BY MICHAELA YIELDING
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — The Springwood Hotel partially reopened on April 30 after the state fire marshal ordered the hotel to be shut down last September because of structural and safety concerns. Closure of the hotel, which is located at 1002 Columbus Pkwy, displaced 120 occupants at the time.
Springwood is not operating at full capacity just yet. Only 40 of its approximately 80 hotel rooms are up-to-code and accessible to guests.
Springwood’s owners and investors fought for the property’s reopening, with the owner requesting a new business license to be granted after repairs.
The license reinstatement allows for the hotel lobby and rooms 101-120 and 201-220 to be open for occupancy. If the hotel fails to maintain compliance with the codes or has any unauthorized occupancies in closed rooms, it may result in a revocation of the business license and additional penalties provided by law.
Raj Patel said he plans to bring the hotel’s other rooms up to code over the next two years.
