One hopes that neighborhood response to this benighted decision to pull the plug on Sherman Associates will send a wake-up call to Cms Niziolek and Lilligren - stunting this development will reverberate through the west end of the Lake St. corridor and failing to open Nicollet will perpetuate a long-standing traffic flow problem that will be made worse in the event the 35W ramp goes forward. Why is city hall willing to see these major hits to tax base growth potential? Why are the incumbent council members rolling over for this? I surely see more credibility in the Lake/Nicollet plans than in the financial black hole that the Sears Tower has become. In the dark corridors of the city's bureaucracy, is someone's "professional" reputation being salvaged at substantial immediate expense to the Sherman Associates firm and formidable future cost to the economic viability of scores of existing businesses in these corridors?
What chilling message does this send to the aspirations of other city council members and their business and residential constituents in other commercial corridors radiating out from the central business district? Is this an example of a turf war that pits embattled big-ticket development bureaucrats against the leaner, more supple, more manageable products of local initiatives? We have a weak mayor system of government. Are we now to have a weak City Council as well? Fred Markus, Horn Terrace, Ward Ten, in the Lyndale Neighborhood --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.459 / Virus Database: 258 - Release Date: 2/25/2003 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
