City of Roswell shutting down Economy Hotel due to safety violations
Economy hotel in Roswell shutters after underage sting
The City of Roswell has issued an emergency order requiring the Economy Hotel at 9995 Old Dogwood Road to shut down operations and vacate all occupants by 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, due to numerous code violations that pose an immediate threat to health and safety.
ROSWELL, Ga. - The City of Roswell has issued an emergency order requiring the Economy Hotel at 9995 Old Dogwood Road to shut down operations and vacate all occupants by 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, due to numerous code violations that pose an immediate threat to health and safety.
What we know:
The order, issued by Roswell’s Fire Chief and Chief Building Official, follows inspections by the Fire Marshal that uncovered a long list of serious hazards. These include a non-functional fire alarm system, blocked emergency exits, exposed wiring, lack of fire extinguishers, malfunctioning lighting and elevators, structural deterioration, unpermitted construction, and signs of mold and water damage. Inspectors also found that toilets and bathing facilities were not functional, and fuel-burning boilers had expired permits or were damaged.
City officials are working directly with hotel occupants, many of whom use the Economy Hotel as short-term housing, to assist with relocation. Representatives are distributing information door-to-door and staffing an on-site support team through Saturday to help connect residents with alternative accommodations. Residents can also contact the city at 770-767-0964 for help finding housing.
What they're saying:
"We found a very, very long list of life safety issues," said Roswell Fire Chief Pabel Troche.
The list is so long city officials decided for the safety of everyone the entire building must be evacuated. Those issues range from electrical to structural. "The stairs are rusted to a point that at any time they can give way," said Chief Troche.
Mayor Kurt Wilson added that the business has been at the center of ongoing criminal activity. Last week, FOX 5 reported on a child sex trafficking investigation at the hotel.
The hotel has also been tied to recent criminal investigations, including the arrest of six men in connection with alleged sexual assault and human trafficking. Roswell police say the hotel has been a frequent site of public safety complaints for several years.
The hotel is located next to the city’s future Public Safety Headquarters, a bond-funded project now undergoing renovation. The facility is intended to strengthen response capabilities in areas with high volumes of emergency calls and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025.
"You can't allow businesses to participate in this kind of illicit ongoing criminal activity and human trafficking. They've got to be stopped," said Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson.
The other side:
Those who have been staying at the hotel understand, but they still worry about how they're going to find a place to live by Saturday.
"You're talking about four days and there's a lot of people who don't have anywhere to go," said Donnie Bingham.
"All these families, 300 plus families are gonna be relocated," said Garland Smith, who has lived at the Economy Hotel on Old Dogwood Road in Roswell for 2 and a half years. Now he and everyone else who is staying at the hotel has to pack up and move out. "All they said was it's unsafe because of the fire alarms not working. And things like that," said Smith.
"We found a very, very long list of life safety issues," said Roswell Fire Chief Pabel Troche.
The list is so long city officials decided for the safety of everyone the entire building must be evacuated. Those issues range from electrical to structural. "The stairs are rusted to a point that at any time they can give way," said Chief Troche.
What's next:
The mayor said he would have liked to see the hotel shut down immediately but is waiting until Saturday to give families time to find somewhere to go. The city will have a team at the hotel every day for the rest of the week trying to assist residents.