Homelessness, drug trafficking surround vacant building near I-Drive
The Orlando Fire Department and Orlando Police are trying to understand what caused a massive fire at a vacant hotel building near I-Drive.
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It happened over the weekend at 7050 South Kirkman Road. No one was hurt, but the place has a long list of issues that are still unsolved.
Public records show that the property was sold in 2021 for about $16 million.
Since then, illegal occupation has been a problem – not only for the new owners but also for local businesses.
Read: Crews battle fire at abandoned hotel near International Drive
“We did have an incident late last year where there was like a homeless guy going through our dumpster,” said Sebastian Del Aguila, Sales Manager at ‘Wolves Den,’ a high-end car detailing shop that sits next to the location where the fire happened. “We kind of had to get him out of here and called the cops. You can see people clearly on drugs coming in and out. It’s just not like a good look for the city, especially when you have a big tourist area here.”
The building is near Universal and next to the company’s new Epic Universe Theme Park.
Over the weekend, the former motel went up in flames.
Read: Crews respond to fire at abandoned motel near I-Drive in Orlando
“There are vagrants or some other folks that are living in the property that may have started a fire to be investigated at this point,” said Walter Lewis, Assistant Chief of Orlando Fire Department.
Records obtained by Eyewitness News show the location is at the center of 4 fire investigations in 2024 alone – Jan. 29, Feb. 27, March 12, and the latest on March 30.
The brokers responsible for selling the property say the new owners have been working on the paperwork to start work on the property for the past three years.
SEE: Crews battle fire at abandoned hotel near International Drive
“After the sale, we did oversee the property for the current owners for a period of time, just to get adjusted,” said Alan Lilly, a Real Estate Broker with glasBridge. “It’s almost impossible for a hotel location this size to make it bulletproof from people breaking in. It was an ongoing problem,” said Travis Sawchuk, director of operations and commercial specialist at glasBridge.
Records show the building has nearly $300,000 in pending code enforcement fees.
Eyewitness News contacted the owner listed on public records for the place, but no one responded to our calls for comment.
The Red Cross has been in touch with the two people who were inside the building during the fire, fire officials said. An investigation into the cause of the fire remains underway.
Construction of the new hotel space that’s expected to replace the vacant building at 7050 S. Kirkman Rd. is expected to start within the next six to eight months, the brokers said.
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