The real news here is that the Historic Preservation Trust – which was an integral part of the project from the beginning – is now OUT. Remember it was HPT which supported the demolition of the Watt & Shand building, which was at one time on the National Register of Historic Places (a facade does NOT qualify). Admittedly HPT did work to save the Stevens/Smith/Kleiss properties, but it then went on to support the demolition of large portions of all four historic buildings – while supporting the total demolition of the Oblender’s building, along with another historic building on E. King St. (to make room for the parking garage), BOTH of which predated Thaddeus Stevens’ offices.
The other issue worth noting is how much the HPT was expected to contribute to the overall taxpayer-financed hotel and convention center project. HPT was expected to fund not only the total renovation of the historic properties, it was also expected to fund a large area inside the convention center itself which was to be turned into a museum. The promoters of the project were counting on HPT to add something “unique” to their convention center, which might give Lancaster’s “integrated facility” some kind of advantage in a viciously competitive market. At one point, the public was promised that HPT would provide $3 million to the project for some kind of “facade easement”. An executive director was hired, along with a secretary. Plans were even made for a $20 million “educational center” across the street.
The fallacy behind all of this, of course, was the expectation that people would voluntarily contribute totals of several millions of dollars toward a project which has already consumed nearly $150 million taxpayer dollars. HPT was being used as a tool to help the people behind the taxpayer-financed hotel and convention center project build an “integrated facility” that was far more elaborate – and expensive – than economics would dictate. Unreasonable demands were placed upon HPT, expectations which it never would have had the resources to produce. As a result, for the past year and a half the HPT has for all intents and purposed been bankrupt.
Of course it is very good news that a very unpleasant situation was resolved in a relatively pleasant way (with the possible exception of yet another $756,254.50 in State tax dollars going directly to the convention center). But the real news here is how an organization which was such an integral part of the project from the beginning was used and taken advantage of (so much like all the rest of us), to the point that it ultimately failed in so many ways.
The convention center would be put to good use as a hotel for the homeless. I might be there as well as all of my friends and neighbors who cannot keep financing this circus we call local government.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am tapped out with the city school taxes, and the continually rising prices of food, and creature comforts. Lancaster City could have done so much for the city and residents with 150 million dollars. If anyone else had pulled off a scam as big as this one, they would be in jail.
Editor: We respectfully disagree. Had they taken $5,000 they would be in jail. For $150 million they are likely to be memorialized with a statue or their name placed on the building.