Abandoned houses line State Street in East Fairmont, WV. Those houses are slated to be torn down starting this week.

Helen Wagner, a resident of State Street for more than 30 years, is glad to see them go.

"Sometimes you feel unsafe with abandoned house all around you, so I think its going to be a lot nicer to take them down," she said.

The demolition crews have returned after a six-week break. The demolition project will consist of tearing down 50 structures including houses, garages, apartment buildings and an old school. Before the demolition can begin, crews had to disconnect utility lines.

All 50 houses will be destroyed by mid-October. Danny Donlin said there is no pattern to what houses have been slated for destruction or in what order it will be accomplished.

"It's kind of sporadic. It's not all houses on one block, there are two houses here, then three or four houses will be left alone. We tear them down in the order that we purchased them," he said.

Some of those houses were purchased years ago. The city of Fairmont is also glad to see them go.

City planner Jay Rogers said the demolition "shows progress that the road project is moving forward. Certainly for the citizens in the neighborhood, it's a welcome sign." For most citizens, getting rid of the abandoned houses is a step in the right direction. But it is still a sad day for residents who have lived on State Street for years.

Many of the residents still living along that street will also have to move. The state says several of those houses will be bought and demolished. No time line has been set for when that will be.

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