Salt Lake police arrest 9 while clearing motel for winter overflow shelter

SALT LAKE CITY — Police say they made nine arrests of people refusing to leave a former motel, which is being converted into a “temporary winter overflow shelter” set to open later this month, according to a press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department Saturday.

In late October, police say they had “received information about several people potentially burglarizing and criminally trespassing inside several former motel rooms, located at 1990 West North Temple Street.”

The location, known as Ville 1990, is planning on operating 210 beds for the winter, according to the Office of Homeless Services, to bring the total across the state up to 982 beds.

During the conversion from motel to shelter, “several people gained access to more than 10 rooms and refused to leave when asked by management,” the release said, with staff reporting “some of the individuals criminally trespassing intimidated shelter workers.”

Officers went to the planned shelter on Oct. 29, “and worked with management to contact those occupying the rooms illegally,” according to the release. Nine arrests were made, finding some “with outstanding warrants and some in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia,” police say.

The Office of Homeless Services recommended the approval of $1,840,686 in October to operate the temporary shelter at Ville 1990. Ville property management company was recommitted $3,685,673 on Aug. 22 to secure two properties — Ville 1990 and Ville 66 at 975 East 6600 South in Murray — for use as deeply affordable housing units.