ELYRIA, Ohio — In what city leaders are touting as a major victory, Elyria has settled a lawsuit with the owner of a vacant hotel plagued by health and safety concerns.
“The settlement of the lawsuit was a huge win for the city of Elyria, the biggest step we’ve taken in years to get something done here,” said Elyria Mayor Kevin Brubaker.
This week, the city and property owner, Suite Living, LLC, signed an agreement to address the condition of the former Days Inn hotel near Route 57 and the Midway Mall.
Over the summer, the city sued the owner over the property’s condition.
Court documents referred to it as a “menace to public health” and “dangerous to human life.”
RELATED: 'Dangerous to human life:' Elyria suing owners of former Days Inn hotel
“They need to do something about it, either rehab the building or tear it down,” said neighbor Steve Pauley.
He can see the vacant tower from his driveway and recalls how the hotel deteriorated after its closure in 2020.
“Since they shut it down, it’s been an eyesore ever since — people breaking in, destroying the place,” he said.
The Elyria Fire chief previously told News 5 that he considered the property one of the most dangerous in the city.
He explained that the large, vacant building lacked fire control measures and had long attracted squatters. He worried a fire inside could force his crews into a dangerous situation, clearing the rundown structure and not knowing whether anyone was inside it.
The mayor had similar feelings.
“It’s just an albatross and it’s a menace to our community,” said Brubaker.
The mayor said it’s also been an additional obstacle near an area of the city primed for redevelopment.
The Lorain County Port Authority is finalizing the sale of the nearby Midway Mall to commercial rehabilitation group ICP.
RELATED: The future of Midway Mall in Elyria has been decided
“This is what people see when they come off of the Turnpike or off of I-90 to shop or go to restaurants. This is what they see. It’s a big deterrent. It’s ugly for the city for it to be here,” Brubaker said.
He’s hopeful the settlement finalized Thursday will expedite the property’s cleanup and remediation. The agreement officially declared the building a public nuisance and listed more than a dozen requirements for the owner to clear out the buildings, comply with health and safety standards and improve security.
If the owner fails to meet any of the requirements within the 90-120 days specified, the property will be placed in receivership. In that scenario, a third party will retain control, and the property could become available for sale.
The mayor believes it will be difficult for the out-of-state owner to fulfill all of the requirements set by the settlement and anticipates the property’s condition will require it to be demolished.
The move could open more space for redevelopment near the Midway Mall.
“It sets the tone for everything we have going on here,” Brubaker said. “Whatever happens to it just is going to be an uplift for everything that’s going on around the mall area.”
Neighbors said they look forward to improvements in the area.
“Let’s see what they do. If they clean it up, it would be nice,” said Pauley.
