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Colonial Motel has higher purpose
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CLOSED: El Patio Motel, on U.S. Route 224, was boarded and padlocked Wednesday by Canfield police. Tenants were cleared out by police after a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court magistrate granted a temporary restraining order to the city, authorizing the business to be closed. Police have investigated repeated reports of criminal activity at the motel.
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Canfield Police officers serve a warrant at the El Patio Motel in Canfield in order to search the premises for evidence of prostitution on Thursday afternoon.
By Elise Franco
A Cleveland church plans to turn the Canfield site into a Christian retreat.
CANFIELD — Bishop Timothy can see the irony in transforming a motel that was closed amid prostitution allegations into a religious sanctuary.
Bishop Timothy, of Syro-Russian Orthodox Catholic Church — in which bishops are known by their first names only, said the Canfield Colonial Motel was purchased for $300,000 from Arthur Klein in a land-contract agreement.
“The property has a history, as I’m sure you’re well aware,” he said. “It certainly will not be run like the previous establishment. ... I realize we’re going to have a job to try to change public opinion about the place out here.”
Klein, 67, was indicted in April by a Mahoning County grand jury on charges of promoting prostitution and conspiracy to promote prostitution at the Canfield Colonial Motel, 7815 Akron-Canfield Road, and the El Patio Motel, 485 W. Main St.
The motels were shut down April 16 after Canfield police and undercover members of the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force found evidence of prostitution on the properties. Four former El Patio and Canfield Colonial employees pleaded guilty to related charges and were convicted.
Bishop Timothy said the motel will be renovated and turned into a Christian retreat center that the church hopes to call Monastery Inn.
“Our hope is to turn it into a place where people can get away and enjoy solitude for a couple of days — get away from the world so to speak,” he said.
The church’s monastery, formerly on the west side of Cleveland, has moved into the motel to oversee the renovation process, Bishop Timothy said. He said the Syro-Russian Orthodox Catholic Church is a small group of only about 12 parishes throughout the United States.
Bishop Timothy said properties in Cleveland were considered, but Canfield seemed like the best move to create the quiet atmosphere of a getaway.
“Canfield is a very picturesque town,” he said. “It’s very much like living in the country.”
John Schultz, attorney for Klein, said per the land contract Klein will act as the bank and the church will make payments directly to him.
Schultz said they are now in the process of transferring ownership of the real estate.
A court order from Oct. 30 states that Klein can have no involvement in the operation of the property while the land contract is in place, and if for any reason the contract fails, Klein must continue to make an effort to sell the property.
Selling both motels was part of a previous order by Judge Lou A. D’Apolito. Schultz said the El Patio is still for sale.
“Some individuals have been looking at [the El Patio,]” he said. “At this juncture there’s nothing I am aware of that would conclude in an immediate sale.”
efranco@vindy.com