It’s baaaaaack.
Ron Tober’s Disco Party Canopy is again in the news. Turns out the $1.3 million roof over the Trade Street light rail stop may keep CATS from opening the line ahead of the November 6th vote to repeal the half-cent transit tax.
Steve Harrison has the latest on the travails of the blinking, flashing multi-colored structure that, according to CATS’ boosters, is intended to help induce people to ride the train. Or maybe dance.
That is the funny development. The rest is deadly serious.
For one, Harrison also reports that CATS’ used foreign steel on the project, a possible violation of federal rules requiring domestic steel on federally funded projects. The question has blown up into a lawsuit filed last month by general contractor Archer Western against subcontractor Gira Steel.
That is a big change from the letter of praise Archer wrote about Gira in 2002 for its work on a host of projects, including a MARTA parking deck in Georgia. Working with CATS just seems to cause grief.
We also learn that Tober is rushing to complete the the station and open part of the line early at the direction of city council and the Metropolitan Transit Commission. Really? Was there a vote to that effect?
Because if there was, I surely missed it.
