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Demolition Plan for Vacant Buildings in Freddie Gray's Old Neighborhood

Governor's Office/YouTube

BALTIMORE (AP) - The state of Maryland and the city of Baltimore plan to demolish thousands of vacant buildings in the city over the next four years, starting in the neighborhood where Freddie Gray was fatally injured in police custody.

Gov. Larry Hogan and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the plan Tuesday.

Gray's death prompted civil unrest that highlighted the urban decay.

The plan includes $75 million in state funding to demolish blocks of abandoned buildings to create space for affordable housing, businesses and parks. The city will provide nearly $19 million in administrative services, and the state will offer more than $600 million in financing opportunities for private-sector development.

The city of 620,000 residents has about 17,000 vacant homes, concentrated in areas that saw rioting, looting and arson after Gray's death.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.