Remember the urgency? Remember the push? Remember the public meetings and debate? Well, you probably don’t remember the latter, because in a theme that’s all-to-familiar, there wasn’t any! But there certainly was a panicked desperation to find $50,000 of your money to instantly build a concrete police bunker in City Park. Seeing that the supposed deadline for the thing is looming, here’s your update.
Yes, as you can see by the picture I snapped above, there is no cop shop. Despite the pressed desire and questionable need to get it up by now. But nope, there is no cop shop. There is only a faded chalk outline on the ground, which I enhanced in the above photo.
For more information on this debacle — especially in light of the similar manner the City is giving away your land in a sweetheart deal to the University of Idaho — review Bill McCrory’s excellent 5-part series, Toilet Not Included:
Toilet Not Included – Part I
Toilet Not Included – Part II
Toilet Not Included – Part III
Toilet Not Included – Part IV
Toilet Not Included – Part V
I think LCDC shipped the $50,000
down the river,to the mill site.
Farfetched?Not in this town!The mayor
will stop at nothing,to get what she wants.
Comment by kageman — June 11, 2008 @ 11:29 am
Well it really hasn’t turned warm yet so the tourists that need protection have yet to flock here. No doubt that bugger is all prepared to go and is sitting on the manufacturers loading dock as I write. It will make such a lovely addition to the park.
Comment by Wallypog — June 11, 2008 @ 11:47 am
I’d guess that as soon as they can get equipment on the ground, the City will lay the 6-inch or so gravel layer required. I’m not sure if I posted Doug Eastwood’s early memo online, but he said the vendor could not guarantee he would get the bunker installed in any less than the 90 days he had. At the time, I calculated it out (using all my fingers and toes) and determined the 90 days would be very close to June 22. However, the revenue generator tents go up a few days before that, and the quotation from the vendor used words I associate with big pieces of equipment: “building delivered in two pieces on trailers” and “crane”. I’m sure the City (read: Sandi and the Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce) all want the precast concrete structure in place so no revenue stream is dammed up, even momentarily.
Comment by Bill — June 11, 2008 @ 7:25 pm