Troubled hotel rezoned by Edmond City Council, slated for affordable multi-family housing

by JaNae Williams in The Oklahoman on August 26, 2022

EDMOND — The operators of a blighted Edmond hotel are taking the first steps toward reopening the property as affordable multi-family housing, but city leaders say there is still a lot of work to be done.   

In Monday's Edmond City Council meeting, officials unanimously approved the application to rezone the property back to its previous multi-family housing status from the hotel zoning carried since 2019. The name listed for the rezoned property is "New Life Village," through a company called Spectrum Life LLC.  

"We need the housing, but at the same time I trust that we'll go through every avenue that we have and our staff has to ensure that it's properly done and that it can be good housing for a group of people," said Ward 1 Councilmember David Chapman, who represents the area the property is in.   

"It certainly didn't make sense as a hotel and it does make sense as a multi-family project, but that does not mean that by approving this in any way we're saying that we're going to return to any conditions that we've seen on this property in the past."  

The property, previously known as the OYO Hotel Edmond - University of Central Oklahoma, at 1300 E Ayers St. was declared a public nuisance in January, after years of attempts by the city to improve conditions. The property owner was forced to evict any remaining residents until repairs were made and the property was brought into compliance with health and safety standards.   

Related:Will Edmond hotel deemed 'public nuisance' finally be cleaned up?

“The city has spent a lot of money and a lot of time and effort — heartache — on this property and that needs to change, and we need to do better for the people who live in that area and in Ward 1,” Chapman said.  

The property has been owned by the same company, Edmond Medical Complex LLC, since December 2003, according to the Oklahoma County assessor's office. The owner, Dr. Rajesh Narula, previously allowed his ex-wife Raj Narula, to manage the property while he was out of the country, according to Todd McKinnis, the owner's attorney.   

During that time, the property was frequently visited by the police and fire departments, with Edmond police responding to more than 650 calls between September 2020 and August 2021, according to city records. McKinnis called that period of time "a complete disaster" and said a new property management group has taken over.   

“We’ve got a mountain of baggage from the previous operator that we’re trying to shed and it still affects us, even though that’s not us,” McKinnis said.   

City Manager Scot Rigby said the rezoning approval is only one in “a number of steps” for the property owner to reach and maintain full compliance. The project may require building permits or site-planning approval in addition to meeting legal standards and ensuring the initial violations have all been addressed. Rigby said in the conversion to multi-family housing “significant upgrades" could be necessary to address “life-safety issues” and include proper areas for cooking and other activities.  

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/08/26/troubled-edmond-hotel-rezoned-for-affordable-multi-family-housing/65457344007/