Armory Building to nowhere

The renovation of the Armory Building is arguably the keystone project of the commercial core of the city. Its potential uses have been discussed at least as long as when the city decided to build a new city hall. It is no surprise that the costs associated with renovating a 100-year-old historic structure are an important factor.

Councilman Ward Hauenstein has a consistent vision for the future use of the building and has been wide-eyed as to the costs. In contrast, others including our stumbling and mumbling mayor, have ignored the plain facts (i.e. escalating costs) and logic for years by failing to parallel process the issues. The result is that the building will lie fallow as they lurch from one non-decision to the next.

Or perhaps what we are seeing from the city is perverse alignment with the master plan of the Mark Hunt School of Urban Planning — grandiose plans followed by an indefinite period of doing nothing.

Neil Siegel

Aspen