Excerpt: On Nov. 10, Madison historian Stu Levitan gave one of the most rousing speeches of the dozens heard by the City Council during 2010 budget deliberations, earning a spontaneous round of applause for his praise of the proposal to build a new, $37 million Central Library on West Washington Avenue.
"If you honor the past, the future will honor you," he said, noting the city's history of commitment to public libraries.
The City Council included the new Central Library in its long-term budget the next day, but four months later, on March 18, private negotiations between mayoral staff and the developer, the Fiore Cos., collapsed.
Since then, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has moved full-speed ahead on a proposal to renovate the current Central Library at 201 W. Mifflin St., even issuing a timeline for its potential spring 2012 completion. But library fans like Levitan and many members of the City Council have not yet bought into the switch.
"I could not have given that speech for renovation," Levitan says. "It's not the community statement of the importance of the library ... Certainly, a renovated Central Library would be better than the existing one, but that's not what the community desires or needs."
Related articles:
Council President Pro Tem to Introduce Resolution Approving Madison Central Library Renovation Project. (3/28/2010)
'Dissatisfaction' with Collapsed Madison Central Library Project. (3/25/2010)
Fiore Departure Seen as Beneficial to Madison Central Project. (3/23/2010)
Matter of Principle" Dooms New Central Madison Library. (3/20/2010)
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)
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