Let me preface this by saying that I know just about nothing about the current Walker Library situation. I would greatly appreciate it if some people could (off-list) direct me as to where I could read up on it. I'd like to comment on the funding and size issues, but it'd be pretty ignorant of me to do so at the moment. I think that housing the library in a mixed-use building would be great. It would be in keeping with the character of Uptown, provide a place for new housing (possibly condos . . . I've heard they're big right now :-), and improve the streetscape of that corner of Lagoon & Hennepin. I'll admit that I love the huge letters that stand above the library, but the above ground space is being wasted - it is neither a building nor particularly useful open space. Why not add taxes from that parcel, which must be worth a tidy sum, to our coffers? David Brauer wrote:
> In the SW Journal, Councilmember Niziolek floated the idea the city could > close that the $1.5 million gap by diverting 15 years worth of property > taxes from the new housing to the project (in other words, tax-increment > financing). > > Leaving aside the notion that Lagoon & Hennepin is blighted (a TIF > requirement), such a diversion means no gain to the city general fund for 15 > years, and a half-sized library. How can that be justified? It can't. Absolutely agreed. > And I'm not convinced that corner of Lagoon & Hennepin is the best place for > more high-intensity development. It's definitely a place for high-intensity development. The whole attraction of Uptown is its high-density, mixed-use style. Development on the corner of Lagoon and Hennepin would enhance that, as well as adding a decent sum to the city's tax base. > It's pretty intense there now, including traffic. I don't see this affecting traffic. We're talking about one building, located in a place which would enable people to get to and from home without owning a car. > There is land elsewhere in Southwest, including the Greenway & > Nicollet Ave., which can accommodate corridor-housing growth As it should . . . in addition to Lagoon / Hennepin, not instead of it. Again, I'd very much like to read up on this further . . . so please send me whatever you've got! --Jeff Rosenberg Cedar-Riverside Where we don't have ANY library . . . nuts. 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
