Sale pending on Lake Country’s controversial Airport Inn

Given the Okanagan’s hot real estate market it’s no surprise that a controversial 5.5-acre motel property overlooking Highway 97 in Lake Country has an offer pending.

The boarded up motel owned by Raif Fleihan is called the Airport Inn Lakeside even though it’s not beside a lake and is about 10 kilometres north of Kelowna Airport.

Fleihan put the property up for sale in 2019 for $8.1 million even though it was assessed at only $2.2 million at the time. Last year it was assessed at $2.4 million. He dropped the price to $6.9 million last fall.

READ MORE: Sale price of controversial Airport Inn in Lake Country drops more than $1 million

It’s still listed by Royal LaPage realtor Jeane McBride for sale at $6.9 million and includes other buildings along with the former motel.

“We have an offer pending on it so that’s where we’re sitting right now,” McBride told iNFOnews.ca today, April 6.

Fleihan spent years renovating his motel while fighting with the District of Lake Country and Interior Health before the municipality ordered it closed in the summer of 2019.

It took until November of that year, a suspicious fire and Fleihan being charged with assault with a weapon and uttering threats before residents living there were finally relocated so the buildings could be boarded up and fenced off.

READ MORE: Suspicious fire rips into Lake Country’s Airport Inn

McBride couldn’t say what the prospective new owners want to do with the property but thought they might be interested in a multi-family housing project.

She could not comment on what subjects remain before the sale can be completed later in the spring.

Her listing says it does have a lake view with 4.48 of the 5.5 acres zoned commercial with permitted uses including hotel/resort, multiple dwelling housing, recreational tourist accommodation and retail/convenience stores.

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