Madison's Common Council voted nearly unanimously Tuesday to rebuild the Central Library on its existing site in addition to voting to temporarily suspend the controversial 365-day limit of the Alcohol License Density Ordinance.
The decision to rebuild the Central Library follows the breakdown of negotiations between the city and Fiore Companies over a $2 million contract dispute. Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, spoke for many alders when she expressed her frustration with the lack of communication throughout the process.
""I support the library, although I will say I do so not feeling at all good about how the process has unfolded,"" she said.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said rebuilding the Central Library was critical to the entire library system. ""I want to dwell on the future,"" he said. ""Let's just do it, time is of the essence.""
Many alders emphasized the need to build the library as quickly as possible to take advantage of low construction costs resulting from the recent economic recession.
""This is a tremendous investment in our future and in our city,"" Ald. Tim Bruer, District 14, said.
Also looking toward the future of the city, the Common Council voted to suspend the 365-day limit included in the Alcohol License Density Ordinance until October, when the ordinance is due to come up for re-evaluation.
The 365-day limit requires licensed property owners to find a new tenant within one year of releasing their last tenant if they wish to retain the alcohol license at that location.
According to Mary Carbine, executive director of Madison's Central Business Improvement District, the 365-day limit has had unintended consequences, such as forcing landlords to retain bars that are failing financially to preserve that option in the future.
""[The 365-day limit] makes it very difficult for us to find the tenants we think [the city] would want to see downtown, and that we would want in our properties,"" Susan Springman of the Mullins Group, a local development company, said.
Verveer said the fragile economy has resulted in a number of vacancies downtown, which prompted the suspension of the 365-day limit. The limit will be reconsidered in October along with the rest of the ALDO.
