Downtown revitalization plan should include Elmwood Motel facelift

Editor?s View by Deric RotheThe Elmwood Motel is rearing its ugly head in the Auburn City Council election.The council is the hottest local race on November?s ballot with three seats up for grabs and Mayor Jodie Hale looking vulnerable.The Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce is rightfully watching the City Council election, because the downtown business district is struggling. The chamber is hosting a second Eggs and Issues Breakfast forum Thursday morning at the Shiloh Center and five candidates, with the exception of Mayor Hale, plan to attend.Before yet another downtown business goes under, the chamber would like to get some strong, pro-business candidates elected and plans to endorse for the first time in years.How to get a bigger slice of the Interstate-80 traffic pie to stop and shop is a puzzle that Auburn has not been able to solve for years. Redevelopment, downtown revitalization and a steady, predictable stream of events are pieces to the puzzle, as is attracting an anchor store. Since the downtown Post Office, J.C. Penney and other major businesses closed years ago, downtown simply hasn?t been a destination stop.An easy target for any candidate trying to point out what?s wrong with downtown is the Elmwood Motel.The decaying structure at High Street and Elm Avenue badly needs paint, stucco work and the pool hasn?t held water for years.It?s an eyesore.Auburn Police Chief and acting City Manager Nick Willick says he?s concerned about the Elmwood.?There has been discussion for five years about condemning it and making it a redevelopment project,? Willick said. ?If you tied it to the neighboring parcel to the west and up the hill, it looks like a logical thing to do.?City Councilwoman Alice Dowdin Singh is also concerned about the Elmwood, but correctly points out that unless the city has a ready buyer, using eminent domain to take the property wouldn?t make sense.But it?s not just the look of the motel that concerns Chief Willick and many other downtown business leaders.?Parolees are released from prison and they spend their first week there,? Willick said. ?We haven?t had as many problems as you might expect, but it?s a concern.?Downtown Business Association immediate past President Ron Solomon agrees.?Members complain about the Elmwood all the time,? Solomon said. ?It?s the first thing visitors see when they come off I-80 into Auburn. The element it brings into Auburn is not desirable. I think there are a lot of drug problems there that need to be addressed.?Elmwood owner-manager Mike Patel says he plans to paint the motel and replace the stucco falling off the front wall next summer.As for the empty swimming pool, he doesn?t have any plans. ?It?s an insurance liability,? he said Tuesday. The Patels seem like nice people who are trying to earn an honest living. Their motel, however, is badly in need of repair and doesn?t present an inviting entrance to Auburn.Any serious, long-term downtown revitalization plan should include a complete refurbishing of the site, if not replacing the Elmwood with something more attractive and inviting. Editor Deric Rothe can be reached at 852-0205 or dericr@ goldcountrymedia.com