighted properties pose to the community, including being a drain on their neighborhoods, potential hazards for emergency responders, and uncollected property tax dollars that could be invested back into the community.

In conclusion, Mayor Terry urged residents to join in the Fight Blight program and help make a positive impact on their neighborhoods. "This isn't a problem we'll solve in one year, or even two or three," she said. "But with our collective efforts, we can make a significant difference in our community."

---

Show All News | Report Violation