EATONVILLE, Fla. — Dozens of resident still living at a condemned motel in Eatonville are scrambling to find a new place to stay.
WFTV attained a copy of a final notice warning residents at the Eatonville Home Town Suites on Kennedy Boulevard that they need to be out by 11 a.m. Thursday.
Some residents claimed they weren’t aware the building was deemed unsafe by code enforcement until Wednesday.
The hotel has been a fixture in the heart of the area for more than 40 years and all that time has led to a lot of wear and tear on the building.
“It’s in despair. This building has been neglected for at least the last five years,” said co-owner Jeffrey Wooden. “My heart is broken because I never wanted the place to look like this.”
He said some of the problems at the 29-room motel include a leaky roof, faulty wiring and broken heaters.
Police and code enforcement are expected to be back at the site on Thursday to inspect the property and make sure all the residents are out.
The motel is co-owned by former Eatonville mayor, Anthony Grant.
He said the city didn't follow its own rules and has no authority to try and close down the Eatonville Home Town Suits.
Grant also said the inspectors report is exagerated and that there are some issues but not enough to condemn the building, and even if there were, the city put people in harms way.
"The notice says the report was issued, the inspector came on December 10th so you waited 50 days. You're saying it was life safety issues for 50 days and then you gave me two days?," Grant said.
Wooden said he simply couldn’t keep up with the ailing building and it began to fall apart.
It’s been in his family for decades and he would like to keep it that way.
“One day I hope to see this place back up to what my grandfather built it back in 1973,” Wooden said. “A safe place people can come stay at.”
The city told the owners they have 30 days to either fix the motel or have it demolished.
Various coalitions and centers have offered their beds and other local motels have opened their doors for the residents.
WFTV
