La Casa Hotel to become Days Inn   By Jeremy Adragna C & G Staff Writer It will be three years before the La Casa Inn is entirely remodeled to owner Joe Keyes’ liking, but Hazel Park residents won’t have to wait that long to see the nearly 50-year-old building in ship shape again. Last week, Keyes announced the hotel will be transformed into a Days Inn franchise by May and will be known as The Park Hotel. Redevelopment of the nine-story structure will come in phases over the next few years. "The basic room construction will be finished in the next six weeks," Keyes said. "What we’ve done is clean up the entryway so it’s more visible. We still have to get the meeting rooms done and get the rooms available. Then we’ll continue to upgrade. By early summer we’ll have everything but the restaurant up and running."   The hotel has had a spotted past over the last 15 years, often attracting little else than prostitutes and drug dealers. It was even shuttered by city officials last year for unpaid water bills. But walk in the lobby today and you’ll see signs that construction has been under way for some time, such as a completely remodeled lobby and rebuilt elevators. Keyes also plans to add wireless Internet access throughout the building, and to replace carpeting, furniture and drapes. The Park Hotel was tapped to show off the efforts of the city and the Michigan Suburban Alliance last week to bring in developers to older suburbs like Hazel Park. "For many years the La Casa Inn suffered from disinvestment," said Hazel Park Mayor Jack Lloyd during the meeting. "Now it is a shining example of the unity that is bringing together suburban communities." Keyes purchased the building at 1 W. Nine Mile Road for $1.23 million in April of last year and since estimates he has invested $500,000 into its redevelopment. "We specifically tried to use contractors from Hazel Park, Ferndale and the areas around here," said Keyes. "When you start looking at that and what that kind of money can generate in a community this size, you see what a huge benefit it is." When the Days Inn – The Park is finally up and running, Keyes says he’ll be hiring a large number of part-time employees for housekeeping and to run the hotel’s front desk but will employ only a handful of permanent staff. You can reach Jeremy Adragna at jadragna@candgnews.com City of Hazel Park, 111 E. Nine Mile Rd., Hazel Park, MI 48030 Disclaimer