I’ve confirmed through numerous sources that the vast majority of the staff that works events at the Convention Center are working for temp agencies. This allows Interstate Hotels and Resorts to hire a minimum number of people, while keeping their personnel and benefit costs down.
As far as I know, there are only three businesses which have opened as a direct result of the project: the new Subway across the street, the new Tropical Smoothie Cafe across the street, and the couple who give guided Segway tours from a storefront on N. Queen St. There may have been others, but the point is that downtown Lancaster will never see the kind of economic revitalization from the hotel and convention center project which was practically guaranteed by Gib Armstrong and Charlie Smithgall.
I agree that this is a prime example of wasteful government spending.
