Andy Garrett wrote:
Happy it missed you Dave. I was just in Joplin a few weeks ago visiting my brother (I grew up there). I hope Branson recovers faster than they have.
The Ozarks just can't catch a break!
I have lived in this home for 5 years. This is the 3rd spring, I have had a tornado within yards of my home. CRAZY stuff
We will recover very fast. There is a big silver lining to all of this
1. Most of the hotels needed to be removed. Old, out of date, bad shape and poor quality. We have too many for the amount of tourist we have. At least 10 of the damaged ones will be condemned and not replaced.
2. The owners will get an insurance settlement that exceeds what the place could be sold for (it probably could not be sold anyway)
3 This opens up the land many new developers want for new business that did not to have to pay for an existing hotel and then have to demo it.
4. The local economy will get a several $100M boost from reconstructiino
5. The other hotels damaged will be closed for 4-6 months which allows the rest of us to get more occupancy which helps out bad cash reserves for the last 2 years.
6. We can now start raising our hotel rates to something more realistic. I am sorry but $29 and $39 per night rooms is not sustainable anywhere but that is what these destroyed hotels were offering in order to try to stay alive. In fact, one of them had gone to weekly rentals just to bring in a dollar.
We will lose at least 3 theaters. But we have theaters not being used at all and closed down. This will bring acts back to the closed theaters. The damaged theaters will be condemned and bulldozed. More land for new businesses will open up.
Yes, sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees but I am seeing the mighty hand of our Father just giving us a big present with His mighty grace undeserved.
_________________
Dave
My Riviera build -
the Midnight Cry Project Video of Midnight in ActionBlogFew things in the world measure up to the thrill and satisfaction of boating in a boat that you built.