Lakeland is condemning another motel at the Interstate 40 and Canada Road interchange as the suburb continues to revamp its Gateway to the city.

On Thursday, Sept. 7, the suburb’s Board of Commissioners approved the condemnation of the Relax Inn at 3645 Canada Road. The action marked the second time in the past five months that leaders have reached such a decision in the northwest quadrant of the Gateway area.

Previously, the city condemned a nearby Econo Lodge as Lakeland officials continue to work on redesigning the area around the interchange with modern and more acceptable uses.

Lakeland targets Canada Road ‘eyesores’ amid redevelopment

Mayor Josh Roman sees the Relax Inn property as a perfect location for a new Shelby County Sheriff’s Office crime prevention unit.

“We have discussed a property with extreme visibility along Canada Road,” Roman said. “Because we don’t have our own dedicated public safety or police office, the idea is to work as much as we can with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office to allow them to put a crime prevention unit to be as visible as possible.”

SCSO has informed the city that if it secures the location, it would consider adding additional offices and the crime prevention unit.

Negotiations to buy the property from owners Sukabhi and Gangaben Patel reached an impasse, making condemnation proceedings the next step for the city.

“I’m really for condemning this hotel, this property, and I think it’s wonderful that we can provide a location for public safety,” Commissioner Connie McCarter said. She noted that the SCSO has a $200 million budget and wondered if they had mentioned any intention to help pay for acquiring the land or construction of the new facility.

Lakeland to take possession of Econo Lodge

“If for some reason we ever got large enough to have a Lakeland police department, that would be our first building that we could occupy,” Roman said.

Shivan Patel, son of former Relax Inn owner Mike Patel, who died in January, came to the meeting to ask for more time so his family could mourn in peace.

“We’ve already had a lot taken away this year,” he said “Not only is the motel our business, it is also our home as well.”

Despite his plea, the board approved the resolution 4-0 (with McCarter abstaining) to condemn the property. The vote allows City Attorney Will Patterson to proceed with filing a petition with the court.

“I fully support moving forward on this,” Commissioner Jim Atkinson said. “We raised taxes 15 cents not to operate the city but for this specific project to transform the interchange area.”

Lakeland Gateway development agreement approved

Ultimately the court will now determine a fair market value for the city to pay the owners for the property. An appraisal company hired by the city appraised the structure and property at $1.2 million.

The process is similar to the city taking possession of the Econo Lodge just down the road from the Relax Inn at 9822 Huff N Puff Road.

Following the creation of a Lakeland Gateway TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district north of I-40 and the Canada Road interchange earlier this year, the board began executing its redevelopment plan for the Gateway area.

One of the first moves was approval of a resolution to condemn the Econo Lodge, where a new $17 million to $18 million YMCA community and athletic center is planned. Lakeland officially took possession of that motel on Thursday, and demolition is expected within the next month.