Judge Orders Georgia Tornado-Damaged Hotel Demolished

A city judge in the northwest Georgia town of Ringgold has ordered a tornado-ravaged hotel to be torn down.

Judge Gene Lowery said in a hearing last week that the Baymont Inn & Suites is an eyesore and must be demolished.

The hotel’s owner, Ravindra Gajjar, was given a nuisance citation in September, which accused him of violating a city ordinance by leaving the building in disarray after the April 27 tornado.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that Gajjar told court officials his insurance wasn’t going to pay for the building to be demolished and rebuilt. He said the company wanted him to rebuild it using the current foundation.

Lowery said the building is unsafe and said in his order that it has to be demolished.