Demolition of former hotel destroyed in tornado nearly complete – WDTN.com

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WDTN) Crews are almost finished demolishing a former hotel that was damaged during the Memorial Day tornadoes.

The former hotel near Interstate 75 had been closed for several years, and now the property is up for sale.

Some neighbors near Wagner Ford Road who are also still going through the tornado recovery process told 2 NEWS theyre relieved.

Its an eyesore, said Daniel Chafin, who lives near the site. Its been vandalized. It brings bad elements in the neighborhood. So hey, Im happy with it going down and being a vacant lot.

According to Cathi Spaugy, Harrison Township development director, a $3 million renovation project was happening inside the hotel when the storm hit.

It became a safety issue because you could see the state of it, and we had people in and out of it trying to take things out of the inside, Spaugy said.

The demolition process and all associated costs are being handled by the property owner, Spaugy said. The section still standing has asbestos and will be carefully cleared within the next few weeks, she added.

Spaugy said she believes the property wont be a tough sell due to its location off of I-75.

I would think its going to be something along the lines of a retail/light industrial type use thats going to go in there, Spaugy said.

The recovery process is moving along throughout Harrison Township as more destroyed structures come down and others are repaired or rebuilt, Spaugy said. Right now, the township is looking at about a dozen abandoned homes and four to five commercial buildings for possible demolition, she added.

Some neighbors in the hardest hit areas told 2 NEWS they remain optimistic.

Its looking really well, Chafin said. If you just drive around, its a big difference than what it was.

2 NEWS has attempted to reach the property owner, Dayton Fun Hotels LLC, for this story.

Spaugy said she expects the site to be completely cleared by April.

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Demolition of former hotel destroyed in tornado nearly complete - WDTN.com