The 750,000 is for dealing with the Bureau of Mines campus that the Feds already own. Coldwater Spring just happens to be on the same site.
Not all that money goes towards the Camp Coldwater area, though some will. Namely because the Feds are looking to get rid of the campus somehow, they need to get a detailed idea of what they are dealing with, and what can be done with it. When the airport was going to buy the land for $6 mill, it was easier for the Feds to legally wash their hands of the whole thing because the airport is a "state entity". Without another "State entity" with that kind of cash, it leaves the Feds responsible for everything. That's from maintenance, to security, to studying what to do with the place. For example it has already been rejected as a headquarters for the US Fish and Wildlife, as the buildings would cost too much to rehab. So it leaves them with a "what's next?" The area is a bit more sensitive as to what can be done because the Coldwater Spring is on the property and will need to be protected, by whoever gets the land. So it's not as wasteful or as pork ridden as you may think. But yes, some of it will directly benefit the area, as one of the options is to return it to park, a plan that was envisioned all the way back when they made the Minneapolis Park system in the first place (though it may end up if Fort Snelling State Park, if that option is followed, but somone will need (to pay) to remove the buildings first) On a side note, the Mendota Indians, who have been involved with the area, are not the ones who own a casino. If they did, they would probably buy the land outright....so no they may not be poverity stricken as somone posted, but they don't have the millions of dollars to assume the campus either. The tribes who DO own a casino, and have more money, don't seem to be all that interested. Tom Holtzleiter Kingfield TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
