The latest hurdle is a big one -- the meltdown of Anglo-Irish Bank. According to the Sun-Times , the bank is about to be nationalized by the Irish government. That will make it tougher for Garrett Kelleher, the visionary who took over the Spire project, to get the money he needs to continue construction.
According to the Times, Kelleher has already withdrawn almost $70 million from the bank to get this far. But the bank attached few strings to his spending. With the bank in the hands of the Irish government, it's unlikely the new people holding the purse strings will be as generous as their predecessors.
At this point, when it comes to the Spire, everything is speculation. It's been like that pretty much since the beginning when Fordham made big plans, but couldn't follow through on them.
For now, all we can do is gaze into the foundation hole and dream of what may... or may not... come.
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