The Republic of Texas surrounded by Not Texas with a Not Texas posted over Occupied Sodom and Gomorrah on the Colorado
The City of Austin bought a Candlewood Suites hotel for $9 million last year with plans to turn it into a homeless shelter, but the building was vandalized in recent months before the necessary renovations could take place, City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said at a press conference on Thursday.
“This damage spans all three floors of the building and nearly every room,” Kelly said Thursday. “Nearly every door is bashed in. Clothing, belongings, and trash were strewn throughout the property and several televisions were ripped from the dry wall and stolen. The entire hotel was stripped of copper. Washers, dryers, air conditioning systems and electrical wiring were destroyed.”
The fire department was originally called to the hotel on May 5 after an alarm went off and found people living in the building.