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Mayor Wants Gary Schools To Demolish Abandoned Buildings

GARY, Ind. (AP) - The new mayor of Gary wants the city's school corporation to demolish 10 shuttered schools amid growing concerns that they have become havens for crime.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports Mayor Jerome Prince directed his building commissioner to hold a hearing on the matter February 3.

If the hearing body determines the 10 schools are unsafe, Prince said he believes the Gary Community School Corp. will be legally required to demolish the buildings by March 5.

Gary School Body Found
A body was found in this school in Gary on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Credit: CBS 2)

Peter Morikis, the school corporation's emergency manager, said it looks forward to discussing the matter with the city. Police discovered a homicide victim inside one of the abandoned schools in November.

RELATED: Body of Missing Woman Found In Abandoned Gary Elementary School, Teen Suspects Identified

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