Aretha Franklin birth home in Memphis in danger of being demolished

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The birth home of Aretha Franklin in Memphis is in danger of being demolished.

The Commercial Appeal reports that a Shelby County Environmental Court order on Thursday put the deteriorating home into a city receivership with an order to demolish as soon as possible.

Steve Barlow, a staff attorney for the city of Memphis, says the home can’t stay the way it has been without being secured or maintained. The front of the small home is secured, but the left side is sagging and a roof has collapsed.

Barlow says there is still time to save the home. He says he’s interested in exploring credible alternatives to demolition. He says unless someone comes up with a clear plan, the city will have no choice but to demolish the home.