Jim is right on the money with the comment below. The site to be developed (someday) was the hillside on the north side of Franklin, next to the station. Parking was planned for the interior of the LRT facility yard, where the blacktop parking is now. I cannot remember the reasons, but it was finally decided to not put in the foundation or even the piles for the parking. Now with the LRT in operation it is no longer feasible to build parking there.
I had my own opinions on the parking in the first place, and the development site. What I can say is MCDA spent a lot of money on design that has been scrapped. Ron Leurquin Nokomis East Jim wrote: Not that "Social Justice", and Social Impact", though required by federal law, ever had anything to do with the planning or construction of the LRT. Of course to get the political will to build the line politicians promised great amounts of public input into the design and build process. And they held meetings, but I know of NO instance where that input even changed the color of the paint on a bathroom wall. Officials of MnDot and the Metropolitan Council used an over twenty year old EIS to do the project and did not include "Social Justice" or "Social Impact" considerations. In order to appease my neighborhood Met Council officials promised to assemble the property around the Franklin Station for possible development, and as part of "Design & Build" to put in the footings on the northside of Franklin to allow for new development. Even though urged by Linda Berglin, who had been a party to the negotiation, Ted Mondale and the "officials" drug their feet to put this agreement into writing until it was too late, then when they felt they were free from it, they just ignored it altogether. Apparently 'Social Justice' ONLY matters to politicians when it can get in the way of some "Plan". 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 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
