Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes has ordered the shutdown of the Oaktree Motel on Aurora Avenue North, invoking a chronic nuisance property designation to address what officials describe as sustained criminal activity tied to sex trafficking, drug use, and repeated acts of violence. The closure marks a rare and forceful step by the city, targeting a business long associated with harm to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Located less than a mile from Green Lake, the Oaktree Motel had become a focal point for police activity in recent months. According to city records, officers responded to the property 43 times this year alone, investigating incidents ranging from assaults to narcotics violations and prostitution. Just two weeks before the shutdown order, officers arrested a convicted trafficker operating from the premises.
“There was a clear pattern of dangerous behavior,” said Chief Barnes. “We’re not in the business of shutting down small businesses, we’re in the business of protecting public safety. And when a property actively enables harm, we can’t ignore it.”
The chronic nuisance designation is among the city’s most powerful but least-used enforcement tools. Since 2019, Seattle has issued only four such designations. To qualify, a property must show a sustained pattern of illegal activity that poses a clear threat to the community. The Oaktree Motel, officials say, met that threshold.
City Attorney Ann Davison, who partnered with Barnes on the case, emphasized the human toll behind the statistics. “This isn’t just a zoning issue or a code violation, it’s about real people,” she said. “Many of the victims were young women and girls of color, some reportedly as young as 15. These aren’t anonymous statistics, they could be our daughters, our neighbors, our students. We have a responsibility to act.”
The property, managed by Madilyn Investments LLC, ceased operations following the order. The owners now have up to two years to make substantive changes if they wish to reopen, though no public statement has been made by the business since the closure.
The move follows Barnes’s earlier use of the chronic nuisance law earlier this year to shut down the Capri Hookah Lounge in South Seattle, after a double homicide was linked to the venue. Together, the two closures suggest a broader shift in the department’s approach, one that emphasizes upstream intervention rather than reactive enforcement alone.
“This isn’t about buildings, it’s about behavior,” Barnes said. “We want to make it clear that in Seattle, we don’t turn a blind eye to exploitation. We don’t tolerate spaces that prey on people.”
City officials say the action is part of a larger strategy to restore safety in neighborhoods impacted by repeat criminal activity, particularly crimes that target women, youth, and other marginalized groups. Whether through legal designations, collaborative enforcement, or community-led reporting, the message is one of early intervention and public accountability.
