I am seeking to share accomodations for the AAA meetings. I will be arriving Thursday, and need Friday and Saturday night. Sorry about the crosslisting. Please reply to [log in to unmask] Thanks, Sophia Vackimes >From: Julie Collins <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: FOR AAA ATTENDEES ONLY >Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 13:04:39 -0600 > >The Blackstone Hotel has not been condemned, but closed for building >violations. > >http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/hotel12.html > >Blackstone Hotel shut; guests told to > vacate > > November 12, 1999 > > BY SHU SHIN LUH AND FRAN SPIELMAN STAFF REPORTERS > > Citing a series of building code violations, the city shut >down the historic Blackstone > Hotel, leaving dozens of employees jobless and forcing >scores of guests to flock to > neighboring facilities. > > Management of the hotel at Michigan and Balbo avenues, >which >is famous for > presidential stays and the birth of the political >"smoke-filled room," notified more than > 80 employees Wednesday of the shutdown and their dismissal. > > That evening, managers delivered memos to guests' rooms >telling them to vacate the > hotel. > > Since 1995, the Blackstone has been run by North >Carolina-based Heaven on Earth > Inns Corp., owned by transcendental meditation guru >Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. > > City inspectors uncovered the violations this week during a >routine annual inspection > required by city ordinance. On Tuesday, inspectors closed a >basement office in the > hotel because of cancer-causing asbestos that threatened to >contaminate employees > and guests. > > In addition, inspectors reported an electrical system that >was "totally inadequate, > totally outdated," said a high-ranking Building Department >official who asked to > remain anonymous. > > Annual building reviews have taken on a heightened sense of >importance since a > string of high-profile facade and window problems at >downtown buildings. The city > conducts 25,000 inspections a year. > > By Wednesday night, most of the Blackstone's guests were >re-booked at nearby > hotels, but some were lingering in the hotel lobby Thursday >morning. > > Ela Gibbons, a 71-year-old visitor from Columbus, Ohio, was >one of many guests > who arrived at the hotel Wednesday night only to learn that >she had no room. > > "A hotel doesn't just close, especially not in the downtown >of a big city," said > Gibbons, who has been planning her trip since January. > > Hotel spokesman Dan Wasielewski estimated the hotel will be >closed for a year to > remedy the situation. > > The adjoining Merle Reskin Theatre isn't part of the >shutdown, according to Lynn > Stys, company manager for the long-running comedy "Shear >Madness," currently > playing at the theater. > > Last year, the hotel was designated a Chicago landmark and >granted a "Class L" tax > break to pave the way for an $80 million renovation that >would have restored > everything from the building's historic exterior to its >interior lobbies, 325 guest rooms > and Crystal Ballroom. > > Host-Marriott Corp., manager of international five-star >hotels, was due to take over > the hotel. But the sale never went through because of >last-minute haggling over the > price, according to Thomas Samuels, development manager of >the project. > > Samuels said that developers knew "some amount of >remediation" for asbestos was > necessary, but they weren't aware of the magnitude of the >problem. > > Blackstone employees were still trying to digest the news. > > Workers also were frustrated by hotel management's >hesitancy >to disclose details of > the closing and the short notice. > > Blackstone Hotel management hasn't offered employees any >severance pay other > than unused vacation time because "this happened too >quickly. We haven't had a > chance to address that yet," Wasielewski said. > > >At 11:06 AM 11/12/1999 +0000, Carol Mayer wrote: > >Hello, > >I have just been informed that the Blackstone hotel has been condemned by > >the City of Chicago. so if you are booked there you will need ot book > >elsewhere. I have been rebooked into the Silversmith hotel which is more > >expensive ($ca. 140 for first two nights and 150 for second two nights- >Nov > >17-21).. Is there any female out there who has also been tossed out of > >the Blackstone who might want to share a room? Or...does anybody know of > >another (cheaper)hotel near the conference hotel ? > > > >Many thanks > >please reply off list. > > > >Carol Mayer > > > > > > > >Carol E Mayer, Ph.D > >Curator > > > >UBC Museum of Anthropology > >6393 NW Marine Dr. > >Vancouver, B.C. Canada > >V6T 1Z2 > > > >Tel: (604) 822-8224 > >Fax: (604) 822-2974 > > > >========================================================= > >Important Subscriber Information: > > > >The Museum-L FAQ file is located at > >http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain > >detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line > >e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message > >should read "help" (without the quotes). > > > >If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to > >[log in to unmask] The body of the message should read >"Signoff > >Museum-L" (without the quotes). > >========================================================= >Important Subscriber Information: > >The Museum-L FAQ file is located at >http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain >detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line >e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message >should read "help" (without the quotes). > >If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to >[log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "Signoff >Museum-L" (without the quotes). ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). 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