Free Republic

SEATTLE — Seattle's new city hall and justice center have received awards for their environmentally sensitive design. But just two years after opening, both buildings are plagued with problems — and fixing them is going to cost taxpayers millions....(snip) For example, the light-reflecting shelves in the building haven't worked -- intended to reduce electric bills, workers complain of glare. An oxygen-producing, rainwater-preserving "green roof" died and will have to be re-seeded with heartier plants. Boilers have exploded. Cops have trouble getting hot water to their locker rooms. Offices are too hot or too cold. "Tenants are uncomfortable and we are...