Owner of Hotel of Terror in Springfield Petitioning to Stop Eminent Domain Process

The owner of the popular haunted house in Springfield, Hotel of Terror, is filing a petition to stop the city’s eminent domain process to acquire the building.

Sterling Mathis says he turned in over 2,000 signatures on his petition, with the goal of either stopping the process or getting the issue put onto the ballot for an upcoming election to allow city residents to vote on.

City leader say they are instituting eminent domain because the Main Street Bridge needs repairs and engineers can’t make repairs unless the building is removed.

After negotiations between the two parties in recent years fell apart, the city now says they want to hire an impartial third-party to determine just compensation for the building.