Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 19

Ilirminrliam lst-llerall Friday July 7 1989 B7 Builders stuck in the mud on summer projects jj- i 7- Li -i 1 got about 30 percent production over the past two weeks This is the heyday This is when you're supposed to make all of your money' John Robertson Brasfield A Gorrie Inc By Michaelle Chapman Port-Henld Reporter Contractor! usually are more concerned about dust than mud in the summertime But almost-daily rains for the past month have mired down projects ail over the state Contractors said almost every project involving outside work has been slowed because of the rain Alabama Highway Department officials plan to give contractors additional time to complete road projects Too much rain is a problem we usually have at this time of the year We like to have a little bit of rain in June and July Just to keep the dust said Henry Hagood executive director of Associated General Contractors John Robertson general superintendent for Brasfield Gorrie Inc said about half of his 18 projects in Alabama have been affected badly by the constant downpours got about 30 percent production over the put two he said is the heyday This is when you're supposed to make all of your Most construction contracts provide for time extensions in case of extraordinary weather but that does not solve the entire problem for contractors overhead on your Job continues to go on You pretty much recoup your time but your overhead you canrt do much Robertson said struction they also depend on construction he said But the real losers are people working at construction sites because for the most part they are not paid when their Jobs are rained out not made full weeks" since the rains began Robertson said Hagood said employees working sporadically also are not eligible to unemployment because they have not been off the Job long enough to qualify before working again Construction workers and contractors alike look to the warmer months to their biggest is our busiest time of the year We operate pretty lean during the winter months and try to make it up during the summer said Brian Barr a ct manager for Dunn Construction i's paving division He said that several contracts including construction of the new interchange at Interstate 65 and Lakeshore Drive have been greatly hindered by the rain Crews have been unable to put finishing touches on the interchange because the ground has been too wet Dwayne Jeffreys division engineer for the Highway Department said rain also has delayed the final paving of the Lakeshore extension west of Green Springs Highway If rainfall had been normal the interchange would be within a week or two of opening The engineer said grass mowing on highway rights of way is far behind schedule Costs for construcUon equipment and wages for supervisory personnel continue during bad weather he explained Smaller contractors could end up in a tight financial position as a result Hagood said he heard one contractor was forced to file for protection under federal bankruptcy laws because his projects had been held up for 30 days don't know that going to be that for businesses to go under because of the rain he said He estimated there are 4000 licensed contractors in the state but had no idea how many workers are involved is a tremendous industry when you get the fell ramifications of Hagood said lot of people who are affected by construction do not necessarily classify themselves as construction Although workers at construction supply firms light and lamp companies and carpet showrooms may not work directly in con By Kcttll Bayer Though puddles of water and mud surround the construction at Colonnade Park one construction worker said they often out the rain and continue to work' general contracting division said all projects involving earth work have been drastically delayed because the ground has been too wet to tractors to drive on without leaving ruts Robert Beni gar vice president of Parisian trying to buy freedom from Hooker Former Holiday Inn may get new life judge to hear franchise proposal Hooker invested 66 million in a 1987 management-led buy-out and -owns two-thirds of Parisian The remaining stake is owned by the Hess and Abroms families Parisian was privately owned by the families before the company went public in 1983 In April 1988 Parisian again became a privately held firm owned by a combination of Hooker and the Hess and Abroms families Hooker has invested more than 1 billion since January 1986 in a number of US retailers and malls But it has been financially strapped of late and indicated its holdings which include file Altman and Bonwit Teller chains in addition to Parisian are for sale A stay last week in the Journal quoted Frank Haasbeek president of the LJ Hooker Corp the US subsidary of Sydney-based Hooker Corp as saying looks like Hooker will sell everything in the next 12 to 24 Spina could not be reached to comment at his New York office The main creditor Lincoln Savings Bank of New York has been trying to foreclose on the property since 1987 The 26-year-old 229-room hotel has been plagued with financial woes throughout its history For years the hotel has struggled to get its occupancy rates up In the late 1960s and 1970s the Parliament House was most prestigious and expensive hotels President Nixon spoke at the hotel in the early 1970s The hotel has changed hands several times since it opened in 1964 Before it became a Holiday Inn it had gone into bankruptcy under the ownership of Birmingham busi-i Palmer O'Barr By Andrew Kilpatrick Poat-Hcnld Reporter The fate of Hooker stake in Parisian Inc a Birmingham-based fashion retailing chain remains up the air Yesterday The Wall Street Journal reported Hooker a financially strapped Australian company that has a majority stake in Parisian has rejected a bid from Parisian for interest in Parisian The Journal story quoted retailing industry sources Parisian President Donald Hess was out of town yesterday and could not be reached for comment Parisian Executive Vice President Harold Abroms could not be reached for comment on whether negotiations to buy the stake continue But Abroms was quoted in The Wall Street Journal as saying no question that the Hooker problems have tarnished our image Some vendors are getting nervous and talking to Hooker officials in Atlanta could not be reached yesterday The Journal said Estee Lauder has put Parisian credit on hold missed any vendor payments and after we explained our position to the people at Estee Lauder they said they would continue to ship us Abroms told the Journal Officials with Estee Lauder in New York long a major supplier of cosmetics to Parisian could not be reached for comment By Andrew Kilpatrick Poct-HcnM Reporter A federal judge may hold the key to whether a troubled South-side hotel will get yet another fresh start with a new franchise The former Holiday Ion-Medical Center located at 420 20th St lost its franchise with Holiday Inn June 30 The hotel has been in bankruptcy reorganisation for more than two years UB Bankruptcy Judge Clifford Fulford on May 8 issued the consent order that allowed Holiday Inn to terminate the franchise But this week Best Western officials in Phoenix Arix said the hotel has been approved to become a member of its chain Final word on that will depend on whether Fulford allows Birmingham Ltd a New York investment group that owns the hotel to keep the property Fulford is scheduled to near file matter July 27 The hotel is still in operation Yesterday telephone calls to the hotel were answered House may I help The Parliament House is the original name of the boteL The manager Mitch Fortner said inquiries should be made to Frank Spina the general partner of Birmingham Ltd Chuck Carlisle an anal Sterne Agee Leach malyst in By urn i The Holiday Inn sign is covered at the old Parliament House bought the hotel from Pensacola Fla businessman Ed Gregory whose business empire tumbled in 1977 when several small banks he owned were closed by federal authorities In the order issued by Fulford the hotel will have to pay back about 190000 in administrative claims to the chain said Charles Denaburg a Birmingham lawyer representing Holiday Inn order found that with Birmingham said yesterday there is no way to tell what will happen to the Hooker stake in Parisian but it is clear Hooker is having financial problems and Parisian which long has enjoyed a good reputation is trying to cope with the fallout Parisian has 20 stores either open or to open this year in Alabama Tennessee Georgia Florida and Ohio that Holiday Inn could terminate the agreement The Judge ordered the hotel to remove all cover signs logos uniforms stationery pamphlets and other items identifying it as a Holiday Inn debtor (Holiday Inn-Medical Center) hu foiled to pay the Holiday Inn administrative claim which was due under the its plan of Fulford ruled that the hotel had breached its license agreement and 3332 i Eg r- iutm Hmoi RWf wm MTp Mutual 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