BATON ROUGE — A long-vacant car wash along Scotland Avenue began demolition on Thursday in an ongoing effort to combat blight in Baton Rouge. 

The demolition, District 2 Councilman Anthony Kenney said, marked another step forward in the district's initiative to eliminate deteriorated and unsafe properties. 

"Our residents deserve clean, safe, and thriving neighborhoods. Removing this abandoned property is one more step toward restoring pride in our community and creating opportunities for future development along Scotland Avenue," Kennedy said. 

The demolition is the first stage in transforming the space into a potential redevelopment that would help contribute to the ongoing revitalization of the Scotlandville area. 

"Our work does not stop here," Kenney added. "We will continue partnering with residents and parish agencies to identify blighted properties, hold irresponsible property owners accountable, and bring new life to the communities that make District 2 strong."

WBRZ has previously covered the ongoing efforts to combat blight in the city.