What's Going on With the BD Bacata?

See anybody working on those unfinished upper stories? Neither to I.

Announced with lots of fanfare, the BD Bacatá tower was to be a glorious new landmark on Bogota's skyline: It would consist of Colombia's two highest buildings, containing high-status offices, luxury apartments, a hotel and a shopping mall.

And it yet may be. But today, it's an inglorious one.

The ground-floor mall is operating.

The two-tower complex's taller, 67-floor south tower, with its knife-like design said to be modeled after a skyscraper in Dubai, stands unfinished, and I haven't seen anybody working on its upper stories for months. (The ground-floor mall is open, and some of the apartments are said to be occupied.)

Even as the building's upper columns and walls suffer from heat, cold, sun and rain, the builders have stayed silent, and the media haven't enquired - despite this conspicuous problem - leaving one to speculate.

Did the money run out? The Bacatá was crowdfunded, said to be the world's first skyscraper financed that way. The investors, who were promised that the building would be finished and they'd be enjoying returns years ago, are understandably upset.

It's often good to increase urgan density instead of spreading a city out. But the Bacatá was built in an area with already congested streets and little public space - and much less green space - nearby.

Sure would be a pity for this building to stand as a monument to unrealistic ego and excessive ambition.

Offices and apartments for rent.

Incidentally, I sent BD Bacata a message via their website asking them what was going on, but they have not replied.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours