Long Abandoned Hotel Site To Be Removed In Loudoun After Supervisors Vote

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — An abandoned hotel site in South Riding will be removed. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance this week that will require the site's owner to remove the structure.

The abandoned structure is located at 25450 Lizzio Center Drive in South Riding.

The site was originally slated to become a Sheraton hotel, according to planning documents. The original site plan was approved in 2008, but the property entered foreclosure in 2011. The property was sold to its current owners, 43850 Eastgate LLC, in 2013.

Loudoun County officials noted that there has been no major progress on the hotel's construction in several years. A county report said the site is only composed of metal beams and concrete. It has no stairs, doors or other indications "of it otherwise being a habitable or useful building, fit for occupancy. "

County supervisors said the site is dangerous and an eyesore as it has deteriorated.

"It has continued to attract individuals, including minors, as a gathering place and has become a safety concern for nearby neighbors as well as county staff," county officials said in a news release.

On Wednesday, county supervisors approved an ordinance that will require the owners to remove the abandoned hotel structure. The county will remove the structure at the owner's expense if they do not remove it "after reasonable notice," the ordinance says.

"It is essentially a skeleton of a large hotel," the county report said. "There do not appear to be any modern security features, specifically, no lights or security cameras. It would not appear that there is a regular security patrol, or that there is any regular presence at the site, from the owner or otherwise."

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office has responded to three incidents at the hotel site in recent years, authorities said. On one occasion, a child was injured at the site and needed to be rescued.

“The unfinished hotel site on Route 50 has been a source of frustration and concern for Dulles District residents for well over a decade," Dulles District Supervisor Matt Letourneau said in a news release. "In addition to being unsightly, it attracts individuals participating in unsafe behaviors and poses a safety risk for the community and for first responders. Despite my many attempts over the years, the site has not been redeveloped and the structure remains.”

Carlos Montenegro represented the property's owners at the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday.

"I'm not here to object at all," Montenegro said after supervisors proposed the ordinance. "We think it's a good idea."

Montenegro said the owners are currently working to redevelop and rezone the property.

"We are now propped up and ready to go with our rezoning," Montenegro told the county supervisors. "Hopefully everything will be much smoother now."