DeKalb County demolished a long‑neglected property (2624 Old Wesley Chapel Road) on Oct. 7 after a court order, the county said, and leaders framed the action as part of an expanded, faster push to remove blight across the jurisdiction.

Community Development Director Alan Mitchell opened the briefing noting the property burned in January 2025 and has been a public nuisance since 2019; the county filed a demolition complaint in February and obtained a final order in May. Tonja Clark, director of Code Compliance, explained the case was the result of years of warnings, citations and outreach followed by a court adjudication.

Why it matters: County leaders said blighted properties create safety hazards, attract illicit activity and depress nearby property values. The CEO framed the demolition as a visible example of the county’s shift to more proactive enforcement, extended field shifts for code officers and a policy that will place liens on owners and, where appropriate, sell liens to recover demolition costs.

Key details announced at the site

- Property status: In atrophy since 2019; fire occurred January 2025; county filed in February and obtained a final demolition order in May 2025.

- Cost and contractor: Director Mitchell said the county has already spent about $33,000 to abate the parcel (debris removal, hazardous materials and related work); the contractor performing the demolition (Kicksburg Construction) was on site for the removal.

- County statistics and policy: CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson said the county has demolished 181 properties since 2019 and that this site is property number 182. She said the county has abated 257 additional properties for a total of 438 units to date and that DeKalb will place liens to recover abatement costs, with sales of liens expected to help offset county expenditures.

- Community impact: A neighboring business owner, who runs a nearby early learning academy, thanked the county and said parents and families had expressed relief about the demolition and increased safety.

Next steps and enforcement posture

The CEO said code compliance will be more proactive and operate extended shifts to serve violations that occur after hours, and that county leadership will prioritize pilot programs (Operation Safe Streets/Operation Clean Streets) and a multifamily task force to hold negligent property owners accountable. The county intends to continue abatement and demolition actions where judicial orders allow and pursue lien recovery for the county’s expenses.