Accommodations in Orbit [WAS] Redesigning O Neill cylinders

"Xenophile"
made an interesting and well-thought out argument. However, I'm a bit
doubtful that a tourist hotel would rent out all its rooms to a construction
company for years on end. Sort of defeats the purpose of the hotel as a
resort/tourist trap. It may depend on how well the hotel is doing.

Regardless, if the corp's employees are going to be spending years working
in space, they will want fairly decent housing and amenities. The corp may
not be able to provide it directly, but bonus and award systems could
provide week-end or week-long stays in an orbiting resort with the company
picking up basic room and meals expenses.

Mention was made of a support structure. I can eat in my company cafeteria,
but I also have the option of eating at home or going out to one of many
restaurants and diners. People will expect the same in space if they're
going to be there a long time. A 'town' will arise where there is a
conglomeration of people who need services. Same will happen in space. The
corp may build extra housing and a 'concourse' of some sort, and then rent
out the space to various merchants and vendors. Some other company may
build a small habitat nearby and install various entertainment facilities.

A possible analogy is the various towns that grew up around mining camps in
the American west. People flocked to the area for economic reasons ("Thar's
gold an' silver in them thar hills"), but a second wave of people came to
provide general goods stores, restaurants, saloons, brothels, blacksmiths,
etc.

In short, what I'm saying here is that NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION.
People will build what they need, when they need it. (Or after they've
complained about the lack of it for long enough.)

Another point to make. The people who start up and own the support
structure businesses are the foundation of the community's middle class.
They depend on the corporation for their existence, but are outside the
hierarchal chain of command, unlike the middle management professions who
have to take orders from corp HQ. This means a more diverse community.