BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Two years after a collapse turned the front of the Bristol Holiday Inn Hotel into a pile of scrap and rubble, city leaders say not much has changed as the developer remains embroiled in a legal battle over the incident.
The hotel’s remains stand as a purple reminder at the corner of State Street and Volunteer Parkway, with few changes from the night its second-floor walls allegedly failed. In terms of boots on the ground, the City of Bristol, Tennessee, said a cleaning permit let crews haul out some debris early in the year.
Aside from that, Bristol Tennessee Community Relations Director Jon Luttrell said the city isn’t exactly holding its breath.
“At this time, we have yet to receive the full failure report or the plan of action for how the project will move forward,” Luttrell said. “Once such a plan is received, reviewed and approved by the city, any necessary permits would then be reissued for construction work to resume.”
Each of those steps will take their own time, regardless of the site’s legal status. With a multi-million dollar lawsuit between developer Tenneva LLC and the site’s insurance provider slated to enter trial in December of 2023, the process could stretch much further.
“The city remains in contact with the developer to ensure that the site is secured and that cleanup activities can continue as needed,” Luttrell said.
A large part of that lawsuit is the building’s construction, which engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti alleged was rated for less weight than designs required and fell significantly below code. The analysis provided to the insurance company by Tomasetti recommended a full review of the building’s design, though the advice was not binding to either party.
Luttrell said that no specific deadlines have been set for updates, and it would largely remain up to Tenneva.
Staff of nearby businesses told News Channel 11 that the building is a common question from customers, and they’re hopeful for any update whether that’s demolition or renewed construction efforts.
