Lebanon city officials announced last week they were taking action against a property where a Lebanon man was stabbed last week.
The city said in a press release that code and police department nuisance inspectors documented numerous safety hazards at the Red Fox property, 1431 West Route 66 during an inspection Oct. 8. The structure has been declared unsafe, with a hearing on the next steps pending.
The inspection came less than a week after a stabbing was reported at the former motel on Oct. 4.
“A nearby resident's complaint about people camping on the property gave code inspectors the legal grounds needed to enter and document conditions,” the release said.
The motel building has been the site of other violent incidents and drug arrests in recent years.
A look through the Laclede County Record archives showed there were also stabbings reported at the building in May 2021, October of 2020 and March of 2016. Also, Lebanon Police found 1.5 pounds of meth and $7,000 at the motel in an August 2020 drug bust.
Under the city's property maintenance code, a structure declared unsafe is scheduled for a hearing before further action is taken. A date had not been set for the Red Fox hearing as of the Record’s deadline.
In their Oct. 8 investigation, city inspectors found damage to load-bearing walls, debris falling from the exterior, and emergency walkways blocked by clutter. The property was also cited for improper storage of trash and debris, unroadworthy vehicles on site, and a lack of basic utilities throughout the building.
In the city's 2026 community survey, conducted this summer, residents ranked removing dangerous and condemned structures as their top code enforcement priority, according to the release.
In the city press release, Police Chief Jerry Harrison is quoted as saying that the property has been a longtime concern for the neighborhood.
“Once we had grounds to inspect, our officers and code team moved immediately, and what they found confirmed this property isn't safe, Harrison is quoted as saying, “We're not going to let conditions like this put our residents at risk. The Lebanon Police Department takes a zero-tolerance approach to lawless behavior. When violence happens, we use every resource available — criminal law and code enforcement — to protect the neighborhood. Just like Gasconade Park, we’re helping this community take it back.”
The city said residents can report property through the "Report a Concern" tool at lebanonmissouri.org.
The motel was believed to have been built in the early 1950s. A postcard from that era described it as having “12 fully modern units.”
The Record attempted to contact the city for more information about the hearing process, but was not able to get a response in time for this week’s paper because of the Columbus Day holiday. We hope to provide more information in a future issue.
The Laclede County Record’s Kirk Pearce contributed to this report.
Submitted photo
The Red Fox Motel is seen in better days. It was built in 1950s and was listed at that time as being located 1/2 mile west Lebanon on Highway 66, with 12 fully modern units.
