September 2009 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Thanks to Nathan Schwessinger for alerting me to this monstrosity of design and programming -- the proposed new Seminole casino / hotel in Immokalee, Florida. Looks sort of like a giant flaming La-Z-Boy lounger, or a Peterbilt truck transmission. Plus, another place for Americans to throw away their vanishing incomes on "excitement" is just what this society needs, right?

Nathan writes:

"Located 30 miles east of glitzy Naples, Immokalee is one of the most economically depressed areas in the US. It's home mostly to recent immigrants who work the nearby fields. The city is notorious for crime and general destitution. Its decaying buildings are seemingly held together only by the bars visible on every window. Many newer structures don't have windows. It's that kind of place.

"For decades Immokalee has been a blemish on the repute of nearby Naples, both located in Collier County. And for just as long, residents of Naples have attempted to create a newer, better, cleaner Immokalee, but with little success. The latest proposal calls for a massive addition to the existing Seminole Casino, a dingy outpost of video poker and 28-deck-shoe blackjack that occupies a pimped out ex-aircraft hanger on the skirts of town. This, of course, is being sold as What Immokalee Needs.

"Curious is the artist's representation of a south Florida hotel with hills in the background."