But like all such projects, as economics deflates, politics inflates.
Much of the money was spent instead on such projects as highway construction.
Critics see such projects as essentially tokenistic and argue they do little to tackle the problems at their roots.
The future belongs to such projects as Legoland California, which will open in spring, 1999, in Carlsbad, near San Diego.
Part of the proceeds will go toward the Jersey Shore Partnership, which is planning such projects as beach replenishment.
But it's hard to collect high enough returns on such projects as lenders become less willing to accept high leverage.
Franchises, and in turn many politicians and media, have for decades billed such projects as engines of development, economic "grand slams".
Planners envision such projects as the fullest expression of the civic spirit, a reinforcement of the city's historic role in modern democracy.
Then came Mr. Grant, whose recent work had included such projects as a potboiling mini-series and "The Lair of the White Worm," a high-concept horror film.
More recently it has become the go-to choice of dictators, with such projects as Norman Foster's big-top funhouse in Kazakhstan, the mother of all autocrats' marquees.
Because we recognize the pursuit of such projects as the key to our long-term success, we will continue to seek them out.
