Bob Bratina for Mayor

[bornagainbiking]

Finally a guy who has some common sense. Imagine that, thinking of ways to save taxpayer's dollars. A novel approach.
I love the idea of City Centre as City Hall. Let the city elite mingle with the commoners. The civil or public servants in the lower city with the public AKA taxpayers.
Almost like a small town approach. Morning Fred, Morning Sam, Morning Chad..... maybe get called on some dumb move(s), sit in the barber's chair. You cannot hide about 75 metres off Main with so much inconvienience to get there.
As for City Centre the figures speak for themselves. Sell City hall or give it away for a dime as long as it is restored correctly. A medical centre downtown next to the bus lines WOW.
So Bob you have my support, maybe some of your peers will take out a calculator and realize it is our money they are spending. or saving!

[MsMe]

Or sell city hall building, move them out of the city centre and fix up the Lister and move them all into the Lister building. The Lister building should be big enough for them all.

[emge]

Out of the 400-450,000 sq ft needed, the Lister is nowhere near big enough.

I like the concept he's suggested - although as mentioned, the city really has no moral authority anymore to request a purchaser preserves heritage details.

If it worked out though, it could benefit everyone.

[crhayes]

I have no problem with the city spending money, even if it is a lot of money, as long as it is spent wisely. Spending an estimated $70-80 million (in 2005 I saw figures in the mid 40 million range which only shows it's likely to increase as the project continues) while not even maintaining the heritage features a poor decision. Not only that but the building is still half as big as they need, and far from Lister. At least the city center is larger than they need and directly across from Lister.

I think it's a no-brainer locating to City Center considering the location and the potential the building has.

As for credibility in enforcing the preservation of heritage features, I think the only thing they can do is sell it to an organization or developer with vested interests that would do the renovation properly.

There has been so much optimistic news lately, we just need some of it to come to fruition!