The Oread Inn pranksters were at it again Thursday morning.
Someone activated a fire hydrant, for the third time, near the construction site of the 106-room hotel and condo development near 12th and Indiana streets, sending water gushing into the development.
"I'm sure it's probably just kids messing around after the bars close," said Casey Stewart, job superintendent for Lawrence-based general contractor Gene Fritzel Construction Co. "It's getting old, very old."
Kansas University police were called about 4:15 a.m. Thursday to the scene, where they found the hydrant open again. The hydrant was shut off in about 25 minutes. About 5 inches of water had collected in the basement of the $37 million construction project, Stewart said.
On Wednesday, about 7 feet of water filled the construction pit by the time the hydrant was shut off, causing at least $40,000 in damage to equipment. Construction workers said there was also a similar incident three weeks ago.
The city has ordered a lock for the hydrant, which should arrive Friday, Stewart said.
"Hopefully we shouldn't have any more issues," he said.
Comments
Write2Know 9 years ago
It sounds more like disgruntled workers (maybe ex-workers) than pranksters.
LiberalDude 9 years ago
The people doing this aren't pranksters, they're criminals.
at42 9 years ago
The ghost of The Crossing strikes!
Jaylee 9 years ago
this is a direct result of fritzel not giving a crap about what the community thinks or what happens to them.what kind of a person shuts down multiple establishments without informing any of the employees or managers even.one of my friends worked at molly mcgees until one morning she went to open up and there was a new lock on the door and condemned sign.and i had to walk up a bloody (i mean literally blood-stained) stairwell to grab the keg shells the morning after the yello sub shut down party that someone,post-party trashed the adjacent big 12 burrito and accidentally flayed themselves on the yello sub property. none of which would have happened if the place hadnt been suddenly closed in the first place. not that i blame fritzel for a person going crazy or whatever happened to that poor fellow, but any and all shenanigans having occured that night were a result of people who cared about the place being kicked, literally, to the curb. abandoned. and for a lost cause.not that lawrence needs more dive bars, but it was the crossing man. the only place ON CAMPUS (on the hill at least) basically to grab a big beer after work/tests.and now the accumulative anger toward his negligence is fruiting in the form of a mysterious uprising.if i thought there were any way to stop him, i would do it too. at the very least, i view this as giving fritzel the crap he so deserves. i hope he himself is paying the workers comp for the injured worker and his helicopter ride. and i hope the crap keeps on coming for him because he is sitting in his office somewhere thinking about how unstoppable he is. and he is. this town bends over for his bad ideas again and again because he's got the money.i dont care that you have money. i dont care that you build big ugly structures. you should be helping the town redevelop before you make your ugly monsters that benefit few and make others want to vomit at the site.all the oread inn will do is make a place on campus you can see from miles off, but cant go. any projections on how much it will cost to stay there? my prediction is more than most of us could afford.
d_prowess 9 years ago
I love this line, "I'm sure it's probably just kids messing around after the bars close." Yep, all those drunk college kids walking around with big wrenches! And nothing says fun like opening up a fire hydrant during a really cold night. Sure, maybe this is their attempt at PR, but I think everyone knows that this had to be someone against the project, so the comment comes off very dumb...
ModerateOne 9 years ago
Jaylee said: " . . . you should be helping the town redevelop "This is so funny. Do you see why?
Jaylee 9 years ago
cheeseburger (Anonymous) says: "Note to KUPD: Add Jaylee's name to the list of suspects!"yup! struggling student and musician, brand new daddy seeks jailing through petty vandalization of poorly thought out construction abomination.i think the guy stinks like the poor people he tramples over's figurative corpses and his ideas are worthless, but id rather hold a public demonstration than a sneaky behind-the-scene antic to bring down fritzel's plan.as i pointed out before though, he is unstoppable in this town. nothing to be done.
TacoBob 9 years ago
Agreed Hawk, they should have one or two in stock. Sad that they have to order one.And agreed, that the dopes should have security at that site, and should have from the beginning, given the 'kids' that are out past their bed times. If they don't get it now, they won't after you have reminded them. Pay me $25/hr and I will do it with a perp logged per night. Bonus for multiples. And I will get rid of the 'chant' as part of the process.Personnally, I like crispy, back to the the days of Taco Tuesday at TJ's, two tacos, $.99. But that was a long time ago. Had a friend that won several bets by eating them in one bite.
John Kyle 9 years ago
with the hydrant locked, the next act will probably be a fire.
TacoBob 9 years ago
Hey, here is an original thought, Hire a security firm! And I can tell you how much to spend too! I'll say it again in many future posts too!And the dopes who yammer about Fritzel need to give it a rest. All towns have developers, and they earn a living like the rest of us. For developer 'haters', just plug in any name, they don't care, they just hate developement. It is a legitimate project with all the proper approvals. Vandalizing the site is a criminal act, plain and simple. Don't like the project? Vote the bums out that approved it. How hard is this concept?Jaylee, are you saying you did it? Petty vandalizm - $40k's worth??? Jaylee is on the list now, just as someone else mentioned. Don't like something? Just go commit a crime. Classic.
hujiko 9 years ago
This certainly sounds like vandalism from the opposing side, not just random pranks committed by tipsy college students.
Jaylee 9 years ago
TacoBob (Anonymous) says: "For developer 'haters', just plug in any name, they don't care, they just hate developement."i dont view development as a good idea at all if you are completely overlooking the tattered town surrounding it. i dont like this project for many of the same reasons i dont think it makes sense make another north lawrence beyond north lawrence or another eaast lawrence beyond east lawrence,etc. REDEVELOPMENT is more necessary. my common example is chicago, a town that built OUT for so long, then decided it is time to start building UP." It is a legitimate project with all the proper approvals." no its not and no it didnt. its proper approval is a fabrication."Don't like the project? Vote the bums out that approved it. How hard is this concept?"pretty difficult when it was already in motion before the approvals had occured. "Jaylee, are you saying you did it? Petty vandalizm - $40k's worth??? Jaylee is on the list now, just as someone else mentioned. Don't like something? Just go commit a crime. Classic."assume away. ignoring completely my previous comments that i think these acts are just as useful in stopping the project as peeing into the wind.and i would hate to think that in your world, tacobob, a person could and would be profiled in a crime for having an opinion.
Bud Stagg 9 years ago
I would imagine it's a felony anyway due to the damage and time lost. I don't think it's a prank, it's someone who is against the project.
justaverage 8 years, 12 months ago
It seems to me that the developers should have hired a security service to protect their investment after the first incident. Some people think that end of campus was something special and worth saving. I always thought of that area as run down and seedy. The completed project will benefit the university and improve the quality of the area.
BigPrune 8 years, 12 months ago
I wonder who has to pay for this lock, the City or the developer? Those things can't be cheap.
drake 8 years, 12 months ago
Jaylee says "redevelopment is more necessary. my common example is chicago, a town that built OUT for so long, then decided it is time to start building UP."What do you think they...... oh, nevermind.
Jo_Jo 8 years, 12 months ago
I can smell the patchouli oil through the computer screen. Here's a thought - use eminent domain to bulldoze all the houses in the neighborhood and build an athletic village for the univeristy - it would really clean up the neighborhood.
Michael Capra 8 years, 12 months ago
Old home store would have been on job would be in ruins
Michael Capra 8 years, 12 months ago
comet OHS is bad bad bad lies lies lies beware
Shane Garrett 8 years, 12 months ago
Actually all the owners of the affected buildings had plenty of notice that they would soon have to move. The NESHAP inspections took place long before any demolitions could take place. FYI.
monkeyspunk 8 years, 12 months ago
So, does anyone know if those hydrant locks are sledgehammer proof?
Kyle Reed 8 years, 12 months ago
Uh...458casul? Are you practicing stringing random words together? Is any of that supposed to make sense to anybody other than you?
Jaylee 8 years, 12 months ago
bowhunter,im pretty sure someone already pointed out that revenue from the oread inn will only be filtering into the pockets of the oread inn. until another deal is madeand it obviously wont be torn down. it takes someone lacking KU pride though to allow a structure to overshadow the whole campus, thus the whole town.i thought one of the cool things about KU was that its built on top of a hill and you can see it from a ways off and its the height of kansas, monumental and awe-inspiring?guess not.
Flap Doodle 8 years, 12 months ago
Wait until the Visigoths show up!
George_Braziller 8 years, 12 months ago
Isn't the idea of putting a lock on the hydrant a really big "duh"? Why didn't they do it after the first time? They had to have known that it was going to happen again.
not_dolph 8 years, 12 months ago
I woner if all that water is cold...or if it's just....oh never mind.
not_dolph 8 years, 12 months ago
Maybe he could make some "green" suggestions for the Douglas Co. Correctional Facility, since he will be staying there for a while...
Deja Coffin 8 years, 12 months ago
Well it's just immature. And the more people keep screwing with this place the more likely someone's going to get hurt. If you wanna protest it, get your signs, get your people, and peacefully protest but grow up. I could careless whether this building is built or not but when people start screwing with other peoples property just because they don't agree with that person I'm automatically going to take the opposite side. Nobody has the right to f**k with other peoples stuff. Plain and simple. (And yes... there is my one serious comment for the week.)
Jaylee 8 years, 12 months ago
i didnt say it would "block" the view... it will be the tallest building in lawrence though and i dont know how you can dispute that when that was the whole point of the hotel in the first place?it will be just as visible as frasier hall or the union or any other building on campus when you drive into town, only its taller.and i drive out of town all the time. probably the biggest economically dumb move i make, often. i love the lakes and river and just being out in the country air in general. helps me unwind.with the phallic nature of the tall slender building towering up above the heights of all else, we may as well call it "The Lawrence Boner." you get a double meaning with boner, since the whole thing is just one big screwup.
rabbit 8 years, 12 months ago
instead of cutting down trees and using this site for more student parking. We get a hotel? Why can't KU buy the paid parking garages and make them student parking with parking permit. And please let's get rid of all this paid parking on game day and not being able to park on campus for night classes on game day. This is the real problem!
rabbit 8 years, 12 months ago
I am talking about paid parking on campus. Get rid of it! We spend $200.00 for a annual parking permit and half the time can't find a park. The paid parking garages in my opinion is a disgrace to the University. KU football...please.
bearded_gnome 8 years, 12 months ago
pranksters?are the ljworld editors/writers being coy, stupid, or misleading? this is antidevelopment terrorism. have wondered about the fall of the concrete wall trapping the worker the other day. blooding like that could have harmed people. this ain't no pranksters. anarchist scruffies? somebody named sv-n? with all the whining he and others did, making the oread inn smaller, wonder if it is still economically viable.
Commenting has been disabled for this item.