Will the tower topple or implode?

One must fight to get to the top, especially if one starts at the bottom: It’s Monday Mail.

Hanz and Franz

Today’s opening is from Franz Kafka’s “The Castle.”

The tower

Today we have an email regarding recent reports on proposals to tear down the Columbus Government Center and build something new.

So I have to go back and read them, because I just glanced at the headlines and thought, “Huh. That ought to keep the city busy for about 15 years.”

It’s not like they’re going to tear it down tomorrow, you know. Even Trump doesn’t move that fast.

Earlier this month city leaders heard about a 2013 assessment that said renovating the tower would cost about $50 million, and building a new facility could cost about $100 million.

Just demolishing tower is estimated at $62.6 million.

The government complex off Macon Road that includes the city services center, natatorium and parking garage cost about $32 million.

Clearly the city needs to buy some Mega Millions lottery tickets to see if it can win the jackpot to pay for all this.

Center to center

Here’s the email on that:

What I have not seen discussed is this: Where would they temporarily locate for up to say three years, all the offices and courts till a new building could be built if the current one is totally torn down and rebuilt?

I am sincerely hoping if they decide to renovate they can do it in floor sections. At best though, long term a new building would likely be best for many reasons (number one is energy efficiency, with better AC/heat and Low-E Windows.) The building now fights itself with all the old windows. Many do not recall but in late 70s the paint/coating on current building was flaking off in chunks. Solar panels on a new building roof could supply some power....

I sincerely question the estimated total demo cost of the current building. Explosive imploding by a national contractor and demo debris removal could no way cost $60 million. My idea? Somebody needs to contact Bill Reeves and offer him $30 million, house the current offices and courts in the trade center for the duration of demo and construction and get Brassfield and Gordy to build the new center. Yes there would be loss of revenue using trade center but likely a lot less cost there vs other scattered options.

Jim Hall.

Dear Jim:

The Trade Center lacks adequate parking and it’s hard to secure and could be hard to find, too, considering the Government Center’s one of only two towers in town and some people still can’t find it.

Plus holding murder trials in Trade Center rooms could ruin their image, like if a TV reporter went live outside and said: “Phil, I’m here at the Sycamore Room where one juror vomited today while viewing gruesome crime-scene photos.”

If you don’t think the city government will implode on its own, we could try blowing up the Government Center, but it would be a shame if we miscalculated, and instead of collapsing, the tower toppled onto the Springer Opera House.

Maybe we should move the courts to a new building by the jail for better security, and move the other offices to a new building by the city service center. Then we could use the old courthouse block for something else.

This story was originally published February 19, 2017 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Will the tower topple or implode?."