KINSTON, N.C. (WITN) – One Eastern Carolina city is ready to spend more than $100,000 to remove an old motel that’s been abandoned for years.
Busted doors and shattered windows are just some of the reasons the City of Kinston says the Super 8 Motel on Highway 70 is a public nuisance.
The motel was hit hard by Hurricane Matthew back in 2016, but the city says there were never any plans to fix the damage that was done. The hotel has been abandoned since, and businesses in the area say it’s become a breeding ground for not only rats but crime too.
“We’ve had crime elements there. It’s an old hotel. The doors have been busted in, windows are busted in, and some homeless people have stayed there,” said Russell Rhodes, owner of Neuse Sport Shop across the street. “We had an attempted break-in in April, and the getaway car was stashed over there.”
The Kinston City Council is set to discuss a bid to demolish the building on Tuesday. Staff at some of the other hotels near the Super 8 are happy to hear that the building could be taken down, as they’ve heard from customers that just being near such a deserted place can be nerve-wracking.
“Just scared people when they walk over there. I walk past there, and it scares me too because sometimes you hear glass falling or something,” said Roscoe Arnold Jr., a maintenance worker at the nearby Red Carpet Inn and Suites.
The demolition will cost the city $128,474. Lenoir County Management has offered to cover half of the cost. This cost includes the demolition, asbestos abatement, trash cleanup and pavement resurfacing. The city and area businesses hope the demolition will benefit the community as a whole.
“It’s an area in a relatively vibrant business community that needs to be addressed, and I’m glad the city is doing that,” said Rhodes.
The city says removing the building will open up a nice view of the Neuse River and will become a great space for future development.
The city council will be presented with information regarding the demolition on Monday and will vote to award the bid on Tuesday.