Living with Legends

Some of you may be wondering why, with occupancy for the past weekend at about 40%, and housekeeping staff reportedly being laid off, we continue to see new hires bebopping around the hotel.   Chief among these is Larry McLaughlin, who, out of the blue, has sent tenants a couple of memos lately.

            Oddly enough, as he wears a suit to work, McLaughlin is being billed as Chief of Engineering.  Obviously he doesn’t intend to get his hands dirty in this job, so don’t bother asking him to fix your toilet or change a lightbulb.  As no other engineers appear to have been laid off, McLaughlin seems to represent simply another layer of management inserted between the actual engineers who do the work (and who have their own boss, apparently still in charge) and the high command.  Nice to know we have money to burn around here.

            Seriously, though, folks, what’s the real story?  Well, this can perhaps be gleaned by looking at McLaughlin’s work history.  He held a similar post at the Paramount/Hard Rock Hotel, Piccadilly Andrew Tilley’s old stomping ground, but more important, he’s presently the Hotel Sub-Committee Chair of the Codes and Regulations/Government Affairs Committee of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of New York, an organization that consults with, and lobbies government on, issues relating to  building codes.  In other words, McLaughlin is a code specialist.  The idea, apparently, is for McLaughlin to use his expertise to bring the Chelsea  into compliance with existing building codes, so that the hotel can then apply for a Certificate of Non Harassment, which will allow renovations to the hotel to proceed legally.  (BD Hotels was in the process of implementing a similar plan, remember, but minority shareholder Marlene Krauss felt they were moving too slowly.)

Far from hinting at any ulterior motives that might suggest themselves, we think this is a great idea.  As long as individual tenants’ rights are respected, the hotel should be brought into compliance with building codes, which are there, after all, to insure our safety.  And if, when the building is brought up to code, the HPD sees fit to grant the hotel a Certificate of Non Harrassment, we will welcome a minimal, non-disruptive, historically sensitive restoration of the hotel, by licensed contractors under proper governmental oversight.

            That’s a far cry from what’s going on now, with permit applications being falsified so that historically-significant rooms (such as Bob Dylan’s) can be quickly trashed by sledgehammer-wielding vandals with no compunctions about spreading potentially-hazardous dust throughout the hotel.  

I can’t imagine that this sort of anarchic construction boondoggle is what McLaughlin had in mind when he took this job.  Happening as it did on McLaughlin’s watch, this blatant disregard for the law and for tenant safety, not to mention the utter contempt shown for all governmental authority, can’t but reflect to his discredit.  As a respected professional, McLaughlin must be quite concerned about the potential damage to his reputation.  On the other hand, the DOB Stop Work Order levied against the hotel may perhaps give McLaughlin the opportunity to assert his authority in insuring that the building is brought up to code before further construction is attempted.  — Ed Hamilton