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Terrace Motel may have a buyer
By Denise Dick
By DENISE DICK
BOARDMAN
After nearly seven years as a Market Street eyesore, there may be new hope for the Terrace Motel.
Anna Mamone, township zoning inspector, said the owner of an office building next to the former motel called the office, inquiring about buying it.
Township Administrator Jason Loree also said during the April 26 trustees meeting that someone was interested in buying the property. The former motel is at 4972 Market St.
The adjacent building is owned by 4822 Properties, which is owned by Dr. Chester Jr. and Mara Amedia.
Dr. Amedia could not be reached about his plans, but his wife said, “It was a serious inquiry.”
Mamone referred the Amedias to the owner, Jitendra “Jay” Kapasi of Streetsboro.
Kapasi said he would be interested in selling the building if he and a potential buyer can agree on a price.
The 6,458-square-foot motel, built in 1957, has been vacant since it was boarded up in November 2003.
Kapasi has kept current with the property taxes.
The township sought to have the property declared a nuisance after the police and fire departments were called to the business 45 times between January and October of 2003. Those calls for service included complaints of theft, fights, domestic violence, armed robbery and drug investigations.
In September 2003, officers raided the motel and arrested five people staying there along with its manager on several charges, including drug trafficking, Vindicator files show.
There also were citations for building code violations before the motel was shut down.
The Terrace isn’t the only one of Kapasi’s properties where he’s run afoul of government officials.
In early 2009, Kapasi agreed to sell his Cleveland Motel for $120,000 to the city of Fairview Park, according to an article on Cleveland.com.
The motel was to be demolished.
The agreement followed that city’s long-running efforts to clean up the motel or to close it.
According to the article, the city heard frequent complaints of alcohol, drug-related or sex crimes occurring at the facility.