City board upholds Seaway Hotel condemnation
August 8, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
The Seaway Hotel moved another step closer to shutting down Wednesday afternoon, when the Duluth Board of Building Appeals voted to uphold a condemnation order.
Continue Reading
Al Parker says Caya should be commended? Really? If that were so, then he would have been doing GENERAL upkeep on that building from the beginning of time! What has he been doing with everyone’s monthly rent money? Obviously NOT the necessary repairs! Instead of moving the residents off of 3rd floor., he SHOULD have been repairing that roof! And Caya’s lawyer is just as whacked has Caya, 180 day extension? really? Lets put all the residents in harms way for an addt’l 180 days, are you crazy! Has Caya even paid his BACK taxes he owes yet? This guy needs a good swift kick! Don’t come knockin on my door for future tax money, to pay for his stupidty!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
30 
3
“The Seaway Hotel received notice that it had been condemned for habitation on July 10.” — It’s now August 9, a full month later. If Mr. Caya were truly concerned for his tenants, the roof repairs would already be underway (if not finished) since it’s been a month since he received notice. Instead he’d rather try to delay, delay, delay the city while he works on finding a way for taxpayers to subsidize a new roof for his investment property. (where do you think Community Development grants come from? Our taxes) Where has all the tenant rent $ gone Mr. Caya? Part of being a landlord is maintaining your properties – if it were as easy as just collecting and pocketing rent checks, we’d all be landlords.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
26 
2
I’m not defending Mr. Caya but the facts, according to the article, are that Caya only obtained title to the Seaway at the end of July. Without title, he could not obtain financing. The article also discussed the efforts he has made to obtain such financing in the week or 2 since he became the titled owner.
He hasn’t been just pocketing the rent money – he’s had to pay on his mortgage or contract for deed. He has also made a significant number of smaller repairs but should have made the roof a priority many years ago.
Like or Dislike:
12 
12
“If the Seaway closes, Jason Koehler said he and many other fellow tenants may be forced to leave Duluth. Koehler said he’d probably land in St. Cloud if the city shuts down the hotel.” —- In all honesty, would this be a bad thing?
Hot debate. What do you think?
28 
14
It would be a bad thing for those living there who don’t have the resources or means to move to another city.
Hot debate. What do you think?
23 
17
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
11 
23
The real tragedy would be a fire breaking out and lives being lost or people developing respiratory problems due to the mold. Sometimes we have to summon our courage and take a stand…the City has done so by not allowing the building to remain open and a hazard to the health and safety of the residents.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
25 
2
“Joel Kilgour of Loaves & Fishes said that if the building closes it will be difficult for many residents to find new homes.” Then maybe Kilgore & company should put their faith to practice and open their own homes to the displaced. There is nothing charitable about volunteering the resources of someone else. Faith and charity start at home. All too often we see someone posturing for the press about how concerned or how philanthropic they are, but they rarely seem to practice what they preach.
Hot debate. What do you think?
16 
16
This.
Like or Dislike:
2 
4
Hugh, you will be happy to learn we are in complete agreement!! Here’s a bit about Loaves & Fishes (where I live):
In 1989, Angie Miller and Steve O’Neil opened their family home on Jefferson Street to war refugees and other people in need. More volunteers came forward, one house became three, and Loaves & Fishes Community was born.
Over the years, Loaves & Fishes has provided housing, food and friendship to thousands of people suffering homelessness or fleeing political persecution or family violence. And we’re not shy about confronting the political and economic root causes of poverty and forced migration.
Loaves & Fishes is a 100% community-supported project. We have no paid staff, and we don’t receive foundation or government money. Anyone can be part of our experiment in sharing by cooking a meal, tutoring kids, tending the gardens, sending a check to cover house expenses, fixing bikes… or becoming a live-in volunteer for a month or a lifetime.
We humans have made life more difficult than it needs to be. There are resources and love enough to go around. Ours is a revolution of the heart. We invite you to join us in whatever ways you can.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
22 
2
The situation in Saint Cloud or any other city that isn’t Minneapolis or Saint Paul is no better than Duluth if one is very low-income or doesn’t know anyone in those smaller towns. As you leave Duluth it only gets more expensive; this is why the Seaway, the YWCA Apartments, the Carter, the Kozy, the Gardener, etc., existed for so long – one could live a pretty simple, anonymous life here on very little money. The Twin Cities has about a 7-9 year wait list for Section 8 high-rise housing (there is no ‘Hotel’ anything there anymore similar to the Seaway – they’ve all been turned into $400 a night boutique hotels near the Orpheum for special events). With the influx of immigrants to the Twin Cities with no money or employment, coupled with the already high caseload of applicants, I don’t know what to tell those from Duluth. It is scary. Minnesota is just not a place you’re gonna have any luck. Neither is California or anywhere out west where the weather is at least warm; there are no services out there.
I’d say your best bet as far as finding supportive housing or workskills programs or that sort of thing, from what I’ve read and heard, start looking at places like Buffalo, NY or Rochester, NY areas. They’ve set aside money for this very reason and if the locals aren’t using it then you might as well. You’re wasting your time trying to find something in Duluth.
Like or Dislike:
15 
1
My first question would be, Isn’t a bad house better than no house ? I’d think if resident safety is your main concern, you’d likely not throw 70 low income residents with few if any other housing options out into the street.
I think personally, if I were in this situaiton, I’d rather live in a house with some roof leakage, a possible mold issue and potential fire danger than be living in a cardboard box on 1st street or under the freeway exposed to the elements and with absolutely no walls or doors to protect me from anyone or anything.
Does that strike anyone else as odd to think the best course of action is to evict people into the street (with very real danger involved) in the name of keeping them safe from potential danger ?
Like or Dislike:
11 
5
i agree with your main premise but when they are actually giving them (i think it was $400/month) rent one can assume a certain level of housing and safety of said housing.
Like or Dislike:
3 
0