End Near For Troubled Chicago Public Housing Complex

CHICAGO, IL - Demolition started on the last structure in a crime- and drug-ridden Chicago complex, marking the end of an era of that city's public housing, officials said.

The tear-down process for the Cabrini-Green housing complex, once home to 15,000 residents, began 15 years ago. Demolition began Wednesday for the last high-rise, WLS-TV, Chicago, reported.

Crime in the complex was so severe Cabrini-Green made national news and became branded as the worst housing project in the country, WMAQ-TV, Chicago, said.

The housing project may have succumbed to the problems age brings to most big cities, such as drugs, gang violence and simple neglect, but for many of the residents of Cabrini-Green, watching the buildings go down is painful, WLS said.

"It's a sight we always dreaded," said resident Marvin Edwards.

"This is all I've known for 41 years," said Carl Nesbitt. "This is where I raised my kids. This was a part of all of this."

"The togetherness we had here, people were like one big family," Edwards said. "There was a lot of good that came out of Cabrini."

New row houses have been built in the area and there is a proposal to put a Target store on Cabrini's old site, WMAQ reported.