WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A battle is brewing in Winston-Salem over the future of some historic homes. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist wants to tear down some homes in the Ardmore neighborhood. People in that area are not happy. WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman heard their concerns.
Answers, that's what Ardmore neighbors want from Atrium Health, "we're sharing the neighborhood together with Atrium and we'd like to be kept aware of what they plan to do, we're neighbors right? Let us know…" Ardmore Resident Jeff Palis said.
They want to know the fate of 12 vacant historic houses off Lockland Avenue in Winston-Salem. Neighbors like Palis and Sarah Schwartz worry about Atrium's efforts to demolish the homes.
"We walk by these houses all the time that are in discussion," Palis said.
"I hope we don't end up with just a step grassy cliff or a field of rubble. You know, i would like something positive to have come out of them because they really are beautiful, historic homes," Ardmore Resident Sarah Schwartz said.
At a community meeting, President of the Ardmore Neighborhood Association, Kate Mewhinney, said they're meeting with Atrium at the end of the month, even though the hospital has already said it wants to move forward with demolition.
"It was not exactly 'we want to hear what you think before we decide' it was 'we've decided, tell us what you think about that'" Mewhinney said.
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Mewhinney also said she wants to preserve the historic houses, "keeping those areas residential is what we'd like to see but it's not something we can put in front of a judge and say 'stop them'."
No has lived in the 12 houses for some time.
In a statement, Atrium Health said: "It is unfortunate that these homes have fallen into disrepair, but the reality is they have become areas for criminal activity. To ensure the safety of our community, as well as our employees and the children and staff of the child care center across the street, we feel the best course of action is to remove these homes. While the Ardmore neighborhood is included as a historic district in the National Register, these specific homes are not designated as historic buildings. We have been in contact with various groups about this issue, including the city and the Ardmore Neighborhood Association. For more than 100 years, we have been part of the Ardmore neighborhood and our commitment to being a responsible neighbor includes eliminating hazards and areas that invite an unsafe environment and criminal activity."
Infill Delicate, LLC Developer and Owner, Brice Shearburn said he wants to renovate the homes and make them livable again.
"Those houses, if renovated, and available for sale in Ardmore, would not be on the market for very long," he even suggested creating affordable housing out of them, "the only thing we would need is the hospital and its institutional leaders to take another look at their plans for demolition and to consider alternatives," Shearburn said.
It is a decision he believes would benefit everyone involved.
Again, the neighborhood association will be meeting with Atrium next week. It is not clear what'll happen after that.