A Sign of Possible Economic Recovery?

While out today I happened by the location where they're still building the Drury Inn and Suites. Looks like they've got some crews working overtime to finish up the building. That's good when you can not only get a regular hourly job, but work OT as well. That means the owners have a specific date in mind for when they wan to open this hotel. So somebody higher up thinks they can fill this with enough travelers that it's worth pushing crews into overtime to get it done. Happy days are here again!

I'd be somewhat pleased at this except that there's still the empty office complex directly across the street that's been finished and empty for over a year, finished before they started work on this hotel. There's still gaping holes in a lot of the shopping blocks in the surrounding area. I don't think the solution is to get those future travelers who might stay here to shop in the immediate area and stimulate new businesses to open, especially across the street. I don't see how there could be enough. But I could be wrong.

The still-empty office block across the street (taken October  2010)