WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Hutchinson City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with the demolition of the former Atrium Hotel.
The council condemned the building as unsafe and dangerous back in August, and gave its owner 30 days to repair or demolish the property.
The Hutchinson Fire Chief said the building would become more unsafe as colder weather sets in.
The Atrium Hotel, located at 1400 N. Lorraine, closed in 2019. In recent years, it has been boarded up and covered with graffiti. The city said in August it had mold and hadn’t had running water in five years.
Following safety issues:
- No running water since December 2019
- Extensive vandalism resulting in the removal of most copper wiring and rendering electrical services inoperable
- Fire suppression system broken for over three years
- Non-functional heating and air conditioning units due to stripped copper tubing and wiring
- Broken windows and doors
- Presence of black mold posing significant health risks
“It’s an unfortunate situation that needs to be dealt with sooner than later because I’m afraid if it’s not, somebody’s gonna lose their life inside that building,” said Hutchinson Police Chief Brice Burlie in August.
