Buyer moves forward with Providence Inn and Suites

A Columbia motel shut down for a month has a chance to be rehabbed and reopened.

A St. Louis man, Abid Ali, told ABC 17 News he bought the Providence Inn and Suites, despite the laundry list of problems health and fire inspectors found.

Right now, the health department has declared nearly every room unfit to be rented out because of problems like mold, bugs, feces seeping out of toilets, and carpet issues.

Ali has signed the paperwork to buy the motel, but said it will be another month before it is officially his.

But he isn’t waiting to move forward with the renovation side of the project.

“Today, I placed an ad looking for construction workers, engineers, electricians, contractors, and several of them have already replied,” Ali said.

Ali told ABC 17 News he realizes the building is a huge undertaking with the amount of renovation needed.

“Each and every room will be replaced with everything from a paint job to furniture,” Ali said. “It will be a gut-out kind of renovation, not just a face lift.”

Inspections will have to be completed again before Ali is able to reopen the motel.