RM 03-17-78 - Laserfiche WebLink

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COMMISSIONER'S REGULAR MEETING Friday, arch 17, 1978 FLOOR DISCUSSIONS (Mr. Brademas continues): They don't really want the cars, as they are a burden to them. When I drive downtown about 5:00, or 5:45, or even 6 o'clock in the morning, you could literally shoot a gun or a cannon down the streets and not really worry about hurting anyone, because there is no one there. To be a great city doesn't mean that you have to have people living in the heart of a city. I do 't know if anyone of you has ever been to Helsinki, Finland, but that is ap absolutely charming city, and they have many people who are living in the heart of the city. London, obviously one of the major cities, has many people living right in the heart of the city. This, I believe, makes a great deal of sense. At the same time, I have been concerned, as I know that the Commission has been, about the fact that some of the merchants, who are going to be displaced from the Century Mall project, have taken the Commission to court to try to prevent them from carrying this out solely on the basis that these people, who are going to be displaced, feel that this will effectively put them out of business. I think that the history of the way he program has operated here in this community, as well as many other comm nities, would support that idea. That doesn't need to be the case. I tae off my hat to the group who has come forward to propose to carry out the entury Mall development. I think that local men and women who get toge her and carry out these kinds of developments should be supported. On tie other hand, with one or two exceptions, I do not believe, and I am not asting any excursions on the group, that they have had a long time inve tment or involvement in the downtown. By that I don't mean investment in 1 nd; I am talking about people such as Mrs. Berg and Mrs. Hawley, who in fact, have devoted most of their adult lives to the central retail core here in downtown. I think they should, therefore, be given every conceivable opportunity to remain in the downtown. I have some drawings here with me this morning that will accomplish a number of these objectives. (Placed drawings on the board and spoke as follows): All i wherf hand! you on tl poi n- to yc the i prop( genes that th ey )f you are familiar with the old American Bank Building and the block Wymans was located. Speaking as an architect, I believe it is a very ;ome building; unfortunately, it is not being very well utilized because :an't get to the second and third floors. It is, as the Commission knows, ie acquisition list, so it does not present any problem from the stand- : of acquisition in the sense that the owners would object. I can report ►u today that I have had an opportunity to speak with virtually all of iajor lending institutions in the community. I have presented this )sal to them, as well as to the administration, and I have received a ,al feeling of support from the institutions. In addition, the bank, acts as a trustee on a major portion of this site, has indicated that would offer no objection to the property being acquired if a fair price