Demolition began Wednesday morning at Green Hunter Homes in Gainesville, the public housing complex more commonly known as Atlanta Street Apartments.
The apartment buildings have been there for 60 years, and they will be replaced by a new complex consisting of a mix of public housing, affordable housing and market-rate housing.
Beth Brown, the Executive Director of the Gainesville Housing Authority, said in a phone interview, the process for the new housing complex - up to this point - has taken more than two years. She said she had mixed emotions watching the first building come down.
"You know, [I felt] a little sad, I guess, to see the first building come down, but mostly excited looking forward to building affordable housing for the next generation."
Brown said the developer Walton Communities is taking care of the nuts and bolts of the demolition, but her understanding is that the demolition will take about five to six weeks to complete.
Read previous stories on the new Walton Summit project here:
Gainesville Housing advances Walton Summit project
Gainesville Council anxious to move on Atlanta Street Apartments project
New development on the site of Atlanta Street Apartments clears final zoning hurdle
