NORWICH – An extensive housing project underway in City of Norwich took another big step forward Wednesday with the demolition of four blighted properties on State Street.

Demolition crews were called in early Wednesday morning to contain the surrounding areas of the wrecking site at 5, 5A, 7 and 7A State St. Amounts of asbestos found within the blighted properties forced workers to take extra safety measures prior to knocking down the structures. The undertaking marks a new milestone in the years-long plan to put a privately managed affordable housing complex in the State Street neighborhood.

“Cleaning up our neighborhoods has become a priority,” said Norwich City Mayor Joseph Maiurano. “This is one more step in a much bigger project that we have been working toward for a long time. We want to have a safe, clean city and projects like this are how we get it.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Ward Four Alderman Walter Schermerhorn, who has played a hand in the State Street affordable housing project since it was first conceived nearly two years ago.