"But a decision on the project is needed soon, Simons said, because there are alternative plans the ownership group could pursue for the eastern end of the building."

Oldest trick in the real estate playbook, I hope we don't fall for it.

Wow, this is a bit premature. What happens if the voters say NO? Will there just be a sales tax increase, or raise that mil levy to max? Are we are being strong armed into financing this thing? Seems that there are negative feelings about funding downtown redevelopment throughout the "other" Lawrence.

Why the rush to push this through before spring? Taxation without representation is not good.

There are far too many questions yet to be answered regarding downtown taxpayer-funded redevelopment with the "library" as an anchor.

Where did the $30,000,000 figure come from? How could it bounce up to $70,000,000, and then after measuring public reaction, pop back down to the lower figure? Was the public being played as a human experiment by the guys on the hill?

Does the city give the old library building to the developer grata? Is the cost of demolishing (inc. asbestos and lead removal) the post office in the $30,000,000 figure? Is the cost to move the p.o. included? Will the city own the "new library" building?

How will downtown redevelopment be profitable for the taxpayer who will see a $1200 increase (or more) in their annual property tax? How will a new library help with the city's tax base? What other plans does the cc have for generating taxes and giving some relief to those who are already overburdened? What examples can the city point to as prudent use of our taxes over the past 5 years?

We do not need a new library.

With the computer technology advancing everyday everything will be on e-books anyway. So let's now waste any more money by allowing the city of Lawrence to build a useless library!

The current library works fine. The current post office works fine also. Why mess with it? So we can raise taxes and line the pockets of the Fritzels and Simons?

"Commissioners generally have agreed that they would put the library issue to a public vote."

Let's hurry up and vote this beast down so we can start working on some real issues instead of this imaginary one .

I grew up in Wichita, KS and loved to go to the NEIGHBORHOOD library. I could actually ride my bike there with a bit of creativity as not to have to cross any major streets. At the time Wichita probably had about 6 branch libraries and one major downtown library. Today it has 10 locations. Let's look at it strictly by numbers:

Wichita estimated population in 2008: 566,506 (source: http://www.ams.usda.gov/statesummaries/KS/MSA/MSA.pdf/Wichita.pdf) Number of locations: 10 Citizens per location: 56,650

Lawrence estimated population in 2008: 107,349 (source: http://www.ams.usda.gov/statesummaries/KS/MSA/MSA.pdf/Lawrence.PDF) Number of locations: 1 Citizens per location: 107,349

Is this really the way to build a quality library system?

Do I even need to run the same numbers comparison for Johnson County?

Let's build local branches so children trapped in suburban cul-de-sacs have somewhere to go to learn, meet others, and stay out of trouble without having to enlist Mom's help to travel across town.

Tanger Mall and Riverfront Mall were created by the same type of thinkers who are coming up with these great ideas. On any given week-day that the Riverfront Mall lot is busy without PO traffic. And both malls have become dependent on state and city government tax dollars or bascially have no tenants. Obviously neither are desirable. The PO people do not seem too excited. Mr. Simons should probaly take up his other opportunity and move on. One would think the USPS would need an in depth analysis before accepting this ready made plan.

Both of these malls are the choices of a real estate/developer owned city government. They owned the greater number of seats on the city commission and the planning commission when these two failures came down the pike. The same group that has brought up high property taxes. So why put Chestnut,Dever or Bush in office as their money is coming from the same sources as the mall thinkers came. Their supporters do not like the word NO for an answer ever.

Why the city would lose control of the library space deserves a detailed explantion to the taxpayer.

RealityCheck provided some excellent food for thought.

If the library must move, as always 9th&New Hampshire is logical because it is empty and has been for years .

Chad, ask them when they're planning to put this library issue to a vote.

Also, ask them whatever happened to a decision on the SLT..

See if you get a straight answer to either.

The reason the Riverfront Mall failed is because you can't get enough traffic into it. Any other high traffic business (like the Post Office) will also fail.

Not to mention that the JW will benefit by a 100 year lease which will more than pay for thier whole investment of the mall purchase.

Do I see a conflict of interest here?

Oh what the heck. Here are the numbers for Johnson County:

Estimated population in 2005: 506,562 (source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/20/20091.html) Number of library locations: 10 Citizens per location: 50,656

I'm sure it rankles everyone at the Lawrence Library to talk about the Johnson County library system, but darn it, if it delivers good service shouldn't we look to it as a possible model?

Another middle-of-the night FIASCO!

Access and parking dooms the River Front location for ANYTHING, especially a tax supported enterprise!

Any location East of Mass. for either a P.O. or library is a bad idea for numerous reasons.

Leave the P.O. where it is (or, better yet, build a couple of branch P.O.'s).

Leave the library where it is, & build two or three branches.

Let voters decide on ALL OPTIONS!!!!

Great thought provoking posts ronwell!

Satellite branch libraries enrich families lives, promote family values and add value to the neighborhoods.

Lawrence does need a new downtown library, the currnet one was built THIRTY FIVE years ago when the population was half what it is now.

IMO both malls failed due to location & inability to get in and out. Tanger might have made it had they made arrangements for a grocery store as the primary anchor. Food is a staple. There is simply too few retail dollars which might have been discovered had the owners subjected themsleves to a retail impact study.

Why is all new downtown development on the north end only? How does that help our small business industry that thrives on walk by traffic no matter what city? This has Wal- Mart mentality behind it. When all downtown business does good Lawrence taxpayers do good...should that not be the objective?

Looks like downtown will finally have a small grocery store for its' pleasure. That's forward thinking. Placemakers designed a small grocery space in their downtown design. Now what about North lawrence?

Stephen, not only the $250K they've already spent.. but what do they have budgeted for future consultant expenditures?

They sit around scratching their beards raw, but nothing ever gets done and no decisions ever get made (can you say "SLT"?)

And we pay them for this??

This is not about serving the public, this is about enhancing downtown, so no amount of requests for alternate locations, or for satellite branches, will be entertained until we unload every city commissioner who has been on the commission since 2002. See for youself, in this opening paragraph from the Friends of the Library section on The Plan for the Expansion:

"The Lawrence Public Library Board of Trustees has been planning for enhanced facilities and services for close to a decade. The original plan, unveiled in 1998, was to implement a series of storefront satellite library service outlets. This plan progressed for several years until 2002, when the City Commission asked the Library Board to refocus on the enhancement of the main library in downtown Lawrence - the space that extends north and south from 6th Street to 11th Street, and east and west from New Hampshire Street to Vermont Street.

Postmistress Raney sent a "Request to the Postal Dept. to re-locate the post office to River Front Mall".

Is she (also) an employee of the World Co.?

I have an idea: let's create a voluntary tax for those in favor of a bigger library..

Those in favor of the new library can voluneer their tax refunds and we can get this thing built!

hawkperchedatriverfront said,

"the Simons family has no money and need a bailout. Fritzels are in debt to the varied wives."

Seriously, are you lucid?

Let the left enjoy culture, altered states and idealism. Meanwhile, the rich get richer and the powerful play for prifut.

It is a beautiful thing... is it not?

A new library? We are getting a new library?? Wow I didnt know that one had gone thru. So does that mean we will finish the SLT sometime this year??

Isnt there a hotel in the old mall?? how would that work out, a post office in the same area as a bar and a hotel???

Anyhow, Im glad we have taken care of the library problem, this one has been giving us trouble for years.

I am very sad to see that there is not much written about this article now. I was realy excited that we may be getting somewhere and we could complete the SLT. This new library is going to be great.

I wonder what the plans look like. Does anyone know how long it will take to build this?? I am looking for some information for research and wonder if they will have to shut down while building

budwhysir, sorry, you will have to wait until after the library is approved before you can have your questions answered. See, Corliss has assured us that the project will not cost any more than $30,000,000, and Fritzel has assured us that we will like it, we will really, really like it.

Trust, it is simply a matter of trust.