NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council, after an hour-long hearing at their regular meeting, unanimously approved the recommendation of staff on Tuesday to find that the Atrium Hotel and Conference Center at 1400 North Lorraine in Hutchinson is unsafe and dangerous as defined in Chapter 21, Article VII, Unsafe and Dangerous Buildings of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Hutchinson.
The City Council, as per city ordinance, has the option to require those property owners who request to complete the demolition or repair of their own buildings to provide a cash bond in the amount of the estimated cost to demolish the structure. They have exercised that option with regard to the Atrium. The cash bond will be returned to the property owner if the rehabilitation or demolition is completed within the designated time frame.
Joshua Joseph will be allowed 30 days to repair or demolish and remove the condemned structure and all construction debris. October 1, 2024 is the next date for the City Council to review the progress of the rehabilitation or demolition. They are going to require the cash bond be put up. If it is not, then demolition will be done on the city's behalf.
Joseph proposed that he rehabilitate the conference center portion for a storefront and the hotel rooms into storage units. The City Council showed no interest in that idea, or any trust in the credibility of Mr. Joseph's statements generally.
"These drawings aren't full-fledged plans or anything like that," said Vice Mayor Stacy Goss. "They are still very reliant on the public trusting you to do business here in the first place. Building a strip mall with your name attached to it, I don't believe that the public's going to jump on that as an opportunity for new businesses to go into and that sort of thing. I think the condition of the hotel, in its current state, there is no public trust for you here."
Councilman Steve Garza, who is the longest-serving current council member added his support for the resolution.
"We have, the present council and the past council, has given all opportunity," Garza said. "I'm one that will try to be fair to everybody, even if you're an underdog. If you can prove that you do the best you can. In my point of view, like I said, I try to be fair to everybody, he hasn't done the best he can and I'm afraid we have to do something about it."
Multiple local community members praised the council for working on fixing this problem and asked that they go forward with the process to make sure that something is done with that property.