Thrift Travel Inn Update - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

SALISBURY, Md. - It's the next chapter in the saga of Thrift Travel Inn, and things aren't looking too bright.

The abandoned motel was set for auction on September 19t, but when no one stepped up to pay the minimum bid of $75,000, the question became: What happens to the property where Thrift Travel Inn now stands?

Laura Mitchell, a Salisbury City Council member told us "there is now a bank in Texas that owns the property and it is my understanding that they have said that they will tear it down themselves by October 20th since it did not sell at auction."

According to a press release from the mayor's office, demolition will cost $55,000, a cost that could be absorbed by the city of Salisbury if the bank that owns the property does not act. 

Mitchell believes the spot could become something good for the city, but in its current state, the Thrift Travel Inn is a safety hazard and a liability for the people who will occasionally make the condemned building their temporary home.

"It's just a little bit too enticing.  We need to have that gone.  It's not safe for people to be in there," said Mitchell.

At one time, there was talk of renovating the motel, possibly converting it into a homeless shelter, but according to officials, the building is in such bad shape, it could cost up to half a million dollars to renovate. 

In the meantime, business owners near the property tell us they are left to deal with the trouble the abandon lot can bring.