Ron Hughes said he has waited years to see the abandoned house next to his home come down.
Hughes added that the home is so overgrown that it is hard to see where the trees end and the house begins.
Police said that over the years the house became a haven for drug dealers, squatters and rodents.
It got so bad that Mifflin Township's code enforcement officer was hurt inspecting the property when he stepped in a hole. He needed hip surgery.
The Mifflin Township trustees agreed that the neighbors needed help.
Now, a wrecking ball is tearing down the abandoned house. It is one of 17 homes that will be demolished in Franklin County.
With every brick and board that falls, the Mifflin Township police chief said this entire neighborhood gets more safe.
The chief said now, new neighbors who care can move in and help revitalize the neighborhood.
Ron Hughes said he feels better already.
"I wanted it down and now it is, and I'm a happy man," said Hughes.
Franklin County Commissioners and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission said federal funding will pay for the demolition of houses in Mifflin, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, and Madison Townships.
Officials plan to turn the properties into green spaces.
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