As you can see, the OSHA investigation case IS STILL OPEN on the Copper Lounge collapse. The fines are being contested and nothing has been paid yet.
But it still leaves a lot of unanswered questions;
• Did or Will the city conduct their own investigation, and is Hultgren Construction paying for the disaster recovery?
• What have the insurance companies determined and will any claims be paid out? To either the victims and their families or to the city.
• Will there be any reimbursements for Downtown businesses that lost business for over a week due to the collapse.
• What repercussions are there for Legacy Development that was tied to Hultgren construction. What happened to the agreement between Lewis and Legacy to build them a new store downtown?
The public has heard very little from the city, the states attorney’s office and the attorney general about what charges may or may not be brought forth. The only government entity giving us any information is OSHA at this point.
I hate to say it, but like the secret siding settlement on the Denty, it looks like the city is looking to sweep this under the rug, or at least keep it off the radar until they can give a contract to Legacy to build a new parking ramp.
Hopefully the parking ramp contract will be voted down and we can start at square one with justice to the victims of the building collapse.
I heard Legacy left town after this and came back as a Boomerang….
And what did happen to Lewis? Have they been caught up in this as a deep pocket, which has then soured their continual interest in Downtown Sioux Falls?
I remember the State’s Attorney said last Dec/Jan that he was waiting for OSHA to act, but they have, haven’ they? I mean, OSHA is just being challenged now, right?
Wudn’t the dad of the family upstairs an employee of great life, and then the owner guy of great life was a big investor in Legacy?
Insurance investigations could drag out for years, and even then we might not know what the settlement is. The only thing we will likely hear is OSHA’s decision, plus likely a wrongful death civil suit by the family, assuming there isn’t a criminal case first.