A dilapidated and deserted hotel in Seaford may get a new lease on life.
It has been five years since the Seaford Inn, located on the main thoroughfare through town, last checked in a guest. Since then, it has been slowly falling apart. In October, city council voted unanimously to have the building torn down.
But, at a meeting on Tuesday, the building’s owner, Sonny Patel, was back in front of council members with news. A new buyer is interested in the building, with a formal purchase coming in the next two weeks.
"We saw some of their plans and then we thought to ourselves, maybe in the last three weeks, that they are a better fit to purchase the property,” Patel told council members.
If the new buyer can revive the property, the city can avoid spending some $450,000 to demolish the building. But, council members are skeptical.
“We've been through this before," said Mayor Matthew McCoy. "I've heard the same thing before. So I'm just going to be 100% honest, my patience with this is pretty much tapped because our residents' patience with this is tapped.”
Council voted unanimously to hold off on demolishing the property, giving the new buyer until March to show progress, including a franchise agreement, site plans, and state permit applications in process.
