VENTURA COUNTY, California – A Channel Island Harbor hotel will be demolished next week in Ventura County.

Casa Sirena was built in 1972 and has 197 rooms. Since then it has become vacant and has been a place where the homeless community goes to take refuge.

The demolition will be the first step in a multi-year construction process to redevelop the entire southern end of the port peninsula.

The property will be the new Hyatt House Hotel. The new hotel will have 210 rooms in a 55-foot structure and will span approximately 203,000 square feet along the Channel Islands Harbor waterfront.

“This is great news for the port and I am happy that a new chapter is being written for this location,” said Michael Tripp, the Director of the Port Department. “I have no doubts that the demolition and development of a new hotel will invigorate the port as well as residents, visitors and local businesses.

Tripp says the department has been preparing for the demolition for a month by eliminating hazards, communicating with residents of the nearby port, putting the homeless in contact with services and other mitigation measures.

“I would like to thank the agencies in the City of Oxnard, Ventura County and the non-profit organizations that have partnered to connect the homeless people who were in the vicinity of the demolition site with much-needed services. “said Tripp. “It was an important step in moving the demolition process forward. ”

A chain link fence has been placed around the perimeter of the hotel property.

The demolition process will take six months from start to finish.

After the demolition of Casa Sirena, the Port Department will repair the riprap surrounding the southern end of the peninsula.

The demolition will be carried out by Brighton Management, a property management company.