I may have mentioned this here and there. But I never really talked about it. And I have thought about doing so here in the past but have instead putting it off. and putting it off.

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Cecil475/Whitaker%20Park%20Apartments/Phase%20one%20demolition/Demolition.jpg[/IMG]

The neighborhood I have lived in for the past year and 9 or 10 months is being torn down. They are apartments that were bought by Grubb Ventures late last year, if it isn't early this year. Rumors starting going around stating that the apartments were going to be torn down to make way for a housing devlopment. (single family homes). This was even printed in the local paper. Grubb Ventures later sent out flyers saying that the rumors were just that, rumors. Much later, My roomate was recomending this place to a few friends. He took them to the office while I looked after their kids. He asked the landlady (or whoever the person who works at the office is called) if the rumors were true. She said they wern't. They were rumors started by the the previous owners (The Tarheel Company) And there were NO plans to demolish the apartments. It was perhaps a lie told to her by the top brass, as she might not have known the truth. needless to say, leases were drawn up, and they moved in. about five months later they got the 30-day notice which I imagine saying

[QUOTE]"We tearing them down. You are in phase one. you have 30 days. Get out."[/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Cecil475/Whitaker%20Park%20Apartments/0724399-R1-026-11A.jpg[/IMG]

In Febuary, A fire broke out in my apartment building. Faulty furnace. I put this down in my livejournal the day after:

[QUOTE]Thursday, February 2nd, 2006
8:15 pm
FIRE!!!
A fire broke out in my apartment building last night. There was two apartments between me and the one on fire. I had gotten back from school Not too long after the fire started. My neighbors told me and my roomate about the fire, (who picked me up from school.) and that the fire department was on it's way. (They showed up a few minutes later after being told this.) It took a while but they finally were able to put out the fire. the only apartments damaged by the fire was the one burning and the apartment next to it, which was empty.

Somehow when the fire fighters were putting out the fire my (internet) cable got disconnected. I'm not really complaining. I'd rather go a day without the internet than have my home burn down.

- Cecil
[/QUOTE]
Just to give you an idea how close it was, In the picture I'm standing in front of my apartment when I took this picture. The light orange/yellow looking section was the pare affected by the fire.

Why mention this?

At this time the demolition was just rumors. Even though we had accepted the (so called) fact that it was just a rumor, we still felt it was going to happen. I was home a lot then and had realised a few months afterward that nobody had started any repairs on the apartments. Being next door and home a lot I would have seen/heard the repairs. I saw the inside of the burned apartment and saw nothing had been done. it still smelled. Two gaping holes. one in the floor and one in the wall next to the next apartment. Whw were they not repairing. Oh yeah. My Aunt at the time was holding on to a hope that they were waiting for insurance. The notices came in a month or so later. In black and white. It informed us of the upcomming demolition. and that we were not in "phase one" acording to the diagram I drew up I'd say I was in phase four. This was done after phase one was demolished and everone moved out of phase two, giving me a clearer idea.

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Cecil475/Whitaker%20Park%20Apartments/Phase%20one%20demolition/0724399-R1-012-4A.jpg[/IMG]

Thats phase one. These are on the corner of Wayne and Pine. These are of course gone now. I watched most of phase one get demolished. mostly on my was to school. Take out my disposible camera. take a few pictures and move on. I have 2 I need to develop. The whole thing has left me feelling depressed. not becuase I will soon have to move. Since mu aunt moved in We had been planning this. (Dispite the fact if they hadn't been tearing down we would have moved into a 3 bedroom here.) It's becuase of the people who have to move. I talked to one guy who lives in phase two area. lived here for seven years. He has to move all the way to Wake Forrest. kinda hurts if you work in Raleigh. I heard from a neighbor who heard from the maintence man who saw thar they had to bring in the sheriff's department in to evict someone. most likely he or she had nowhere else to go. Also the people who will lose their jobs. the mantience man being one of them. All the houses being built will be maintained by whoever buys them.

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Cecil475/Whitaker%20Park%20Apartments/0724399-R1-040-18A.jpg[/IMG]

Phase 2 has been a little slow. Mainly becuase the office and the apartments connected to it are being (now have been) torn down. The office has been re-located to nearby Country Club homes. Another property that has been bought by Grubb Ventures. Oh yeah, that place will be demolished also.

I skipped school today. I to the bus in time to realise I forgot my bus money.
So before walking back, I walked to the office. It had been torn down already. I need to go buy another camera for an "After" photo. Dispite the fact I dont like it I do like demolition. I guess it's like your beating your head against a brick wall and wondering, "If it hurts so bad why havent I stopped?"

[continues below.]