Fate of dilapidated hotel at the Falls to be decided by a jury
The future of a derelict hotel by the Falls in Wichita Falls will be decided by a jury.
That was the outcome of a hearing on the case in 30th District Court on Thursday. A date in November is likely for the trial.
The city moved in 2023 to use the law of Eminent Domain to acquire the property after negotiations to buy the building on Central Freeway fell through.
A three-person panel determined in April that $750,000 would be a fair price for the city to pay.
Although the tax roll value is about $1.5 million, an appraiser told the panel very little of the structure can be salvaged.
The owner, Rajendra Patel, replied that the city had no right to take the property and that the amount awarded by the panel was "grossly inadequate." He requested and was granted a jury trial on the disposition of the property.
The hotel, considered a showplace Sheraton when it was built in 1985, has been vacant since about 2012. It has become a target for vandals, vagrants and urban explorers with video cameras.
It was built in the floodway of the Wichita River and has flooded several times over the years.
The property changed hands several times before Patel acquired it.
According to Wichita Falls Municipal Court documents, Patel has incurred 233 Class C misdemeanor warrants related to code violations on the property and faces arrest and $299,818 in accumulated fines.
Assistant City Manager Paul Menzies said the city plans to demolish the multi-story, 170-room hotel and use its acreage for park land.
More: Wichita Falls police arrest man in connection with fentanyl overdoses of 14-year-old girls
More: Money controversy: County auditor responds to complaints from tax collector
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Fate of dilapidated hotel at the Falls to be decided by a jury
