Restoration on the Park Hotel is looking good
Presently, most of the rooms have been renovated and repaired and the lobby has been retiled.
The restoration efforts on the Park Hotel have been moving along nicely.
Restoration efforts began in late January, and although work has now temporarily ceased due to the lockdown, an impressive amount of progress has been made thus far.
A large part of the building’s façade has been repainted and much of the interior has been repaired as well.
Due to acts of vandalism and constant vagrancy over the years, the building was left in a terrible state, with most of the windows broken and many of the rooms stripped of cables, pipes and upholstery.
The hotel lobby suffered as well, with broken and smashed tiles strewn across the floor.
The steel railing for the staircase was also stolen.
Presently, most of the rooms have been renovated and repaired and the lobby has been retiled.
The windows have been fixed and a steel gate has been installed to improve security.
Also read: Renovations underway at Park Hotel
According to ward councillor Shadow Shabangu, the building was abandoned in 2016 and that is when the looting and vandalism began.
Many residents in the area felt the hotel was making the area unsafe as many crime, such as drug dealing and prostitution, were taking place in and around the hotel.
In October 2019, resident Mike Hill said the hotel was an eyesore and was used as a shelter by homeless people.
However, it was later found by Shabangu that there was no evidence to back up the claim that the homeless were taking shelter there.
Considering the latest renovations, Shabangu says: “So far it’s not looking too bad, and I am impressed with what they have managed to do so far.
“The challenge now will be how the owner goes about operating the hotel once it is up and running again.”
Resident Deidre Vrey was impressed as well and says: “It’s a good thing that they have decided to do something, the building looked terrible.
“But the question now is what kind of customers will they attract?
“Will they have people who respect the place or start breaking it down again?”
According to Shabangu, after the renovations are complete the hotel will be made open to the public, and the bar will be open to guests only.
The Addie has attempted to contact the owner multiple times since October last year, only for calls to go straight to voicemail, and has not received any calls or messages in return.
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