DeKALB – The Travel Inn at 1116 W. Lincoln Highway is planned for demolition by the property’s owner, according to city records.

The initial application for demolition was filed in August, Harper said. Since then, power, water and gas have been disconnected in preparation for the tear-down.

The last step in the demolition process is waiting for the proper authorization from the State of Illinois, Dawn Harper, chief building official of the City of DeKalb, said. Harper expects the demolition request to be approved within one to two weeks.

The Travel Inn, which has been shut down since 2014, has seen numerous trespassers since its closure, Harper said.

“We’ve been working with the owner the last year about trying to secure the facility. There’s been breaches and people in the building,” Harper said. “He’s finally got to that point where he sees the need for [demolition], or maybe he has come across the funds to do it with, but he’s been talking about it for a while now.”

The motel and property were purchased by the Shree Brahman Corp. in the care of Mukesh Patel, in 1998, according to county records.

In 2014, the motel was ordered to close by the City of DeKalb after multiple city inspections revealed numerous hygiene and safety violations, according to city records. Earlier that same year several arrests were made after a meth lab was found in one of the rented rooms, according to a January 2014 Northern Star article.

Patel plans to sell the property after demolition, Harper said.