10/29/2007
Media Contact:
Margie Smith-Simmons, [317] 327-3690 |
 |
Judge: Crime-ridden, eastside motel must close
Indianapolis – A judge has ruled in favor of the city’s decision to revoke the operating license of the crime-ridden Indy East motel. The judge’s decision, calling the Indy East a “public nuisance,” means that the troubled motel located at 5855 E. Washington Street must shut its doors.
Mayor Bart Peterson called the ruling a victory for eastside neighborhoods and thanked those community leaders and residents who came forward to support the city’s effort to close down the Indy East.
“The Indy East had become a breeding ground for criminal activity, and this ruling is a testament to the eastside community coming together to stop this crime den from impeding on the area’s continued resurgence,” Mayor Peterson said. “The court ruling is clear: the Indy East is a nuisance to the community and must cease all operations.”
Over the last several years, the Indy East has become a haven for crime and blight with police making more than a thousand runs to the motel since 2001.
The city has been engaged in a court battle with owners of the Indy East since spring 2006, when the city revoked the motel’s operating license. Under city code, the city controller licenses hotels and motels. The law requires motel owners and operators to not permit illegal activity to take place on their property and to maintain a business that does not create a nuisance or negatively impact public welfare.
In May 2006, the city controller revoked the Indy East’s license based on evidence gathered by the controller’s office and testimony heard during a public licensing hearing held in February.
The ruling clears the way for the city to aggressively push forward to permanently shut its doors and force the crime-ridden motel to cease all operations.
The Indy East is one of several local problem motels that have been shut down, demolished or forced to make repairs and improvements:
- Drake Motel. Last year, another troubled eastside motel, the Drake, was demolished by a private developer to make way for a new retail center after the city and residents pressured motel owners to clean up their act. The Drake was cited for dozens of code violations and received more than 140 total runs in two years by local police and fire departments.
- Citizen’s Lodge. In 2001, the city closed down and eventually demolished the crime-ridden motel on the city’s near northeast side. Citizen’s Lodge had been the number one criminal hotspot for IPD.
- Dollar Inn. Also in 2001, the city shut down a southside Dollar Inn -- which was rife with building, fire and health code violations -- until it was brought back up to code, and reached an agreement with owners to fix-up all nine Dollar Inn locations in Indianapolis.
- American Inn. In 2002, owners of the troubled northside motel agreed to cease operations and demolish the buildings after months of intense city scrutiny.
- USA Inn. After the motel had closed in 2001, the city stopped the sale of this troubled motel to an out-of-state buyer who had a questionable history with these types of motels.
- Speedway motels. In March, the city and the Town of Speedway coordinated a code enforcement sweep to crack down on two problem motels on Indianapolis’ west side.
-30-
|
