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Opening Arguments

That sinking feeling

Ouch. How would you like to be responsible for what has been called "one of the worst construction jobs in local history"? The 80-room Homewood Suites by Hilton Hotel at West Jefferson and I-69 was built on improperly prepared soil, so now it's only partly finished finished and sinking and tilting and ctracking. The situation creates a tough choice:

The owners, Super Host Hospitality, which also owns the Hilton Garden Inn next door, hired engineers to assess the problem and were told they could repair the existing shell for $2.3 million, plus the cost of completing the $5.4 million hotel. Demolition was expected to cost about $300,000, forcing the company to begin the project from scratch.

This is too bad for the developers but no great tragedy for the city or its citizens. Such missteps happen every single day in the private sector. The economy turns south, and a project is halted. A miscalulation is made, and the traffic that was expected doesn't materialize. You trust a general contractor who ends up being banned from ever working in the county again. Chances are taken, and the risks either pay off or they don't.

That's why such projects belong in the private sector, not financed by public money and conceived by public officials who are incompetent to second-guess the workings of the marketplace.

Comments

Bob G.
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 12:36pm

Hell, Leo...they want that place DEMIOLISHED?
And for $300K?

Pshaw, I could have it done for a LOT less than that...

All they (I) need to do is move most of my NEIGHBORS into it...trust me, it WILL be demolished.

...IN NO TIME!

...FOR FREE!

(just the nature of the beast)

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