Lakeview Motel Demolition Sought by Village Building Official

Whether the owner hires someone to do the work or the village does, the fire-damaged Lakeview Motel will be torn down, Plainfield Building Official Dean Marquez said Tuesday.

The 19-room motel at U.S. 30 and Renwick Road was declared uninhabitable by Marquez on Sept. 24, four days after a suspicious fire broke out in an unoccupied room and quickly spread to other rooms and into the building's roof. Marquez has since condemned the building, meaning it cannot be rebuilt and must be demolished, he said.

Owner Piyush Patel, however, is still weighing whether he will appeal that decision. His lawyer has told Marquez that his client believes that units at both ends of the motel can be made habitable and thus do not need to be demolished, Marquez said.

"He's saying that six units can still be used, which is totally ridiculous," Marquez said. "They can't legally rebuild a condemned building."

Several trailers and a house on the property were also condemned, and all of the people who had been living in them have since relocated, he said. The property is cordoned off with yellow safety tape and large wooden blocks barricade the parking lot entrances.

If Patel opts to appeal, the final demolition decision will be made by the Plainfield Village Board, Marquez said. If no appeal is filed, the owner must tear the building down or Marquez will ask the village board for permission to do so and then place a lien against the property to recoup the expense, he said.

Patel could not be reached for comment. A woman who answered the phone at his home said he would not discuss the issue.

If the motel is rebuilt, which would be allowed after demolition, it would have to meet all current building codes, Marquez said. Previous to the fire, it did not meet several standards – including the requirement that ceiling sprinklers be installed in case of fire – because it was built prior to the code being established, he said.

Marquez said he believes the motel was "under-insured," and that the owner lacks the funds to both demolish the structure and replace it with a new one.  

"We're still waiting to hear back from the (owner's) lawyer," he said. "(It's valuable property) and that's one of the things I'd like to talk to the lawyer about. I'd like to know if they want me to put feelers out to see if there's any interest (from potential buyers)."

The property is incorrectly zoned residential, and will be rezoned commercial regardless of whether the motel is rebuilt or not, he said.

While the motel fire is considered suspicious, possibly started by one of the motel's occupants, no arrests have been made. The motel rented rooms for long- and short-term stays, and about 10 people were living there at the time of the fire.