"Matter of Principle" Dooms New Madison Central Library

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Link to March 20 Wisconsin State Journal article, "In the wake of collapsed talks, officials back plans for a library renovation".

Excerpt:     Since talks collapsed between the city and a developer over the pricetag of a new central library, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is quickly moving to sell the public on a "state-of-the-art" renovation of the existing 45-year-old facility.

Cieslewicz is finding support for the renovation but facing criticism for not involving the City Council more in the failed negotiations when so much was at stake.

Documents released this week in response to a State Journal records request reveal theCieslewicz administration and Fiore disagreed sharply about project costs — even before the council committed to spending $37 million on the project — and who should manage construction of the core and exterior.

"There's a tremendous disappointment, not only for myself, but for many Downtown stakeholders," said Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District, who represents the core Downtown. "I'm pretty disappointed a wider group of alders were not brought in and consulted by the mayor."

Related articles:
Madison Central:  The Dream Dies, It's Now Time to Renovate.  (3/19/2010)
Dispute over Construction Costs Threatens to Derail New Central Madison Library. (3/17/2010) Madison Public Library Project Faces Delay in 2011. (3/9/2010)
Construction, Cost Concerns May Delay Madison Central Library Project. (1/25/2010)
New Madison Central Library Wins Council Approval. (11/11/2009)
Capital Times Endorses New Madison Central Library. (11/10/2009)
Madison Council Begins Review of Mayor's Budget on Tuesday. (11/6/2009)
More Questions About Madison Central Library Project. (11/1/2009)
New Madison Public Library's First Change Order: Rooftop Garden. (10/28/2009)
Call for Referendum on New Madison Central Library Not Attracting Support. (10/21/2009)
Madison Board of Estimates Rejects Library Referendum. (10/13/2009)
Some Madison City Council Members Want Referendum on New Central Library. (10/9/2009)
Wisconsin State Journal Editorial on New Madison Central Library. (9/13/2009)
New Madison Central Library: Let the Positioning Begin. (9/1/2009)
New Madison Central Library on Mayor Dave's Front Burner. (8/30/2009)
New Madison Central Library: Build or Renovate? (7/7/2009)
Motley Brown Not Reason Enough. (6/11/2009)
Fiore Plan Receives Unanimous Support. (6/5/2009)
Fiore Plan Gets Nod from Committee. (5/15/2009)
Public Forum Focuses on Central Library Options. (4/24/2009)
Developer Sweetens the Deal. (4/21/2009)
Visualizing a Remodeled Madison Central Library. (4/4/2009)
Renovation Plan Put on Table for Madison Central Library. (3/26/2009)
Residents Critique Proposals to Rebuild Downtown Library. (1/9/2009)
Competing Developers Defend Their Central Library Plans. (1/8/2009)
Comparison of Downtown Madison Library Proposals. (12/17/2008)
Two Proposals for New Madison Central Library. (12/3/2008)
Best Headline of the Week. (9/6/2008)