By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
A DILAPIDATED wooden structure in Centreville was demolished yesterday - another step in the drive to revitalise inner city communities.
It marked the continuance of Urban Renewal 2.0’s aim to rejuvenate city areas.
The structure in Thompson Lane had no complete roof or windows but was still home to 53-year-old Herman Bullard - a home he shared with an assortment of insects.
Inspector Ricardo Richardson, Commander of the initiative in that community, said although the demolition had not been the first in the area, his team was surprised to discover that someone had called the place home.
Mr Richardson said: “Since we came back into the community, we came across this place which we thought was just an abandoned building and then a neighbour told us that there was a man living inside. We made checks and found that he was living in there. The place is in a terrible condition to live in.
“When you are walking and you see things like that I mean it sends something through your whole body. I mean it makes you upset because it is hard to really believe that people are living in these conditions in this day and age in the Bahamas.”
The project, which has a budget of $25,000, will be undertaken by Inline Construction Company Ltd. They have agreed to rebuild the entire home, in four to six weeks.
Director of the company Michael Jones said his team was aiming to make the home as modern as possible. He added that the home will be made hurricane ready.
“We just partnered with Urban Renewal to help out in the best way that we can to rectify this problem. This house is pretty shot. What we are going to have to do is start all over. It should be fairly decent,” Mr Jones said.
And although Mr Bullard was not on site to witness the demolition, his neighbours said that a blessing like this one, ‘was a long time coming.’
Sabrina Young, who lives just across from Mr Bullard, said: “It was very good and Urban Renewal did a very effective job with Herman. It makes me feel very good because of the condition he was in for a very long time - he was in a bad condition.”
She commended the Urban Renewal team for allowing actions to come before words.
Comments
spoitier 12 years, 3 months ago
I understand what urban renewal is doing by tearing down abandon houses that harbor drug dealers but if someone is living in it, I think it would've made more sense to use the money that they tore it down with to build it up. It is easy to don't understand how people can live in condition like that because he probably never had hard times on him, this man might have mistakes to put him in this condition but now his condition is even worse now.
SharingOnline 12 years, 3 months ago
Read the article again! The building was torn down to rebuild another home for Mr. Bullard. A very good story about how we can help others less fortunate.
SharingOnline 12 years, 3 months ago
Not a good title for this article as it gives the wrong impression. Unfortunately politics is being shone instead of humanities conditions and goodness.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 3 months ago
read the guardian
concernedcitizen 12 years, 3 months ago
guess it is good ,but Mr Jones you partner with urban renewal to get paid ,you are not doing it pro bono.................
concernedcitizen 12 years, 3 months ago
meant to say yes it is very good ,still half the same feelings about Mr Jones trying to make it sound alturistic ,he is paid to tear the houses down and paid to build a new little one..
242 12 years, 3 months ago
According to another newspaper the house was demolished by accident and the man didn't know that his house was knocked down and someone told home while he was at work and and came home shocked and then they quickly say they gonna rebuild it. It also said he had a brand new fridge in there when they knocked it down......
concernedcitizen 12 years, 3 months ago
is that the type of intelligence driven program to tear down a mans house ,boy his neighbors must not like him .did the minister of works approve it ,was the man giving warnings that if he did not repair his house it would be torn down ??,,,what a bunch of clowns
concernedcitizen 12 years, 3 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 3 months ago
the man has a gov job ,lives in centerville ,and is now getting a new house ,,,,,,,,,,plp all the way,,,,,
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