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Residents want answers to vacant blight in West Memphis

West Memphis is aiming to target a vacant building off Broadway as a part of their revitalization plan.

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — Residents in West Memphis want answers to vacant blight in their neighborhoods.

Along Broadway Blvd., there are countless examples of vacant blight.

"People coming through trying to shop on Broadway and they see these old buildings and stuff. You just don't want to stop," said resident Tammy Greenwood.

Raymond Whiteside, a West Memphis community development specialist, said there have been initiatives in the past to clean up Broadway.

Under the city's current administration, the focus on this state road started in 2019.

"It's a top priority. It's something that we are working on diligently," Whiteside said.

Whiteside said the city has already demolished several blighted properties on Broadway with plans to do more.

However, things such as the cost of demolition. which costs more than $10,000 in many cases, can slow down the process.

"I definitely plan to be a squeaky wheel. Nobody likes to see blight. It just takes reaching a hand out to the owners and seeing how we can bring them to the table. Some of these owners live out of town, out of state," Whiteside said.

Whiteside said many of the buildings built on Broadway are from an era where it was common to use asbestos and lead paint. That makes both restoration and demolition challenging.

"Just looks bad, looks bad for the community," Greenwood said.

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