PERU, Ind. (AP) – The north central Indiana city of Peru plans to use an $813,000 grant to tear down up to 45 blighted houses during the coming year.

Building Commissioner Bruce Carson told the Kokomo Tribune (http://bit.ly/1ytHG1p ) that without the money from Indiana's Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program, it would have taken the city at least six years to knock down that many homes.

Carson says the city would like to demolish about 80 abandoned houses.

After the homes are demolished, the Miami County Master Gardner's Association will turn some of the empty lots into community gardens. Other lots will be deeded over to Habitat for Humanity, which will construct new homes. 

Carson says most of the vacated lots will be sold to neighbors who can expand their properties.