City Council Plans To Vote On Proposal To Turn Edmond Apartments Into Hotel

A plan to convert an Edmond apartment building, that has been a thorn in the city’s side for years, into a hotel moves forward. The planning commission unanimously voted to rezone the property to allow for the hotel. 

The plan would to turn the 77,000 square-foot apartment building into a 91-room hotel.

The Highland Ridge Apartments on East Ayers, just west of Bryant Avenue, are a mess, and have been for years. Last year, the city deemed it, quote, “Dilapidated, uninhabitable, unsafe, unsanitary and a public nuisance.” And records show the city has dealt with complaints of insect infestations and mold issues since 2014. 

Now, there’s a plan to convert the apartments into an Oyo Hotel franchise.

The building is just five minutes away from the University of Central Oklahoma.

“There’s not a lot of hotels in that area. So, visitors to the campus, it will be a great amenity for them. It will be an opportunity for students to potentially get jobs there,” said Edmond Planning Director Randy Entz.

News 9 reached out to the attorney for the building, but he didn’t return the call for a comment.

The City said rezoning the property is just the next step in converting the apartment building into a hotel, and that it’s an easy conversion with the plumbing, sewer and electric already in place.

“Once the zoning is in place, it kind of gives them the go ahead to start doing the real investment, and engineering, and architectural work that takes a lot of money they’re a little more comfortable doing once they have the entitlement. So, I think they’ll start right away on that,” said Entz.

Dan Miller is a resident at the senior living facility right across the street.

“It’s been a bad place ever since I’ve been here. Like I said, we used to go over there and vote. Polling place. And of course, the only place we went was in the lobby. It was horrible. People sitting around. The smell of urine,” said Miller.

Miller said he’s all for the plan, “As long as they straighten it up, I’m for it.”

Edmond City Council is set to take up the issue on December 9, 2020.