On 9/26/02 8:38 PM, "Becker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ><snip> > I was also thinking about the Roosevelt Library proposal and how there is a > proposal to make it part of a mixed use development. How the Library would > sit there, next to the laundry mat and maybe a McDonald's and someone's > groceries waiting to go up to their apartment. And how this really cheapened > the meaning of what a library is. The Library isn't simply a Barnes and > Noble, another store to meet your daily needs, a warehouse of books. A > Library is a place where democracy happens. A Library is a place where > everyone is equal, everyone is welcome, a place that provides knowledge and > support for everyone. It is a tie from our past to our future, a place of > permanence and strength in our community. It reflects our values. It is a > place that defines who we are and who we will be.
I agree that a library is something noble and should be respected. I disagree that having a library as part of a mixed used development automatically demands that it would be cheapened. Who says the development has to include something like a McD's or a Laundromat? Why couldn't there be something cool like a caf� or coffee shop that only sells fair trade coffee to raise awareness of how most commercial coffee producers exploit the land and the farmers? Or something like the Seven Bridges World Market (http://www.sevenbridgesworldmarket.com/) to promote exposure to other cultures? ><snip> > > A library in a mixed use development will never be a landmark, will never > provide identity, and ultimately cheapens what a library should be for our > community. I would hope the Library Board and the City would consider > building a landmark rather than a retail outlet for the Roosevelt Library and > I would hope the community accepts nothing less. I would hope the community insists on high standards for the Roosevelt library design and any mixed use development - however, I would also hope the community would be open-minded enough to actually consider and evaluate design proposals before rejecting them outright. Isn't it possible that creative ideas for mixed use development might draw people to the library who might not visit otherwise? Wouldn't that be a good thing? Mark Snyder Windom Park (59A) [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________ 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
