One of Atlantic City’s most troublesome hotels will be shuttered Thursday.
The Fox Manor on Pacific Avenue must be vacated by noon, Director of Licensing and Inspections Dale Finch confirmed to BreakingAC.
"We did what we had to do," he said. "We're going to continue to be aggressive with unfit rooming houses, and unfit hotels and motels that act like rooming houses."
Fox Manor has been plagued by drugs and violence, including a shooting in January that wounded a man.
Mayor Frank Gilliam said this is part of his hard stance to make the city cleaner and safer."
"We are pleased that the city has taken action to close the Fox Manor," Police Chief Henry White said. ""In recent years, it has become a haven for illegal activity. We have deployed many resources in an attempt to curb what was taking place."
There were 375 police calls to the building last year, according to records received by BreakingAC from an Open Public Records Act request.
The city had asked for more time to get the significant number of calls for previous years.
“It’s been a constant problem beyond the code enforcement issues,” Finch said.
The Fox Manor was the
scene of a shooting in January.
Although those issues were significant.
Inspectors found roughly 70 violations when they visited in May, Finch said. A month later, five had been addressed.
“It is unfit for human habitation,” he said.
Inspectors were seen moving throughout the building Wednesday.
“It’s everybody’s concern to address this,” Finch said. “We just finally pulled the trigger and are going to close it down.”
At noon Thursday, inspectors along with Atlantic City police will go room to room to secure the building and then board it up, Finch said.
"We really need to clean up the city," he said. "With all these positive things going on in Atlantic City, these negative issues can really hamper further development."
The police chief said he is hopeful that, "with the proper management and ownership, the building can be redeveloped into a bright spot along Pacific Avenue."
This is part of a series of steps to rectify these types of issues, the mayor said.
"We believe that the city has begun to take the necessary steps toward changing the public's perceptions of Atlantic City and we will continue to work with all levels of government for the betterment of our city," he said.
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