ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando on Monday enforced an evacuation order at a motel located in the heart of the tourist district.
Dozens of tenants at the Howard Johnson at 5858 International Drive were notified last week to vacate the property by Monday due to safety concerns.
According to Orlando city officials, code enforcement became aware earlier this month that water service would be discontinued due to non-payment by the property owners.
[VIDEO: Orlando enforces evacuation order at Howard Johnson motel on I-Drive]
The city said code enforcement and the Orlando Fire Department immediately responded and determined that the fire alarms in the building were not functioning properly, creating a safety issue.
[VIDEO BELOW: Tenants react after being forced out of hotel]
According to a statement from the city, the issue required the presence of a “fire watch,” a safety official who remains on site to monitor for fire hazards while the system is out of service. The city said a fire watch would remain on site through Monday.
The motel owner and OUC agreed to temporarily restore service to the building, according to the city.
The tenants were notified, however, that they must vacate the premises by 10 a.m. Monday.
The city said about 40 people required assistance; the others were apparently able to find places to stay.
News 6 showed up to the property Monday, as Orlando police officers and other representatives of the city went door-to-door to ensure people were out of their units by 10 a.m.
Representatives of homeless service providers and Community Legal Services consulted with people who were seeking help. Some tenants were able to transition into other bridge housing accommodations, but as late as 6 p.m. Monday, News 6 saw at least a dozen people waiting on the grass outside the Howard Johnson.
They told Orlando Community Correspondent Mike Valente that they had paid rent before the building was condemned, but had not received any refunds. They also said they did not know what their next steps would be, claiming that they lacked the proper documents to receive help from the providers.
News 6 watched Monday afternoon as the people on the grass put together a makeshift encampment. At first, bed sheets masquerading as a roof were used to shield the people from the beating sun. They later took on a different purpose, when storms rolled in and lightning hit.
Earlier Monday, the heat had prompted a visit from the Orlando Fire Department. First responders tended to a young child, who had apparently suffered from a heat-related illness while he was waiting with his family after being forced out of the building.
People working with Community Legal Services came to the aid of the young child. They told Valente that the child, who was not taken to the hospital, would be going with his family to another extended stay hotel.
Since learning about the hotel being condemned last week, News 6 has found a slew of code enforcement violations associated with the property.
[VIDEO BELOW: Orlando opens books for Florida DOGE]
Last week News 6 visited the property where Orlando police officers and representatives from the Coalition for the Homeless, the Christian Service Center and the Healthcare Center for the Homeless talked to the tenants who faced an uncertain future.
“It’s like losing everything we own,” said Travis Wieand, who has lived with his wife at the Howard Johnson since February. “When we do gotta leave, we’re taking us and our dogs. And we’re leaving everything there. We have no way to carry it.”
News 6 has identified the owner of the property as RORE Orlando I Drive LLC, but the company has been unreachable.