As a longtime critic of the �managed care� industry, I was never a proponent of Allina even prior to the allegations leading to the 2001 Allina/Medica breakup. However, as a historic preservationist, I was (grudgingly) pleased in recent years to read that Allina has helped maintain some of the architecturally significant older buildings in the Park Avenue area near its Abbott-Northwestern and Phillips Eye Institute facilities. Although Allina�s motives for doing this include PR and self-interest (Allina�s inner-city hospitals market aggressively to suburban residents, whose fears of urban �bad neighborhoods� may be exaggerated), I nonetheless have to credit Allina�s preservation activities.
Because Allina has facilities within blocks of the Sears site as well as previous preservation commitments, I don�t question the reasons why it has decided to locate corporate offices at Sears, but I do question the timing of the announcement. Preservationists and opponents of the 35-W access project are often the same people: by going public with their intent to occupy Sears now, Allina must hope to "justify" the 35-W access project. Even if I�m grateful that an organization wants to move into Sears, this doesn�t mean I�m willing to build the same organization a highway. Roberta M. Beach Minneapolis Ward 7, Precinct 5 REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
