Downtown Library Plans

[Antrell Williams]

There is a point.

Anyway...

News Alert: Metro Council walks out on meeting, no vote on downtown library or Galvez Plaza stage canopy

The Metro Council unexpectedly adjourned Wednesday night after it lost its quorum. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Walker declared the meeting over during council discussion over the Galvez Plaza stage canopy. Noticing that four council members had left their seats, Walker said, "this meeting is adjourned." Addressing audience confusion, he explained that once the body has lost its quorum, the meeting must close and the council cannot reconvene until adequate public notice has been given. "I have no choice; that's the law," Walker said. "I have no choice. I can't reconvene." Councilwoman Tara Wicker said she didn't think the action was an intentional attempt to avoid voting on the canopy. "It's just people getting up, going to the bathroom, things like that," she said. All remaining action on the agenda, including a controversial bid to research alternatives to a new downtown library, will be addressed at a future meeting. No decision on if or when a special session will be held has yet been decided.—Ian McGibboney

Bunch of buffoonery in this city.

[itsjustme3]

There is a point.

Anyway...

News Alert: Metro Council walks out on meeting, no vote on downtown library or Galvez Plaza stage canopy

The Metro Council unexpectedly adjourned Wednesday night after it lost its quorum. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Walker declared the meeting over during council discussion over the Galvez Plaza stage canopy. Noticing that four council members had left their seats, Walker said, "this meeting is adjourned." Addressing audience confusion, he explained that once the body has lost its quorum, the meeting must close and the council cannot reconvene until adequate public notice has been given. "I have no choice; that's the law," Walker said. "I have no choice. I can't reconvene." Councilwoman Tara Wicker said she didn't think the action was an intentional attempt to avoid voting on the canopy. "It's just people getting up, going to the bathroom, things like that," she said. All remaining action on the agenda, including a controversial bid to research alternatives to a new downtown library, will be addressed at a future meeting. No decision on if or when a special session will be held has yet been decided.—Ian McGibboney

Bunch of buffoonery in this city.

I'm pretty sure the city won't collapse if the money isn't spent on this tent.

[Antrell Williams]

The city will stay just as stagnant as it did from the 80s to the 2000s if they don't acknowledge that a new generation is here, not the suburban loving parents and grandparents. Nothing wrong with the suburbs but BR will be passed up and stay stagnant and the crime and poverty in Baton Rouge you talk so fondly about will only get worse.

[itsjustme3]

The city will stay just as stagnant as it did from the 80s to the 2000s if they don't acknowledge that a new generation is here, not the suburban loving parents and grandparents. Nothing wrong with the suburbs but BR will be passed up and stay stagnant and the crime and poverty in Baton Rouge you talk so fondly about will only get worse.

Crime will decrease if/when the city council pays for this tent?

[dan326]

^ Lol, tent, that's actually kind of funny.

[Antrell Williams]

City council isn't paying for this "tent." It's already paid for. Produce a argument that holds up.

[itsjustme3]

City council isn't paying for this "tent." It's already paid for. Produce a argument that holds up.

Already paid for? Isn't this the same tent that the designer came back and said it would could $50k more that the estimate?

[Antrell Williams]

$50k is a small amount of money to worry about with a $19-21m building.

[itsjustme3]

$50k is a small amount of money to worry about with a $19-21m building.

Glad to know you are ok with wasting tax payer money.

[buckett5425]

Glad to know you are ok with wasting tax payer money.

"Wasting" is a subjective term in that sentence. Some of us might prefer to call that an investment for the future. It's called paying it forward for the next generation, which is something the previous generation hasn't done and that has left BR in shambles.

[Antrell Williams]

Sad to see you could care less about the future of the city.

[itsjustme3]

"Wasting" is a subjective term in that sentence. Some of us might prefer to call that an investment for the future. It's called paying it forward for the next generation, which is something the previous generation hasn't done and that has left BR in shambles.

Were still talking about this tent, right? It's funny you guys are acting like all of Baton Rouges problems are going to be solved with this tent. If we only spent more money on this. If we only spent more money on another library. If we only spent more money on (insert idea that supposedly needs more taxpayer money).

[buckett5425]

Were still talking about this tent, right? It's funny you guys are acting like all of Baton Rouges problems are going to be solved with this tent. If we only spent more money on this. If we only spent more money on another library. If we only spent more money on (insert idea that supposedly needs more taxpayer money).

Why do you keep comparing every public quality of life project to the crime level in Baton Rouge? All public works projects are a positive to the city. Yet you seem to discriminate against which projects you compare to public safety. Next time you praise the widening of a road, ask yourself, "are Baton Rouge's problems going to be solved with this sea concrete?"

In other news, public investments drive private investments. Use the Shaw Center as case study number one. The State along with private donors spent $65 million, yet this public investment has created at least $200 Million in private development near it. The library is just another key component in this revival of spawning private projects and new sources of tax revenue.

Iconic buildings have the ability of creating a sense of place and culture. People want to be near those buildings and the vibrant atmospheres they create. Development will naturally follow, as it has in the past and will in the future. If you'd like I can loan you a text book, "The American City: What Works, What Doesn't" By Alexander Garvin, with hundreds of case study's that prove all of that is true. It also dissects the projects to examine why some projects failed and some succeeded. The new library would be a success.

I just find it hard to believe that you think that Baton Rouge's quality of life, educational system, and public safety will be solved by spending no money at all...

[itsjustme3]

Next time you praise the widening of a road, ask yourself, "are Baton Rouge's problems going to be solved with this sea concrete?"

It will help with traffic. What does a expensive tent thats over budget or another library do that isn't being done now?

I just find it hard to believe that you think that Baton Rouge's quality of life, educational system, and public safety will be solved by spending no money at all...

That's a real stretch. I said by throwing MORE money at issues won't solve anything. Re-read what I typed or I can loan you a book of mine to help you. Thanks

[buckett5425]

It will help with traffic. What does a expensive tent thats over budget or another library do that isn't being done now? That's a real stretch. I said by throwing MORE money at issues won't solve anything. Re-read what I typed or I can loan you a book of mine to help you. Thanks

"It will help with traffic?" I love the double standard. When you question the validity of the library you act as though it should solve all of Baton Rouge's problems, yet when you question the validity of road improvements you don't run it through the same filter of solving the worlds problems? Your bias against downtown is undeniably obvious now.

(For the record, wider roads create more traffic and longer wait times at traffic signals.)

I also don't believe you've questioned the other three libraries being proposed or under construction in the parish, so why must you only argue against the downtown branch? Does another sparsely populated suburban community need another small library or can we suffice all those needs with a large, modern library that services the 20,000 people who live downtown and the 4 thousand people who call it home? I think so.

Have you been to the river center branch? Doubtful.

Also, you do argue that spending less money will solve more problems.

May I have the title of the book you were referring too? You didn't give a title or how in anyway it pertains to your argument. I am sure its a GREAT read!

[dan326]

Great post.

Why do you keep comparing every public quality of life project to the crime level in Baton Rouge? All public works projects are a positive to the city.....The new library would be a success. I just find it hard to believe that you think that Baton Rouge's quality of life, educational system, and public safety will be solved by spending no money at all...

[Antrell Williams]

He must work for the MC.

[richyb83]

In other news, public investments drive private investments. Use the Shaw Center as case study number one. The State along with private donors spent $65 million, yet this public investment has created at least $200 Million in private development near it. The library is just another key component in this revival of spawning private projects and new sources of tax revenue. Iconic buildings have the ability of creating a sense of place and culture. People want to be near those buildings and the vibrant atmospheres they create. Development will naturally follow, as it has in the past and will in the future.

Yep....the scoffers were there to belittle the Shaw Center for the Arts idea before it even got started....proving it's OK to think outside-the-box every once in a while! AND many years ago the old council-member that said renovating the old Capitol House hotel "would be like putting lip-stick on a dead woman"...we see how that worked out! These two projects have been big catalyst in bringing respectability to downtown; what used to be a ghost-town in the 90's on Friday & Saturday Nights is much different today!

If Greenwell Springs & Bluebonnet can have Super Regional Libraries...then so too can Downtown! The big stink to deny the Main Library back to it's rightful place was denied...staying at Independence (w/ no sense of place) instead...but still people can't be satisfied...maybe they can move the State Capitol there too...

[steve3n8]

Metro Council approved building the new library. About time!!!

[richyb83]

Yeah you right!!! And ole Smokie wasn't even there....

Council votes to move forward with downtown BR library plan

The debate over whether to tear down and rebuild a downtown Baton Rouge library was revived Tuesday night, with the Metro Council ultimately deciding to allow the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control to move forward with its plans.

Just 10 months after the council approved a $19 million allocation to replace the existing River Center library, five council members placed an item on the special meeting agenda urging the Library Board to change its plans for a new library and do a less expensive renovation of the existing building on St. Louis Street.

The council voted 8-2 in favor of deleting the item after a lengthy and familiar debate from opponents and proponents of the proposed downtown library....

The rest of article...

http://theadvocate.com/home/1003387-79/council-votes-to-move-forward.html

You beat me to it bec computer/site giving me problems posting previous article in North Blvd Town Square thread

[dan326]

This is great, I didn't really think it was going to happen.

∨ lol! ∨

Edited October 5, 2011 by dan326

[Antrell Williams]

Bow chikka wow wow! However you spell that! Yall know what I mean!

[richyb83]

How many obstacles does this need to overcome???

http://www.businessreport.com/section/daily-reportPM

Downtown library moves forward a step

With the Metro Council on Wednesday approving a $1.5 million design contract for a new downtown library by a 7-4 vote, a joint venture by Baton Rouge-based WHLC Architecture and Schwartz/Silver Architects of Boston can finally begin the process of taking the long-stalled project from vision to fruition. Though it's not clear exactly how long the design process will take, Library Board of Control Co-director Mary Stein says the Main Library on Goodwood Boulevard—currently under construction with a budget of $44 million—took a year to design. Unlike the Main Library, the downtown facility is expected to shut down during construction, according to Jim Frey, an architect with East Baton Rouge Department of Public Works. The Metro Council has previously allocated $19 million for the new downtown library at the Baton Rouge River Center, not including the design contract cost. How that $19 million will be spent on the project—which has been hotly debated by the council and community at large for years now—is expected to elicit continued debate as the design process gets under way.

[itsjustme3]

$44 million for a library?

ugh

[cajun]

Yeah....that is a bit much for something that will be obsolete in 10 years.

My new Kindle Fire eliminated most of my needs for paper anyways.