Two controversial redevelopment projects will continue as originally planned, despite the attempts by several alders to redefine their terms.
The amendment for a city-wide referendum on the proposed new Central Library was placed on file and the amendment to take the tax incremental financing out of the Edgewater Hotel proposal was defeated at the city's Board of Estimates hearing Monday.
Both amendments were part of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's Capital Budget, which will be reviewed by the Common Council in November. According to Ald. Bridget Maniaci, District 2, because the amendment on the library referendum was placed on file, it could technically be brought up again to the full council, but it will likely still not pass.
The Edgewater Hotel development will go forth with the $16 million in TIF funding, which means that only 11 common council votes would be needed when the item is voted on next month.
According to a representative from the Edgewater Hotel, redevelopment of the property would benefit job creation in the Langdon area.
Opponents of the Edgewater project said additional hotels would be a burden because they may decrease the space for future developers to use.
Supporters of the Central Library said the library is a necessary and basic service the city should provide.
The vision for the Central Library, according to supporters, is to provide a community space for people throughout the city, to create an investment for the future, and to provide support for urban agriculture. The new architecture would bring attention to the library, and it would be a way for people to show off their community.
It would also be more beneficial to build the library now because taxes would likely increase within the next three to five years, creating a higher cost for redevelopment, according to proponents. Structural costs would likely go up as well.
