Duval County

‘We need to fix this building’: Former manager of Baymeadows inn speaks out after building condemned

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For weeks, Kristi King says she had been raising safety concerns to upper management at America’s Best Inn in Baymeadows.

The now former manager snapped pictures of what appears to be cracks in the floor of Building 1.

RELATED STORY: Tenants of America’s Best Inn Jacksonville left scrambling after being forced out

“It progressively got worse, and I kept calling the management company saying, ‘hey, there’s a problem. We need to fix this building.’ They didn’t do anything,” she explained.

King claims managements planned to cover the cracked floor with carpet.

“There’s a crack in the balcony, then it started going through the room there, then it started coming through the room up here in 212, and it was bad,” she added.

King says she was fired on a Thursday earlier this month, and days later, the city of Jacksonville condemned the building -- calling it unsafe forcing out families.

RELATED STORY: America’s Best Inn asks guests to vacate motel for renovations

“It’s kind of coincidental when I say, ‘hey, I’m gonna quit or fire me – you better fix this building, do something, let me know what’s going on,’ it was within a day,” she said.

Action News Jax called several people associated with managing the motel, but we are still waiting for answers.

King is relieved families are out of Building 1 and no longer in danger.


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