GREENWOOD, IN – A judge said the owners of a troubled Greenwood hotel can hold off on tearing the place down.

The city ordered the Red Carpet Inn to be demolished after years of customer complaints and failed safety inspections. Now, a Johnson County judge has delayed the demolition.

Cockroaches, fire hazards, and feces on the carpet, officials said those are just a few of the issues at the Greenwood hotel.

“It has been a drug haven. There are diseases, bed bugs, crime, violence,” said Greenwood resident Edward Puzio.

The city of Greenwood wants the troubled hotel torn down. In March, the Building Commissioner Kenneth Seal issued a demolition order after years of concerns.

“They had the option to try and clean it up but didn’t clean it up at all,” said Mayor of Greenwood Mark Myers.

After several inspections since June 2021, when 188 violations were discovered, the building continued to deteriorate, according to the demolition order. Now, a judge has granted a temporary halt of the leveling.

“They want to try to sell it as it is as a hotel. It is just not in a condition to be something that is livable. It needs to come down and start from scratch,” said Myers.

“The crime around here has gone down a lot since it closed,” said Puzio.

Greenwood Police said to FOX59 on the phone, crime has plummeted since the Inn was shut down in 2022.

But, the Mayor said issues are lingering.

“We have had people breaking back in and stay. They just pulled someone out last week who broke in the middle of the night,” said Myers.

Community members said the plot of land has potential to bring a beneficial establishment to the area.

“We are right at Main Street. This is the gateway into the community. We would like to see a nice facility out back on this spot, whether it is a hotel, business, or a park. It has a lot of possibilities,” said Myers.

Myers said he does not have a timeline for when they will know the outcome of the hold to stop demolition.