Quote:
Originally Posted by studentview
Im all for the idea of mixed use development. Especially in the downtown core. The idea of live/work/play all within the same building is a great idea. The ecovillage is knocking out of the park. But putting a transit terminal underneath a library? Lets think about this one. No idea from my end what the city plans to do with less money and more plans on the books. They have held up the bus terminal by going back to the drawing board and the overcrowding of the library, the police station and city hall are all presenting them with problems. Like I said I think some space dowtown can be used more effectively then its present use but a bus terminal and a library go together like chinese food and chocolate pudding. doesnt work for me
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I don't fully understand your dislike of a civic complex comprised of a transit terminal, library and outdoor plaza. Would they not all feed off each other more positively than the current arrangement? We have a well utilized, unsightly, neglected bus terminal and a beautiful, underutilized civic plaza across the street from each other. We could allocate funding to improve the aesthetics and function of the bus terminal, and additionally provide funding to improve the relationship between the civic plaza and library (I assume this is what you would like to see if improvements were to occur). We should note that there are advantages and disadvantages associated with an individualistic approach and a holistic approach to improving this area of downtown.
For good or ill, you risk losing the individual identity, character of each facility by combining them. On the flip side, you lessen the positive impact(s) they could have on each other with a fully integrated design. Generally, the civic plaza is utilized for special events, political protests, fundraisers, public engagement. Contrast those activities with what occurs within the confines of the bus terminal, such as waiting for the bus (rather dull at times) and loitering by unsavory types (CoS employs security personnel to address loitering). The current public perception is transit terminal=bad, avoid at all costs (this becomes an excuse for those unwilling to use public transit) and the civic plaza=good, safe, pride, etc. Perhaps I am exaggerating what the public thinks about these places, but it does exist to some degree and it's quite perplexing (they're across the street from each other!).
This may come across as a young, naive, idealistic perspective, but I'm going to state it regardless. If we pursued an integrated design, we could expose civic issues to an audience that would not have otherwise known about such things. However, from a mature, sophisticated, ahem, realistic perspective, integrating the transit terminal with the civic plaza will provide people an excuse not to utilize the civic plaza for it's own sake because it's invaded by the bus terminal people (integration may also be an excuse to not visit the library because people who ride the bus will overwhelm the library...).
Shifting from the social and political aspects of integrating these facilities, there is also an opportunity to open the current bus mall to automobile traffic thus making that stretch of 23rd more attractive to businesses who have traditionally lamented the presence of the bus mall because it created a dead zone (vacated buildings).
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Costs don't NECESSARILY need to be cut (although some cuts may be appropriate), they need to be spread more equitably and the city needs to stop SUBSIDIZING developments which cost it more in the long run!
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