December 10, 2011 – A party at House of Blues on Monday evening for Marina City residents has left some with less of the holiday spirit.

Estimates are that as many 600 people attended the party. By Friday, about 40 complaints had been posted on Marina Watchdog, a blog for residents. People complained of a long line to get food and only one serving station, a selection of food that was less than promised, no knives or napkins, hot food served on icy cold plates, and in some cases people waited in line for as long as an hour only to discover there was no food left.

“I’m fairly sure that whoever is in the party planning committee is the same person who is in charge of fixing the elevators in the east tower,” wrote one blogger, “because I cannot imagine there being two people around who are that incompetent.”

Bloggers called the party “a bust,” “half-hearted,” and “an insult” to Marina City residents.

“Two years in a row the same thing happened, they ran out of food. Someone is doing something wrong. It’s…possible that people didn’t RSVP and just showed up and that could be the difference. There should have been two or three food lines no matter what. HOB should know better.”

Residents mostly blamed Marina Towers Condominium Association, which presumably paid for the party from $4,000 budgeted to its social committee. But one blogger noted that only works out to be $5 or $6 per person. “A good night out will cost you $50-100 per person. If that’s not what they’re dishing out to HOB, well, you get what you pay for! Not a lot of sympathy for those who were looking for a freebie!”

A November 3 memo to residents from property manager David Gantt appears to promise a buffet of turkey, “roast beast,” pork loin, southern fried chicken, and Po-Boys. However, residents reported there was no turkey, chicken, or “roast beast.”