Demolition Work Begins in Suwanee Gateway

Work has begun in the Suwanee Gateway area to demolish a vacant, blighted hotel that sits near I-85.

City officials noted recently that crews have fenced off the lot where the Hotel May Queen sits, on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road near I-85. Also, some asbestos has been removed from the rooms, and Habitat for Humanity has taken possession of some of the furnishings from the rooms for later use.

In May, the City Council approved TriStar of America, based in Norcross, as the demolition company, at a cost of $213,400. Work is expected to be completed on the site by September.

When the lot is cleared, city officials plan to land-bank the property for future use. In February, the city paid $1.25 million for the hotel, which had become a breeding ground for crime.

This is among the projects associated with an overall plan to revamp the Gateway area, a business district that has been hit hard economically in recent years.

Last September, Suwanee opened its police substation at I-85 and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. And businesses such as Schlotzsky's and the Movie Tavern have opened in the area.

-- What would you like to see open at the Hotel May Queen site in Suwanee? Tell us in the comments box below.

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