Money no object

TOURISTS COME TO Manaus in the northern state of Amazonas for rolling rivers, virgin rainforest and Belle Epoque buildings from the 19th-century rubber boom when the city was known as the Paris of the Tropics. The most striking monument to that era is the Amazonas Theatre. Decked out with European hardwoods, Carrara marble and Venetian glass, it took 12 years to build and went dozens of times over budget. Now Manaus is to get another pricey landmark—for some, another folly. This time the cost will fall on taxpayers.