(La Porte, IN) - More demolition of a dilapidated home is planned in La Porte.

The next to be torn down is a residential unit at 708 Kingsporte Lane. Mayor Tom Dermody said new affordable housing is planned there once cleared.

Dermody said federal dollars would pay for the demolition, and the city is working with a developer to put the parcel back into productive use.

“We will go one house at a time, and this is an example,” Dermody said.

Dermody, who made code enforcement and new housing top priorities before taking over as mayor in 2020, again sent a strong message to drug dealers viewed as having a role in creating the poor condition of some homes in the city.

“We will make them feel uncomfortable, especially as we rebuild houses and neighborhoods one house at a time,” Dermody said.

The most significant code enforcement success since Dermody took over is the renovation of the former Monroe Street Apartments. The once condemned 50 unit structure plagued by drug-related crimes and fighting is expected to open to new tenants at an affordable monthly rent soon.