JOPLIN, Mo.-- A number of unlivable homes still dot the tornado zone in Joplin, Missouri, waiting for demolition. But extra care is being taken with them because of a dangerous building material inside.
"It's a eye sore spot in the neighborhood now," states Carl Franklin.
Carl Franklin lives near these homes he calls eye sores. He's waiting for homes with warning signs and dilapidated siding to be torn down.
"It brings the value of the other houses down and it just looks very unsafe too," states Franklin.
275 homes in the tornado damaged area like these, have been declared dangerous by the Building Board of Appeals. The next step in the process of rebuilding is demolishing dangerous homes with asbestos.
"This being the final phases of some cleanup and demolition of these 14 structures," states David Hertzburg, Director of Public Works.
Public Woks Department officials say it was once common for older home to have asbestos.
"One time or another that was the norm was to build it with asbestos siding of have asbestos insulation in it because it's a great insulating material," states Jack Schaller, P.E. Assistant Director of Public Works.
Now as the city cleans up damaged home, they are accepting bids from asbestos removal certified contractors to make sure the asbestos does not become a hazard. The city says this is the biggest chunk of homes with asbestos that they will have to demolish.
"There will be more sets that come up with both houses and probably asbestos houses, but they'll be ones and twos," states Schaller.
Franklin is looking forward to when these eye sores will be gone.
"It's going to take time to do it," says Hertzburg.
The Public Works Department says the demolition phase will last about 8 more months. During that time, crews will also begin to fill in open basements ad crawlspaces.
"It's a eye sore spot in the neighborhood now," states Carl Franklin.
Carl Franklin lives near these homes he calls eye sores. He's waiting for homes with warning signs and dilapidated siding to be torn down.
"It brings the value of the other houses down and it just looks very unsafe too," states Franklin.
275 homes in the tornado damaged area like these, have been declared dangerous by the Building Board of Appeals. The next step in the process of rebuilding is demolishing dangerous homes with asbestos.
"This being the final phases of some cleanup and demolition of these 14 structures," states David Hertzburg, Director of Public Works.
Public Woks Department officials say it was once common for older home to have asbestos.
"One time or another that was the norm was to build it with asbestos siding of have asbestos insulation in it because it's a great insulating material," states Jack Schaller, P.E. Assistant Director of Public Works.
Now as the city cleans up damaged home, they are accepting bids from asbestos removal certified contractors to make sure the asbestos does not become a hazard. The city says this is the biggest chunk of homes with asbestos that they will have to demolish.
"There will be more sets that come up with both houses and probably asbestos houses, but they'll be ones and twos," states Schaller.
Franklin is looking forward to when these eye sores will be gone.
"It's going to take time to do it," says Hertzburg.
The Public Works Department says the demolition phase will last about 8 more months. During that time, crews will also begin to fill in open basements ad crawlspaces.
