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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Depression-era motel razed in Grants Pass to clear site for development ... Mail Tribune 100, Jan. 18, 1916 ... Weekend downpour causes flooding in parts of Southern Oregon ... Depression-era motel razed in Grants Pass to clear site for development ... Mail Tribune 100, Jan. 18, 1916 ... Weekend downpour causes flooding in parts of Southern Oregon ... GRANTS PASS Depression-era motel razed in Grants Pass to clear site for development Asbestos and mold issues delayed demolition By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 18, 2016 @ 12:01 am By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 18, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The Flamingo Inn, a Grants Pass landmark of sorts, is a pile of rubble after excavators from Copeland Paving knocked over the 80-year-old motel last week. One of the city's nicer motels when it was built in 1936, it had been falling apart for years. "The building and structures have held the land captive for the last five years," said Gerard Fitzgerald of Complete Real Estate Services, which is redeveloping the property for the owner, a pension plan of Grants Pass Surgical Associates. Fitzgerald said it took several months to deal with environmental issues including asbestos and mold, and the process still isn't done until debris is hauled to the landfill. "The company that did the abatement procedure is on site to make sure all Department of Environmental Quality requirements are met," Fitzgerald said. The future of the 1-acre property isn't determined yet, said Fitzgerald, who also developed the glistening Guild Building on Williams Highway and the Gilbert Park Center building on Northwest Hawthorne Avenue. "There are quite a few suitors," he said. "It's 1 acre that's close to city offices and the courthouse. It's in a beautiful and prime spot." The motel, 728 N.W. Sixth St., was more of a low-cost apartment building during its final years, and also housed probationers and parolees until 2013. About 15 tenants were given eviction notices in early 2015. Once called the Egyptian Motel, the structure was built during the Great Depression. Tuesday's demolition drew stares from passers by and neighbors. Traci Yoshitomi, who lives across the street, took video and photographed it. "It's sad to see something that is a historical venue be torn down," she said. "It's sad that more care did not go into preserving it, however because it was not taken care of and it most definitely needed to go. It was a real eyesore from two of my rooms at my house." Fitzgerald said that, for now, the neon sign out front will stay put, unless someone wants to buy it. It is rimmed in lights and features two palm trees, along with the motel's name displayed in flowing pink letters. The motel used to have an Egyptian motif but later featured painted pink flamingos. Another landmark hotel in Grants Pass, the former Royal Vue Motel on Northeast Morgan Lane, is also in the process of being demolished and developed. The exact demolition time frame depends on how long it takes to deal with asbestos and other concerns, as with the Flamingo. By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Jan. 18, 2016 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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