The Wonderful Development (aka The Downtown Marriott Hotel Project) is progressing on-budget and on-schedule, according to a report by the City’s project manager, PSA Dewberry. The new parking garage is still expected to be completed by the end of this year, and the renovated Pere Marquette is scheduled to open as the Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette by the end of April 2013.
Now, if you’ve been following this project for awhile, you should be scratching your head and thinking to yourself, “How is an end-of-April opening considered ‘on time’?” Good question. I thought the deadline for opening the Pere Marquette was supposed to be March 1, 2013–in time to host all the people coming for March Madness.
It turns out, that wasn’t really a deadline. According to the City Manager’s office, there is a penalty if the hotel doesn’t open by March 1, but March 1 is not a deadline. (If that sounds crazy to you, remember that the City has no working definition for “deadline” — the word is simply not in their vocabulary.) Here’s the pertinent part of the redevelopment agreement:
“7.5 Liquidated Damages. In the event that the Hotel Pere Marquette is not open to the public on or before March 1,2013, the Redeveloper will pay to the City on demand as liquidated damages and not as a penalty an amount equal to $41,000 for each calendar month or portion thereof that transpires after March 1,2013 (including March, 2013) until the date that the Hotel Pere Marquette is open to the public. In addition, in the event that the Courtyard Inn & Suites is not open to the public on or before May 1, 2014, the Redeveloper will pay to the City on demand as liquidated damages and not as a penalty an amount equal to $41,000 for each calendar month or portion thereof that transpires after May 1,2014 (including May, 2014) until the date that the Courtyard Inn & Suites is open to the public.”
With an opening date for the Pere slated for the end of April 2013, it looks like the City will be receiving $82,000 in “liquidated damages” … if the City decides to collect it, that is. The City Manager’s office said today that they will collect it if the hotel is not open by the deadline target date.
Without any defined deadline, it should be easy for Dewberry to determine whether the project is on schedule. It’s always on schedule. How could it not be? There’s no reference point against which to measure it. We can just rest assured that the project is on time, whatever time it gets finished.
View the complete report:
Wonderful Development Progress Report as of 9/14/2012
I’ve heard from someone with knowledge of the project who said there is no way they are going to open on time. Shocking, I know.
Even IF and that is a big stretch of one’s imagination … even IF the city decided to collect the $41,000 per month … it is another big IF Matthews would actually pay the damages. Same old same old … just try this scenario for the average taxpayer … shrug!
I look for a “out” for the developer. Look to the past.
I wonder if East Peoria will give this developer $35 Million?
http://centralillinoisproud.com/fulltext?nxd_id=274092
I know they are DESPERATE to get utilities relocated in the alley….
Great. Make the project manager the same outfit that did the Livingston County Law & Justice Center. 101 ADA violations in a public building. Just great.
I think the hotel will be an albatross that each incumbent in the upcoming City Council elections will have to bear. Since all district reps and the mayor voted for it, they will all have to justify those votes to the public. A finished and flourishing hotel would be a better campaign prop than an unfinished project. Hopefully, they all will be voted out and the right people voted in.
Mayor Jim Ardis just announced about an hour ago his plans for the 2013 City Election. Here is the link:
http://youtu.be/Pr4fVkxbLtQ
spain works for OSF now? now, as before, how can he vote on anything to do with OSF or affiliates? he voted on heartland matters somehow (Randy Ray never objected). now he’ll vote on OSF matters.
i’m not anti-OSF; just anti-politician.
“As the Director of Government Relations, Ryan will be responsible for working directly with state and city legislators/officials and regulatory agencies to promote the Mission, Values, Values, policies and interests of OSF HealthCare. Additionally, he will prepare analyses and position papers on proposed legislation for OSF including for individual OSF hospitals.”
Hmmm. conflict of interest maybe?
Ryan is also a registered lobbyist. Hooray!!! another career politician !!!