City to Again Consider Dangerous Hotel

The Salina City Commission will again take up the issue of the fate of a Salina hotel after the owner missed deadlines to file plans to make it safe and secure. At issue is the Ambassador Hotel at 1616 W. Crawford, which in its glory days as a Holiday Inn Holidome was one of the nicest lodging facilities in town,

Back in July city commissioners designated the Ambassador a dangerous structure. It was ordered to be made safe and secure, or be demolished. Owner Joshua Joseph was given two options: he can repair it and make it safe, or he can demolish it.

If Joseph chose to repair, he was required by September to submit a plan and apply for permits, and work would have to begin by November. If he chose to demolish, he needed a plan and permits by early August, and demolition was to have started by September 5th. If he chooses to do nothing the City will demolish the building and attempt to recoup the cost of demolition.

Salina City Manager Mike Schrage, appearing on KSAL’s “Morning News Extra” program, said that though Joseph did communicate with city officials, he missed the deadline to submit plans and applications.

The Salina Ambassador structure has been closed since mid 2020, and according to city inspectors, in its current condition is unsafe. Defects exist such that the structure is dangerous. There have been at least 23 building violations since 2019. Concerns with the structure include crumbling walls and ceilings, holes in the roof, and mold on and inside walls. Nearly all of the wiring and plumbing has been stripped out of the facility.

There is also evidence numerous vagrants have been living inside the structure, and among other things used syringes and needles were found in several areas. A fire back in March may have been started by a vagrant.

Joseph owned a similar hotel Hays which fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished. He also owns one in Hutchinson which is currently in a state of disrepair and has been declared unsafe and dangerous.

The Salina hotel first opened in Salina in 1986 as a Holiday Inn Holidome. Along with 192 rooms on a couple of floors, it had meeting space, a pool and waterslide, a sauna, and a restaurant. The Holiday Inn was later rebranded as a Ramada Inn, before then becoming what it is now known as the Ambassador.