Officials plan to tear down Celina Motel

CELINA - City officials plan to raze the Celina Motel, which is currently set up as an apartment complex, on Feb. 4 unless its owner, Muhammad Khokhar, brings the building up to code by Monday, according to a Jan. 16 letter from city law director George Moore.

The city has deemed the motel at 225 S. Main St. an unsafe building after Khokhar reportedly failed to comply with the Ohio building code and his window to appeal an adjudication order expired, the letter reads.

Moreover, because the violation allegedly renders the building a serious hazard under the building code, city officials have ordered its razing on or after Feb. 4, with all costs to be assessed to Khokhar, unless "the hazards are removed or the building returned to the original or a more suitable code-compliant use prior to Monday," the letter states.

Khokhar has also been ordered to have all building occupants vacated by no later than 4 p.m. Monday.

"Along these lines, please be advised that the State of Ohio is willing to prosecute this matter under Ohio Revised Code section 3791.04 to enforce its legal rights and remedies," Moore wrote.

Attorney Thomas Lammers, who is representing Khokhar, issued a brief statement to the newspaper in response to Moore's letter.

"We have worked with and will continue to work with the city to reach a solution," Lammers said.

Lammers confirmed that tenants are still living in about 14 units of the building.

The Miami County Department of Development, which handles Mercer County's building inspections, on July 16 issued Khokhar an adjudication order, citing an issue of non-compliance.

"Change of use or occupancy requires approval from the Building Office," the order states. "This property is being used as an apartment complex. The property was originally a hotel. No record of a certificate of occupancy for such use can be found."

Khokhar was ordered to have a code analysis conducted on the building by an architect or engineer showing the property is code compliant with its new use, within 30 days of receipt of the July 26 order.

Miami County Chief Building Official Rob England on Wednesday said Khokhar had filed neither a code analysis nor a notice appealing the finding.

England said he had spoken with Khokhar several times since the order was issued to try to help him through the process, including providing a list with numerous architects and engineers who could help him come into compliance.

"We're in the business of helping people," England said, adding he doesn't want to see buildings torn down or create needless hardships for people.

Khokhar, who bought the property in July 2017, told the newspaper at the time that the previous owners had been hindered by financial restraints that ultimately doomed the motel.

At first, he thought the property could be transformed into student housing. The downtown location would have put students near local restaurants and stores and relatively near Wright State University-Lake Campus. He offered to fix up the rooms, but when Khokhar approached Lake Campus officials, they showed no interest in referring students to the property, he had said.

Still, the old motel could help fill the area's dire need for housing, especially for rental properties, Khokhar had said. In the months since, he has said he had completed minor work to refurbish some rooms.

He had said he wanted to rent the spaces to people in "true need" as a form of interim housing.

Khokhar had said the motel could become a good resource for those who have fallen on hard times or retirees on fixed incomes who can't afford to rent houses or apartments elsewhere.

He had to give up the hotel license for the property to transform it into an apartment complex and at the time had said he wasn't interested in operating it as a hotel again.