With two week's to think about it I hope we can also make it the newest green public building in Minneapolis. It get it's own marketing ride if it is a library that functions well, has a planetarium and is the greenest building in the Upper Midwest (at the time it is completed). I hope some Library Board members are also considering which configuration could have some solar on it or even a solar wall and which block would be easiest to install geo-exchange systems under the building. Come on folks, we're in a new century and trying to save the planet all at the same time - this is education when it goes from theory and gets put into practice. Annie Young East Phillips
At 09:20 PM 1/17/02 -0500, Sheldon Mains wrote: >Contrary to the impression given in today's article, all the library >program fits easily on the North block in a 5 story building (sixth story >would be the Planetarium/space center). The difficulty that the library >board sees is that the current program plan for the first floor does not >fit on that block--some things need to be moved to different floors. > >I don't find this a reasonable concern: >- The program plan was supervised by the Library Director who was just >fired. If the board doesn't believe she can run the new library, why do >they believe the program plan she put together is cast in stone? >- The library management seems very inflexible --"This is the program plan >we've developed over the last 10 years." >- The library program will change over the years. It's changed a lot in >the last 40 years. It will likely change a lot more. >- From the few parts I've looked at, the program plan seems to look at how >Libraries have worked in the past, now how they could work in the future. >A few problems I've seen with the plan: >1. The original plan was to double the Internet terminals--this is by >2006--they need double the terminals now. >2. No increase to the number of adaptive technology facilities for people >with sight problems--in a city with an aging population. >3. Only two automated self check-out lines. >4. No thought of creative library ideas like the "mixing area" that will be >in the Seattle library. > >Further, the new Seattle library, the new Vancouver library, the new San >Francisco library, the new Denver library (with very slight modifications), >and the new Chicago library could each fit on the north block > >The north block is clearly the most visible of the two--bounded by >Washington, Hennepin and Nicollet. The Gateway park to the north and the >Marquette plaza green space to the east. It is clearly the "showcase" block >in downtown. The south site could easily be surrounded by tall building. > >There are problems with the north block and benefits to the south block. >If the housing market downtown goes sour in the next two years, we'll end >up with an empty block between the Library and the core of downtown. A >large block does make it easier to design the program. The south block is >half the distance to the LRT station (one block vs. two blocks). The south >block provides more options for design of the Planetarium. > >The idea of taking two weeks to further review the program and the north >block makes sense. This is the most significant public building >Minneapolis will build in the next 50 years. We should take the time to do >it right. > > >.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.>.> >sheldon mains seward neighborhood minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED] >the shameless agitator in the electronic town square > > >_______________________________________ >Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy >Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: >http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
