– News covered by Quincy Quarry News.
The City of Quincy City Hall fire clean up enters its second month as flames-damaged steel framing studs and water-soaked sheet rock continue to be removed from old City Hall.
So too does the police investigation to find the arsonist who apparently was able to easily break into the City Hall renovation project construction site – and as did two others previously – so as to attempt to steal copper, only to instead start a devastating fire.
Not since shortly after the fire, however, has City of Quincy Police Chief and mayoral brother-in-law Paul “The Beav” Keenan nor anyone else senior at the Quincy Police Department said anything of significance as to any progress – or not – on the department’s investigation of this catastrophic fire.
Conversely, Koch Maladministration officials have gone on the record as suggesting that the damage will probably run at least a million dollars and the project will likely be delayed even further by an additional three months or so, with a June reopening of historic old City Hall at least tacitly intimated.
If – for a change – this Koch Maladministration projection actually proves to be accurate, such would allow for the mayor to stage yet another gala photo op in advance of what is sure to be a hotly contested mayoral primary election next September.
As locals will recall, the mayor hosted another gala photo op in June before the last mayoral election, only to see that which was feted at this gala event implode within but a few short months as well as in spite of the mayor’s subsequent assurances that work on the underlying project would resume shortly and (eventually ed.) everything would turn out just fine.
For those who do not believe in the Tooth Fairy, it is only proper to note that no word has been publicly uttered by the insurance company or anyone from the construction company actually working on the City Hall renovation project as to how much the fire damage repairs will likely cost or how much longer they will take to complete, much less who will get stuck with what bills.
Those with actual insurance claim and construction experience approached by Quincy Quarry unilaterally felt that the Koch Maladministration’s damage cost estimate was low to perhaps even very low as well as the damage recovery time frame overly short.
Further, just about everyone knows that insurance company claim settlements rarely cover the full cost of the underlying losses incurred.
There are also lingering questions as to the building’s security before the fire as only after old City Hall went up in flames were night watch security and video cameras implemented at the construction site.
Whether – or not – the insurance company harps on the suspect pre-fire site security or if the State Fire Marshall’s yet to be released final investigation report notes any additional problems remains to be seen.
Quincy Quarry will, however, be reporting on the State Fire Marshall’s final report as soon as it is made available to it as well as other interested. parties.
Damaged steel support studs and sheet rock aren’t the only thing that should be purged from 1305 Hancock Street.