Jackson city officials will file a lawsuit to recover demolition costs for the long-abandoned Hotel O, City Attorney Drew Martin said after the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize the move, Mississippi Today reported.
Martin told Mississippi Today the city will investigate who currently holds an interest in the property off Interstate 55 and will file suit after the inquiry is complete. The city demolished the building in 2025 at a cost of $240,000, Mississippi Today reported.
The decision follows a multi-year legal battle with the propertys owner, Noah Muthana, who failed to bring the hotel up to code. Mississippi Today reported Muthana was jailed in 2022 and faced a warrant for missed court appearances in early 2024.
Municipal Judge Jeffrey Reynolds ordered the city to demolish the building in June 2024, declaring it a menace to public health, and Municipal Judge Henry Clay issued a similar ruling months later, Mississippi Today reported. The City Council backed those rulings in a 6-0 vote in September 2024, and Cornerstone Enterprises demolished the structure in February 2025.
“We want to start making this a regular occurrence,” Martin told Mississippi Today. “We want people to know that if they leave their property in the condition that the city has to take responsibility for it, that the city is going to do everything it can to be compensated for the expenses.” He added the city hopes to recover funds to repurpose for cleaning up other properties. Mississippi Today said it left a phone message and emailed Muthana seeking comment but received no response.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
