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Highlands Today

It's Not Over, But Harder HallSale Looks Like A Success

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By None Selected

Published: September 6, 2007

A giant sigh of relief was stifled a bit Wednesday when Sebring City Council members voted to sell Harder Hall for $5.55 million, but have to wait 30 days until the deal is final. Just the same, we're ecstatic that the city was successful finding seemingly quality buyers willing to pay a fair price.

Sebring Hospitality Group LLC, a group of investors who are doctors from New York, New Jersey and Michigan, sound like a promising developer for Harder Hall. Council members were impressed with the offer they made and believe everything will work out. Of course, until the cash is on the table, city Administrator Bob Hoffman will not feel comfortable, and that's understandable.

Harder Hall has been an incredibly tough problem for a long time. It's a beautiful old building that easily is Sebring's most recognizable landmark. The setting on Little Lake Jackson is fabulous and the thought of it being torn down makes anyone caring about this place hurt. But many of us have braced for that possibility.

At the same time, the amount of money and work required to revive the old resort hotel is incredible. It's not a simple case of a little paint here and a little elbow grease there. It's a major renovation that will cost millions to complete.

It's troubling, though, that the city cannot repay subcontractors who were stiffed by the last developer. We had hoped that money from the sale could be used to pay off that debt to a lot of deserving people who did fine work in good faith – never to be paid.

The new developers say they will keep the building and renovate rooms into luxury accommodations. On the land surrounding the historic hotel will be condos that will be part of the complex. There's little doubt that a lot of the investors' potential profit will be in those condos.

We hope the city is successful in finalizing this deal. We are just as hopeful that Sebring Hospitality Group is just as successful in making Harder Hall rise again. Most folks around here can't wait for the day when the grand building opens to the public and what once seemed like an albatross around the city's neck will – again – be the crown jewel.

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