MassAtMass t1_isybutq wrote on October 19, 2022 at 4:23 PM

What is the alternative? According to Smiley, the city has been unable to attract a corporate tenant, so the building was just going to sit empty.

TheSausageFattener t1_isylmsl wrote on October 19, 2022 at 5:26 PM

Its been unable to attract a tenant due to a chicken and egg situation where the current owner has no interest in renovating the structure to attract said tenant. The owner has basically been stringing the state and city along using the prominence and cultural significance of the building as a bargaining chip to force them to subsidize the renovations.

nygrl811 t1_iszf4c6 wrote on October 19, 2022 at 8:34 PM

👆 100%!!! So not fair to taxpayers. We're stuck funding the repairs.

Proof-Variation7005 t1_it3b2mq wrote on October 20, 2022 at 4:58 PM

> using the prominence and cultural significance of the building as a bargaining chip to force them to subsidize the renovations.

Pretty much. I'm not even sure I'm mad the city and the state flinched first in the game of chicken. Waiting for the owner to just give up probably wastes another decade and I'm not even sure there's a way it costs less.

Not saying this was the best or even a good deal, but there were never going to be any good options.