Transforming Trenton

28 homes will be demolished in Trenton’s North Ward making way for affordable housing

This month over 20 homes will be demolished in the Sanford Street neighborhood Mayor Gusciora recently revealed at a press conference attended by city council members and city officials last Thursday.

Sanford Street is home to many buildings, but not many people and has been dubbed one of the “worst blocks in Trenton” for its blight and crime. Recently 25-year-old Jameca Frazier had a drug overdose in an abandoned building on Sanford Street and veterans had to be relocated from a home the city deemed uninhabitable.

Many of the properties on Sanford Street have been boarded up for years and pose imminent hazards and cannot be stabilized. Demolition will be conducted by Caroll Demolition in Hamilton for a reported cost of $560,000 and an additional eight homes on Middle Rose Avenue will also be demolished after the Sanford Street excavation. Mayor Gusciora said that the demolition process should take a couple of weeks to complete, and that City Hall will seek input from the community about the revitalization process once the homes have been demolished.

“The time has come for Sanford Street makeover. Ultimately 20 houses on this block will soon be demolished making way for new affordable housing developments to come. What is now blight will become bright. A shining example of how we can help keep our city safe, affordable, and beautiful for future generations,” Mayor Gusciora said.

There has been considerable interest from local churches and redevelopers in being part of the Sanford Street neighborhood revitalization, but any transformational project requires active community engagement and participation. In the case of the Sanford Street demolition, the involvement of residents and local organizations in the decision-making process is crucial.

“We are not allowing developers to come in and bring outsiders. We’re making sure Trentonians are benefiting each and every time there is a project going on. That is important to council,” said City Council President Teska Frisby.

When one local resident, who happened to stumble upon the press conference asked the Mayor and city officials why he and his neighbors weren’t notified about the impending demolition or about the press conference, the Mayor and city officials assured the resident that the community would be involved regarding redevelopment plans.

When asked how many Trentonians will benefit from employment opportunities in the demolition phase, Mayor Gusciora told the Trenton Journal that the construction company has six employees and two of them are from Trenton. North Ward Councilwoman, Jennifer Williams, added, “Whatever decisions are made, these [new] properties will be here for decades, and we certainly want to have the input of the community and also the heart of the community, because once this is done, this is going to be here for the neighborhood [to take care of].”

Back in November 2021, Mayor Gusciora told the Trenton Journal during a tour of Sanford Street as part of the “Fight the Blight” initiative, “There has never been a real will to take down the houses and [to] rehabilitate the ones that can be rehabilitated. It’s a holistic approach to rehabilitate neighborhoods and make them safer and make them healthier.” The Mayor also told the Trenton Journal back in 2021 that residents should start to see a noticeable change in Trenton in about five years. City Council President Teska Frisby urged residents to come to city council meetings for updates on Sanford Street revitalization efforts, but if you are unable to make it to an in-person council meeting you can contact either the Mayor’s office or city council members below for more information.