Wyndham plywood gets a paint job

More than six months after the Wyndham Springfield City Centre Hotel had its first-floor windows boarded, city workers began painting those coverings to keep the property compliant with a city ordinance.

David Fuchs, director of Public Works, told Illinois Times the city had asked the Wyndham owner to paint the coverings, as required by the city’s ordinance requiring property owners to maintain enclosures of vacant buildings, but the owner had not complied. Now, the city is stepping in and plans to bill the owner for the work completed, Fuchs said. He was unsure how much the city would ultimately charge as city workers were still painting when Fuchs responded to IT on May 14, the day the work began.

The 30-story hotel at 700 E. Adams St. in downtown Springfield closed abruptly in March 2025 due to damage from internal flooding. Initially, city officials believed the hotel would be open within a few months. But by May, the Wyndham’s general manager informed Illinois Times that it “doesn’t look like we will be able to reopen sooner than in six months.”

Since then, a lawsuit was filed against the Wyndham’s owner, Al Rajabi, by the insurance company covering the 370-room hotel. The lawsuit alleges that the vandalism and resulting loss and damage was intentionally caused by Rajabi, or that he colluded with others to cause the damage.

The city’s corporation counsel, Greg Moredock, declined to comment on the painting underway, citing the “pending nature of litigation regarding this property.”

Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase, who represents part of the downtown, provided a statement in response to an inquiry from Illinois Times: “The property is currently secured, and the boarding remains in place as part of ongoing safety measures. The recent painting of the boards was done to improve the overall appearance of the site and ensure it remains properly maintained while longer-term plans are being addressed,” she said.

“Our priority is protecting public safety, maintaining standards along the corridor and continuing to work with the appropriate stakeholders toward a responsible and positive resolution for the property.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comments from Ward 5 Ald. Lakeisha Purchase.