pf_02978 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

This report further stated that: "The importance of a commercial area or shopping center location for public library facilities was discussed with the Ramsey County Library Board in the course of this study and it was noted that there are a number of research reports which have been prepared on this subject. Most notable are a series available from the University of Illinois. The most dramatic examples are available locally, however, when one looks at the extremely high rates of use of libraries in adjacent systems such as Hennepin County with prominent locations in the Ridgedale, Brookdale, and Southdale Shopping Centers, Anoka County with its Blaine Library near the Northtown Shopping Center and other smaller facilities." "By far the best solution for the long-term headquarters and main library needs of the County is to locate a major facility in a primary location within the Rosedale/Har Mar Shopping area. This is essentiaUy the Central Business District of Ramsey County and a library located at this point would attract the greatest amount of use." The report concluded that assets of the existing Roseville site included its location in a general area of major retail and a corner location on highly trafficked streets. In 1987, the County did not believe that the library site at the corner of County Road B and Hamline Avenue was a residential property or location. Its stated preference was for a commercial location and it unequivocally concluded that the present library site met all of the important locational criteria. In April, 1987, the Library Board produced a report entitled Ramsey County Public Library Facilities Plan and Recommendations in which various alternatives related to the Roseville site were evaluated. The advantages of the Roseville site were reviewed throughout this evaluation as meeting the top five site location criteria, including being "near a strong commercial area, in close proximity to a large population and the business community, accessible from major roads, centrally located and highly visible." In other words, the existing library site clearly conformed to the established criteria 'oNhich in no way reflected residential sites but instead reflected very intense commercial development sites. In 1988, the County commissioned two appraisals of the Everest properties on the east side of Hamline. These appraisals were received in September of 1988 from Dahlen and Dwyer, Inc., and American Appraisal Associates. Both concluded that the highest and best use of the Everest property was commercial office development and both valued the land accordingly, Quoting from the Dahlen and Dwyer, Inc. appraisal: "The subject properties appraised under a highest and best use of commercial development, most likely with a professional office building. The highest and 8:>