Thoughts on the Demolition of Those Motels

Shoreway Motel as it looked this past weekend

It's probably not a surprise to any of my regular readers that I disagree with the City of Lorain's decision to expedite the process of demolishing the vintage motels on Route 6 on the western outskirts of town.

As reported in the Morning Journal last week (here), Parkview Motel and Shoreway Motel will be barricaded by the city by July 18 and demolished by Oct. 2. The Erieview Motel and Lake Motel will be discussed by the Lorain Demolition Board of Appeals this morning at 9 a.m.

According to the article in the Morning Journal, the city had obtained search warrants to inspect the four motels back in April. Numerous health and safety violations were found.

However, it sounds like rather than give the motels time to fix the problems, the city has basically pressured them into agreeing to be demolished. There was little discussion by the demo board about the conditions in the motels before making their decision. As a result, the motel owners will lose their businesses, and the motels' residents will lose their homes.

Parkview Motel as seen over the weekend

The Morning Journal printed an editorial on Sunday stating, "The city of Lorain's decision to take on four Lorain motels with what some would call squalid living conditions was an act of decency for people residing or lodging in them."

Not if the people living there can't afford anything else.

The editorial closed with these observations. "Visitors to the International City deserve safe and clean lodging options. The city's actions are a step toward ensuring they find them."

Find them? Find them where? There are no other motels in Lorain.

Erieview Motel on Friday night

I would much rather see the city work with these motels to try and keep them in business. Have the police patrol the area more often to discourage crime. Help the motel owners find loans or grants to fix up their buildings to correct the violations. Or try to find new owners for the motels who have deep enough pockets to improve them.

Erieview Motel – one of the two motels being discussed by the Demo Board today – was a state-of-the art motel plaza when it opened as the Beachcomber Motor Lodge in the late 1950s. It had a heated swimming pool and a business conference room that seated fifty. It even had a Howard Johnson's restaurant in front of it.

Wouldn't it be great to see it restored to its former glory?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Lorain cannot bulldoze its way back to prosperity. To attract tourists, it's got to have affordable places for them to stay, nice places where they can eat, and things for them to do. The city should partner with existing businesses to help them survive – not plot to put them out of business.

Empty lots don't generate taxes for the city. They only make the city look like an undeveloped ghost town, instead of being the supposed eastern gateway to Vacationland.

US 6 traffic zips by the Lake Motel Friday night

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UPDATE (June 22, 2015)

As expected, the Erieview Motel will be torn down according to this article on the Morning Journal website. The Lake Motel was granted a 30 day delay.