Hutchinson city manager John Deardoff has about 10 weeks remaining on the job, and “front and center” as he wraps up work is a hotel/convention center — or rather lack of one — in Hutchinson.
The Atrium Hotel and Conference Center, 1400 N. Lorraine St., closed its doors Dec. 20. Deardoff learned of the closing from the media, but it was “underperforming for years,” he said, so the closing was not a complete surprise.
The shutdown occurred, however, before a clear strategy had emerged from City Hall for an alternative hotel/convention center.
“This is really frustrating for me,” Deardoff said in Wednesday’s State of the City comments, as he recounted the lack of enthusiasm from private developers and the slow progress in talks about a solution.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)