Sounds like they (RSA)not only put all their eggs in one basket, it turned out to be someone else's basket as well. I never made a habit of announcing my plans until I had everything nailed down. According to Bobby Irons on last night's news TVA had the authority to say no all along. This really shouldn't be a surprise.
I don't understand why so many think a company will help this area when we are having to bribe them to come here. If they felt this area was a viable market for them they would be coming to us and we would be dictating terms. If I wanted to open a business I'd have to buy a priveledge liscensce. It's a priveledge to get to do business anywhere. We're trying to cajole them into coming and pay them to do it. What are the long term guarantees? What happens twenty years from now when that building is old and needing repair, will BPS remodel move or close? What then? And who wants to look out the window of their luxury hotel room or the restraunt on top and see the roof of a strip mall anyway?
I'll admit we need something and I sure don't know what the answer is but if we can stop arguing over this maybe we can come up with a better plan. I don't travel but almost everybody does. What do cities of a comparable size have as an attraction to draw people in? Surely someone has an idea and we have the perfect forum right here to discuss it civilly. Let's give it a shot and try to do some good instead of venting a lot of hot air. Just look how helpful that approach has been up to this point.