Abandoned buildings come down across Houston

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Dozens of neighborhood eyesores were reduced to piles of rubble Saturday thanks to Houston's third annual Demolition Day

The city of Houston knocked down abandoned buildings across the city in an effort to promote public safety and enhance quality of life for residents.

Members of the Houston Contractors Association donated their services to bulldoze a portion of them, allowing more to be taken down in just one day.

Demo Day, as it's called, was instated by Mayor Annise Parker as a means to get rid of neglected or dilapidated properties that have become eyesores or epicenters of crime in their neighborhoods. And it gives neighbors a chance to watch as the hazardous homes in their area are torn down.

We saw the destruction of one home that was not just a nuisance to neighbors; it was even causing people to move away.

"We had some neighbors who wanted to move out because of the blight," Ray Washington said. "Now, when they see this, this gives them hope that this will continue to be a better neighborhood."

Nearly 200 buildings across Houston are marked as tear-downs. The bulldozers will keep rolling until all of them have been demolished. The debris will be cleared in the weeks that follow.

For a list of properties on the city's demolition list, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/citizensnet/DemolitionList2012.pdf.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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City of Houston joins national 'Better Buildings Challenge'

As the newest Challenge community partner, the City of Houston is committing to improve energy efficiency across 30 million square feet of public and private buildings throughout the city.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The City of Houston is going green as part of a nationwide challenge.

The city is part of the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge. The city and corporate partners have pledged to make energy efficient upgrades to 30 million square feet of property.

The challenge aims to improve energy efficiency 20 percent by 2020 in government, commercial and school buildings.

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Buildings go down as part of Houston Demolition Day

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Old, worn down buildings -- places people call eyesores -- were being torn down Saturday as part of the City of Houston Demolition Day.

This is one of 99 homes the city tore down Saturday. Over the next couple weeks, the mayor says they plan to demolish 400.

In all, the city of Houston has identified 8,000 "dangerous" buildings they say need to be demolished.

"Our neighborhoods are peppered with abandoned properties and they're a source of complaints," Mayor Annise Parker said.

The city of Houston launched an initiative last year to demolish these problem properties.

"If they're a fire hazard, or could fall on a neighboring property or into the street, we take those down first," Parker said.

Councilmembers Wanda Adams and Brenda Stardig even mounted the back hoe, joining volunteer crews from the Houston Contractors Association to eliminate the home, which neighbors call a decade-old eyesore.

"No one's been living in this property since we moved in the area and it's been sitting there, and year after year it just gets worse," neighbor Ken Yepp said.

"Once the blight is removed, we're hoping a new home can be built here to keep the character of this community," Adams explained.

Following demolition, the city places liens against these properties. If they're foreclosed on and go to a tax sale, the city collects.

Either way, Yepp hopes getting rid of the mess drives property values up.

"It's going to be a great improvement," he said.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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