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KAYSVILLE — An old landmark is coming down in Kaysville, but not many are shedding tears over it.
A few decades ago, the Far West Motel might have been a place where a person would be proud to stay. Now the motel, located at 410 N. Main Street, is biting the dust to make way for something fancier: 37 town houses, courtesy of new owners.
"You know, I think it's a little bit iconic, and you always are nostalgic for things that have been here a long time," said Taylor Dudley, of Taylor Scott Partners, LLC. "But I think it's the future, and I think the community will be happy with what we're doing."
No one will miss the kind of action the place has been noted for in recent years.
I think it's the future, and I think the community will be happy with what we're doing.
–Taylor Dudley, Taylor Scott Partners
Kaysville police say they've had their share of problems: drug use, family fights, thefts, overdoses, drunk and disorderly conduct. As the motel shifted from travelers to long-term residents, police say it attracted criminals and people down on their luck.
"In the time that it was built, it was a very nice motel," said Kaysville Fire Chief Brett Larkin. "I think over the years they attempted to keep it up, but in the recent years it's kind of seemed rundown."
The worst episode lately happened about six months ago. In Unit 21, a man was shot to death and found lying on the bed.
Now that the motel is being demolished, the new owners are looking ahead to a future that's different from the past.
"Hopefully it's quite a change," Dudley said. "Hopefully we have young children playing at the ‘Tot-lot' and people sitting out in the summers having barbecues, and in the winters they're having snowball fights."
A couple of people KSL News spoke with Wednesday expressed relief about the upcoming changes. They say that's not just because of the crime problem, but also because a significant eyesore is disappearing as well.
Email: hollenhorst@ksl.com
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