Other than the natural wonders that one will see during Yosemite tours, the greatest man-made sight within Yosemite has to be the eighty year old historic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley. The Ahwahnee Hotel is considered to be one of the most prized hotels within the country’s national parks system. It’s a luxurious property with an interior of rustic grandeur combined with amazing views of some of Yosemite’s most iconic images: Glacier Point, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. But the property has been in need of seismic updating for years and Yosemite officials hope that the funding to do so – nearly one hundred and forty million dollars, will come through as part of a larger package submitted to the Department of the Interior regarding Yosemite’s share of the Economic Stimulus Package intended to refurbish some of the National Parks while creating jobs.
While there is no guarantee that all or any of what is needed will be approved, Yosemite officials are beginning the necessary arrangements to seize the opportunity if it is presented in June. Upon funding, it would still be a year before construction could begin due to standing hotel reservations and the process of gaining permits. Thereafter the construction needed to make the hotel earthquake resistant could keep the property closed for two years. The hotel employs three hundred people and yet since the size of the undertaking will require that the property be closed during that time, there will unfortunately be a zero sum of employment, with the construction crew offsetting the unemployed hotel staff. It is unclear if this will adversely affect the hotel’s prospects for funding approval.
Park officials have known of the need to upgrade the building for years, and in-fact had a study done in this direction seven years ago, and have since been looking for the funding and opportunity. The Ahwahnee Hotel closure will be costly not only for the deposed employees, but for the park and surrounding community as well. The hotel earns approximately twenty million dollars in revenue as well as ten million in tax revenue for the county. Though this will be painful for many, there is no good time to take on the project and to delay such is risky as six and seven point earthquakes have happened in the area and a similar quake in close proximity could potentially destroy the aging structure.
