Strike Force Closes Troubled Downtown Hotel
The city has closed a downtown hotel that officials said was guilty of a long series of building code violations.
A city strike force cleared out the run-down Hafa-Adai Hotel, better known by its previous name, the Kennedy Hotel, at the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Broadway, arresting four people, evicting squatters and condemning the premises.
Over the last five years, police, fire and building officials have visited the hotel for numerous problems, including drug dealing, prostitution, assault and public drunkenness.
The hotel “has been very problematic and dysfunctional to the downtown,” said Police Cmdr. Anthony Batts.
Local business owners are pleased that the city took action. “We lost a lot of business,” said Mike Fragoudakis, owner of Mike’s Stereo and Camera. “People were scared to come around with all those activities.”
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