More Market House Madness

Just when you didn't think things could get any worse with the Market House situation in Annapolis, the management company operating the facility sues the City for $2 million. Site Realty Group, which won the lease for the prime property on Annapolis' harbor a couple of years ago, is suing the City for $2 million, alleging that the bungled air conditioning situation has cost them lost rent. They are also asserting that the City didn't allow them to rent sidewalk space to vendors.

With regard to the insufficient air conditioning, the City's defense appears to be that they had negotiated a situation with Site Realty whereby the unit would be fixed in January 2008, after the heavy shopping season. In the case of the absent sidewalk stalls, the Mayor claims never to have been made aware of such provisions. To be fair, I had never heard discussions of sidewalk rentals mentioned before either. Of course, I've never read the contract.

My understanding is that the situation is so bad now, that the Market House will be closed during weekdays through the winter. How the City can continue to screw up this situation, which really should have been a boon to downtown, is beyond me. It's almost as vexing as how the Mayor can allow those who got the City into this mess to stay in its employ.