Demolition Begins at Abandoned Mead Road Hotel After Years of Crime, Blight and Illegal Activity

BATON ROUGE, La. — The demolition of the former OYO Hotel on Mead Road began Wednesday as Baton Rouge officials moved to eliminate one of the city’s most persistent commercial blight problems — a property that had become a magnet for criminal activity, unauthorized occupants and deteriorating conditions.

Mayor-President Sid Edwards directed City-Parish crews to begin dismantling the hotel at 10920 Mead Road, the first property on his administration’s 10-property priority list for blighted commercial buildings.

The demolition comes as the property faces renewed scrutiny after a fire broke out Wednesday morning while demolition was already underway. Baton Rouge firefighters responded shortly after 6:30 a.m. to flames and smoke coming from the second floor. The front portion of the building had already been removed. Firefighters extinguished the blaze from the ground before moving upstairs to address remaining hot spots. The cause remained under investigation. WBRZ

City officials say the hotel had been abandoned for at least two years and had become increasingly difficult to secure. During preparations for demolition Tuesday, the Mayor’s Office of Homelessness Prevention encountered approximately 15 people living in various areas of the building. Officials said those individuals are being connected with mental health, addiction-recovery and other services.

The public safety concerns surrounding the property are extensive. Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas “T.J.” Morse said police have responded to 30 incidents at the site since January 2024, including reported thefts, burglaries, assaults, sexual offenses and drug overdoses.

The property’s condition also had deteriorated substantially. City inspection records identified the building as abandoned and unsecured, with inspectors documenting severe deterioration, including deterioration of interior and exterior walls, flooring, roofing and ceiling components. Inspectors also reported trash, debris, old tires and abandoned vehicles on the property, as well as unauthorized access and illegal activity. The property has been identified in city records as being owned by Baton Rouge Hoteliers LLC. SpyGov

The hotel was not always a vacant property. The 10920 Mead Road site operated for years as a hotel, including the Calloway Inn & Suites. In 2014, Baton Rouge Hoteliers LLC purchased the 125-room property for $3 million, according to land records cited at the time. Baton Rouge Business Report

First on Baton Rouge's Top 10 list

The demolition represents the first major test of Edwards’ Top 10 Blight Property Campaign, launched as part of the administration’s broader Operation Blight Reduction.

The administration solicited nominations from residents beginning in June, asking them to identify commercial properties they considered among the community’s most serious blight problems. City-Parish officials then evaluated the submissions based on factors including ownership, code violations, redevelopment potential and available legal remedies. Baton Rouge Official Website

The resulting list includes:

1. 10920 Mead Road — Former OYO Hotel
2. 3575 Government Street
3. 1327 Lori Burgess Avenue
4. 958 Harding Boulevard
5. 2355 Tecumseh Street — Former Purina plant
6. 854 N. Donmoor Avenue
7. 1429 Thomas Delpit Drive
8. 10225 Florida Boulevard
9. 2450 Plank Road
10. 1885 Wooddale Boulevard Baton Rouge Official Website

The city has emphasized that the list does not automatically mean every property will be demolished. Officials say each location will be evaluated individually, with rehabilitation, redevelopment, private investment or reuse considered where feasible. Properties that cannot be salvaged or continue to present public safety or quality-of-life problems could face enforcement actions, liens, condemnation or demolition. Baton Rouge Official Website

Part of a larger blight crackdown

The Mead Road demolition is also part of a broader expansion of Baton Rouge’s blight enforcement efforts.

The administration reported that 200 blighted structures were demolished in 2025, compared with 49 previously, and that 21 additional structures had been demolished in 2026 as of the city’s most recent report. Another 48 properties were in the condemnation process. Baton Rouge Official Website

The city also has pursued tougher financial penalties for neglected commercial property, with fines that can reach $1,000 per day under the strengthened enforcement effort. WBRZ

Edwards has said the administration's objective is not simply to remove buildings but to return neglected commercial properties to productive use.

For the Mead Road site, however, the first step is demolition.

The former hotel is expected to take several weeks to completely remove because the property consists of multiple large structures. Once the buildings are gone, the larger question will be what ultimately replaces a property that has spent years shifting from a functioning hotel into a public safety and redevelopment challenge.