[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtwn6I2270A[/youtube]
Note: This video was shot on July 3, 2015.
UPDATE: Since posting this video, some of us have been curious. Does a mediation agreement between the city and Mortenson have to gain city council approval (council must vote on and approve the final legal agreement). It will be interesting to see how this is handled.
We get to take you on our recent tour of the Denny Sanford Premier Events Center today. We’ve heard the rumors once again about how the city legal beagles are coming to an agreement on how the crappy siding can be ignored. Most people don’t get a chance to look at building in an up close personal way based on many years of metal work experience. So we’re here to help.
It’s been four seasons of lies and hiding siding issues. We are now at the four season mark where the Mayor, Cotter, Fiddle Faddle and more promised to present an actual fix to the crappy siding on the Events Center.
Is the city planning a big announcement to tell us they plan to accept the bumpy, rusty siding that lets water into the wall cavity just because they can? When we have asked for answers, we’ve been lied to, jailed, kicked off the property and otherwise been treated wrong. What is the administration hiding in their siding decision?
How big will the press conference be announcing another special deal has been concluded? By the way, whatever happened to the mechanics lien filed against the Denny nonpayment of a bill?
Instead of ‘Denny Sanford Premier Center’, it got shortened to Denny Dome. How about ‘Cellulite Center’. Good video. The building is a year old and it’s looking ancient. I’ve noticed the mayor doesn’t brag about it anymore. Major mortgage but where’s the money coming from to rebuild it?
For months, the City Attorney and the Mayor of Sioux Falls have been telling us that this issue involving the taxpayers’ $180m investment must be resolved within one year.
What is the exact date that they are referring to?
I have always been amazed what contractors can get away with on City projects that homeowners would never allow. This isn’t the first city project to cost full price but be poor quality.
Is it due to poorly written contracts by finance? Engineering? Somebody needs to start being held accountable.
If the City hires outside architectural firms that employ engineers, why does the City employ so many engineers anyway?
Why does finance have the final decision on the wording of bid specifications? Since when does an accountant know anything at all about construction or siding, or anything I hear they “claim” to write the bid specifications for?
What bids? The mayor awarded the contract before the we voted approval and without competitive bid process. Who signed the occupancy permit? Where were city inspectors during construction?
How bout a cartoon with the mayor on a ladder placing bandaids on the siding.
It was four seasons ago we started questioning the siding decisions of choice and finish only to be told repeatedly by city officials it was going to be fixed before the final payments were made. Now we are being told a deal is in the works likely clearing the out of town builder of any more liability.
What’s going on?
Our most transparent city administration ever is not letting us in on much. We are coming down to some deadlines, everyone wants to be paid and we want a building ready to stand for 50 years. If the builder wasn’t at fault for the shoddy nature of the building than who is? If a city employee or leader is responsible than why all the fuss getting the builder paid off. Oh silly me, it would mean someone(s) in our city government made a big boo-boo and we taxpayers are going to get stuck spending millions of dollars sooner than anyone wants to admit to fix the damage.
We have had consultants brought in to tell us everything is wonderful only to never the report promised. We have asked for a list of the prime and sub-contractors so we can verify the economic impacts we were promised. Why was the original siding design scrapped (we heard it was cool)? Why did it take so long to get the occupancy permit?
There are more questions we have been asking. Why shouldn’t we get answers? Why does this building have to be like the Washington Pavilion, cheapened in places citizens can’t see today but in 5, 10 or 15 years we have to spend millions to save what we have?
We learned nothing from the Pavilion. A city building that wasn’t refabbed correctly to begin with (no fault of the management company) so now we spend millions on it each year (besides the operating subsidy) to continue to upgrade and fix it. We have had over 15 years to use the Pavilion as an example of how NOT to build a publicly owned entertainment facility, and what do we do with the Events Center? Cut corners, ignore recommended designs, sloppy inspection work, etc, etc. No wonder the Mayor hates listening to Historians speak at the meetings, he hates history.
Holy crap that building looks bad! I can’t believe construction managers let this go without protesting. It makes them look bad also besides the taxpayers of Sioux Falls looking bad. What a rip off!
Either rip that crap off with new siding, fix it or rename it to the Milwaukee Best Premium Pilsner Center. TDenny Van Epps Park Dented Beer Can Center
Whatever just give it a trashy name if it stays the same. Again what will the taxpayers be stuck for? This reflects on the character of Sioux Falls.