THE CITY When the Junior Black Academy of Arts & Letters moved into the Dallas Convention Center in April, the black arts group got lots of space and $650,000 from the city for massive renovations, on the condition that the JBA raise $230,000 by next year.
No sooner had the JBA signed on the dotted line, however, than city workers found asbestos in the new facilities. Since federal law requires that any asbestos uncovered in a public building undergo “abatement,” the JBA now faces a lengthy and costly delay. The group has moved to cramped quarters in another area of the center. They were forced to cancel a major production in October that was slated to bring in a good part of the $230,000.
JBA director CURTIS KING is quietly fuming while publicly declaring “no hard feelings.” Nobody is claiming skulduggery, but some indignant JBA members wonder why the city didn’t know the asbestos would cause problems. The city knew that the facility was originally built using asbestos for insulation, and should have known that the JBA renovation would disturb the asbestos. After all, the JBA wing was built the same year as the arena-1957.
Related Articles
Hockey
What We Saw, What It Felt Like: Stars-Golden Knights, Game 3
A close final score masks a dominant performance.
Local News
In a Friday Shakeup, 97.1 The Freak Changes Formats and Fires Radio Legend Mike Rhyner
Two reports indicate the demise of The Freak and its free-flow talk format, and one of its most legendary voices confirmed he had been fired Friday.