RICHMOND, Va. -- A once bustling Scott's Addition hotel is now sitting vacant, becoming a cause for concern among neighbors.
What used to be the Quality Inn hotel is now an abandoned building, sitting on the side of West Broad St., boarded up and riddled with graffiti.
But the unsettling view isn't what neighbors like Robert Addison are concerned about - it's the trespassers who enter the building despite its fenced off exterior.
"It's an unsafe environment for anyone," Addison said. "Anything can happen. We don't know the environment inside of there, someone can go in and no one knows if they've come out. Not just that, it could be a fire hazard, somebody could be smoking in there, anything."
When representatives from the Better Housing Coalition - who owns the building - were asked about the trespassing problem, the coalition responded that construction fencing, no trespassing signs, and boarded up entrances were installed when the building was first purchased.
Moreover, the group reports that they've had police and K9 dogs sweep the building, as well as offering the building to law enforcement for training with hopes that the increased police presence would deter trespassers.
Now, in response to neighbor's concerns, the BHC is in the process of hiring a security firm to provide guards on the premise. They also plan to reinforce entryways with steel bars and various other security methods.
