ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – A hurricane-damaged resort sitting in the heart of one of Ormond Beach’s busiest tourist corridors has become a source of frustration for nearby residents and business owners who say it has turned into a hotspot for crime, trespassing and transient activity — and they want answers.
The Makai Resort, built in the 1950s, has been closed since Hurricane Milton struck in 2024. Surrounded by newer hotels and businesses, the shuttered property has drawn YouTube urban explorers, graffiti vandals and trespassers, according to neighbors.
“It’s bad enough from the street and the beach-side is even worse,” said Jennifer Bright, who lives near the resort.
Bright says the steady flow of transients through the property is particularly alarming.
“I think what’s disturbing is the amount of transients coming in and out and the fire calls,” she said.
In May, a fire broke out at the property that forced the city to cut power to surrounding businesses and homes for several hours. Bright says the ripple effects have been felt by the entire neighborhood.
“So now we’ve got our businesses suffering,” she said. “There’s the appearance that nothing is being done to help try to ratify this situation.”
News 6 started asking the the city what it was doing to hold the building owner accountable two weeks ago. A special magistrate meeting over code violations was scheduled — then canceled.
After being informed our news report was moving forward, the city posted an update to its social media stating that, following the May fire, it has kept pressure on the property’s owners to clean up and is giving them an opportunity to bring the site into compliance.
While the news that something is being done brings some relief, Bright says transparency remains a concern.
“Why was the special magistrate meeting canceled? Is there another one scheduled? What’s being done, where is the documentation that we’re having steps done to show and put residents at ease that there is progress being made,” she questioned.
The city says the special magistrate meeting will not be rescheduled at this time because the owners are now cooperating and regular check-in meetings are being held. If that cooperation stops, the city says it will escalate the matter.
Attempts to reach the property’s owners directly were unsuccessful — emails bounced back and a phone number was disconnected.