2008-07-21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 Mr. Taliaferro agreed that the newspaper boxes are tacky. He said he does not like the idea of corralling. He asked if it is correct that the original Halperin design recommended that the bricks be set in sand. Mr. Tolbert said that is his understanding as there is a change order for setting the bricks in mortar. Ms. Edwards said she received a call from a citizen urging her not to vote for the renovations as they do not represent economic justice. She said she would like to believe that the renovation will provide opportunities in the City and can provide true employment and workforce development opportunities. She acknowledged that the mall needs to be renovated, but said the same effort needs to be put into renovating public housing. She said the renovation will cost a lot of money, but it will provide the opportunity to improve the economic district. She said we need to honor our public space. She said she would like to explore the idea of newspaper boxes. She asked about the risk to blind people with the brick design. She said it is important to design the renovations well. Dr. Brown said he was told at a recent ICLEI meeting that LED street lights are not that good. He said part of him thinks it would be cheaper to repoint the bricks, but he noted the support by businesses of the plan. He said his real concern is about safety. He said he would like to be reassured that the larger bricks will not wobble. Mr. Tolbert said he is told there will be no wobble for the pedestrian area. He said they are looking at ways to eliminate vehicular traffic on the pedestrian areas of the mall. Dr. Brown said the existing newspaper bins do not bother him. Mr. Norris asked Mr. Tolbert to comment on Mr. Huja’s recommendation to use the 4” x 12” bricks on the vehicular crossing, and Mr. Tolbert said they could be unstable. Mr. Huja said using 4” x 8” bricks would change the character of the mall. Mr. Tolbert said 4” x 12” bricks could be tried and they could be replaced if they do not work. Mr. O’Connell noted that 4” x 8” bricks in sand is the norm around the country. He said staff is trying to think about maintenance and the life of the mall. Dr. Brown said he agrees that we need to address workforce development, but does not think this is the place to do that. He said he thinks the two issues should be separated. He said we need people with experience to work on the mall. Mr. Tolbert said there may be an opportunity for less skilled labor since the bricks are laid in sand. He said laying the bricks in sand is more economical in the long term. Mr. Norris asked about what happens if the project is delayed, and would the work be stopped if it went into the summer. Mr. Tolbert said he would like to talk to the merchants if that happens. Responding to a question from Mr. Norris, Mr. Tolbert said that the newspaper corrals would cost between $50,000 and $60,000. Mr. Norris said he thinks the cost of that is too high. He sad he has no problem with the way they are now. He said it could be explored and considered as an add alternate. Mr. Tolbert said he will further explore the LED lights.