Barb Lickness' point that whatever comes of possible Dome destruction should take into consideration the concerns of Eliot Park residents is well taken.
One can only hope as well that the Eliot Park folks had the foresight to consider the possible destruction of the Dome in doing their study. If that has not happened it is the most current best example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing in the Minneapolis Planning/Development game. As such it speaks to the conclusions of the McKinsey report as well as anything. The whole Downtown East is undergoing an incredible transformation. I recall a meeting of either the CD committee or Ways and Means committee of the previous City Council when funding or site approval of Grant Park was being discussed. Joan Campbell said something like "I hope we all understand that this project will start to change the entire nature of this part of town. Plans for Dome Destruction Development are another step after Grant Park. For those of you unfamiliar with Grant Park it is the former Northland Electric site on 10th Street between 5th Av and Portland. Whether or not this is good or not is for the citizens of the city to judge. Understand though that next to Loring Park and Stevens Square neighborhoods the east side of downtown around Eliot Park is an area where it is still affordable for low and moderate income peolpe to live. It is also a neighborhood predominately of rental property which is an area of development the city did not foster thru the '90's choosing instead to concentrate on home ownership believing (mythologizing) that owning property necessarily meant people would take greater care of it. We talk a good game in this city about diversity but the fact is that Minneapolis is pretty well segregated along both ethnic, racial and economic lines. This is a part of town that can play against stereotype as much as any neighborhood in town. It already does ethnically and racially if not so much economically. If this dome destruction development dream or other projects like Grant Park lead us in a direction away from diversity and inclusivity they ought not happen in my opinion. The fact that this proposed park in the center of a housing development is a mere Tiger Woods drive away from Eliot Park makes me wonder. Are we establishing enclaves of exclusivity? Tim Connolly Downtown West __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
