The Waits Motel, seen Saturday, June 15, is mostly rubble with some cleared away. The last building standing is the brick building that was the manager’s office and residence.
Photo by Michael Whitney.
EVERETT — The next steps toward redeveloping the former Waits Motel are in motion.
Last week, council approved rezoning the land to be townhomes. The vote went 6-1, with Councilwoman Liz Vogeli voting no.
The city council will next vote to surplus the land, which is a little over a half-acre at 1301 Lombard Ave. After that, it will go pursue a developer to build townhomes of up to three stories tall. The sale would contain design and appearance covenants.
Neighbors cheered the motel’s closure. They said they look forward to townhomes bringing in homeowners.
In 2023, the city began condemnation proceedings on the Waits Motel, calling it a nuisance property. It finished the act this spring. Throughout, people who resided in the motel rooms as unofficial low-cost apartments fought the condemnation.
In other news
The historic Clark Park Gazebo is still standing, the Tribune saw Friday, Oct. 11. This summer, the city formalized a plan to dismantle the gazebo and store it. A dog park will be built in its place.
