After a 6-0 vote ordering the demolition of the Hotel O, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes smiled and said:
"Thank god," he told reporters after the Jackson City Council's Tuesday meeting. "What's taken place at Northside Drive and I-55 is a disgrace for the City of Jackson and the State of Mississippi."
Located in Stokes' Ward 3, the long-abandoned, partially burned down, trash-filled Hotel O is a building the City of Jackson has been trying to demolish for years. Homeless people and squatters sleep inside — clothes can sometimes be seen hanging along the upstairs railing as if someone left them out to dry. Walls are falling in on themselves. The devastation is clearly visible to people driving along I-55 looking out their car windows.
On Tuesday, the Jackson City Council voted to demolish the building, declaring it a menace to public health. Municipal Court Judge Jeffrey Reynolds previously ordered the demolition of the Hotel O in June. Bids from companies interested in completing the demolition are due to the city on Oct. 1.
Now, the owner, Noah Muthana, has 30 days to tear down the hotel himself or resolve the issues that are plaguing the property, according to City Attorney Drew Martin. The problem is no one has heard from or seen Muthana in months, not even the Mississippi legal system. He has been unreachable since at least January when Judge Reynolds ordered his arrest for failing to show in court.
City Attorney Martin said notices have been sent to Muthana regarding the multiple court hearings that have taken place over the years, but the city has received zero response.
"Since about 2021 the city has been dealing on-and-off with various code violations that have continued to deteriorate on that property," Martin said. "You'll see all of the legal notices are in this order, or the notices that were sent to the property owners to make sure they knew of each hearing that was taking place in municipal court, administrative court and this council meeting today."
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Another man, Ibrahim K. Khoder, was indicted in April for felony perjury after his claim of being the hotel's owner turned out to be false, according to court records.
If Muthana does not remedy the problems in 30 days, the city has the green light to go ahead with the demolition.
Can the city recover the money for the demolition?
Martin estimated the cost to tear down the hotel would be around $250,000. Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley asked if there was a way to "recoup the taxpayer's money" for the demolition.
There's two options, Martin said. The first being to put a lien on the property, then if it's sold the city would recover the costs from the sale. The second is the city could sue Muthana and go after the funds in civil court.
More on Hotel O: City of Jackson has been trying to demolish the Hotel O for years. What's the hold up now?
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba warned about placing a lien on the property, saying the city shouldn't "interfere with potential development on the site, making it more costly for someone who does later want to buy the property and have that cost (the demolition cost) associated with any development that they pursue."
At the council's July 16 meeting, Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote said he has been approached by private donors who would be willing to help out. Lumumba said the city should go that route.
Concerns for another nearby abandoned property
While celebratory of Hotel O's future demolition, Stokes also said he was worried about the neighboring Chastain Middle School, which was closed after the past school year.
Stokes worries the homeless population that has used Hotel O as shelter will migrate to the middle school, which is just three blocks away.
"If Chastain Middle School is closed, the homeless and the criminals who invaded Hotel O are looking for a new home, and I'm scared to say that it might be Chastain Middle School," he said.
He asked Erick Greene, the superintendent for Jackson Public Schools, to open the school back up.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson City Council approves Hotel O for demolition. See what Councilman Stokes said
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