TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Harder Hall's Most Interesting History Is Being Made

ADVERTISEMENT

By None Selected

Published: November 4, 2007

A lot of folks are holding their breath, hoping that a deal goes through on Harder Hall Monday.

Everyone wants the city out of the real estate development business, especially the city. What happens tomorrow, though, is anyone's guess.

The long, sad saga of Harder Hall is well documented, but its recent history is, perhaps, its most interesting. Years of decay, attempts to revitalize it followed by more disappointment, and then a lot of excitement and then busted dreams again are the stuff of fiction. In the last few months we've seen one developer balk in the final hours and another step up. We'll find out Monday, when due diligence ends, whether the latest offer goes through. We sure hope so.

Just about everyone has an idea of what should happen to Harder Hall, but very few people have the money to make it happen. The best we can hope for is that the grand old hotel is saved so it continues to grace the shores of Little Lake Jackson. It's a signature piece for this area.

The reality, though, is that some developer might end up taking it down. No one wants that, but it's clear that renovating it, and then getting a return on investment, is a difficult business proposition. No subsidy is available to make that happen. Unless Bill Gates decides for some wild reason to bankroll it, the whole thing is about profit and loss, and the public must understand that, even if we don't like it.
What's most important at this time is for the city to find a buyer. Taxpayers need this off their backs. If this offer falls through, no other contracts are waiting in line, although someone would probably step forward. But who knows if that one would work.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope the latest investors considering the place decide it's a project worth undertaking. If not, we start over and that's not what anyone wants.

How about marketing it to Hollywood for a movie set? At least we'd actually make some money on it for a change.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT