ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Two Orange Park hotels that have had negative press over recent years are no longer operating. That includes one hotel that has now been converted into what they describe as a resort-style assisted living facility.
The Astoria made headlines a few years back when a navy commander was killed in a room. Now, it’s a quiet assisted living facility. Across the street, brand new hotels are going in and Orange Park’s entrance is really starting to be re-shaped.
It was more than three years ago when Commander Alphonso Doss’ body was found in the hotel room.
“It’s been a year and it’s been a big change,” said Harry Mangini, Astoria executive director. “We shut the hotel down and it took us two years to make all the renovations and we’re doing very well.”
Mangini said the conversion is not the only change on this corridor. A block over, the former Rodeway Inn had problems with drugs and prostitution. It converted to the Parkway Inn, then was forced to shut down deemed a public nuisance.
Couple that with brand new hotels going in across the street, and what has been an area regularly patrolled by Orange Park police is starting to change.
“Is this changing the dynamic of this road? Somewhat, with the Rodeway gone and us making the changes here it sort of made this a better area so to speak,” Mangini said. “(Seniors) love it. It’s not that closed in assisted living, it’s still based like a hotel. We market as resort-like assisted living.”
There have also been some new restaurants opening here like 4 Rivers Smokehouse right next door.
