Architect Cesar Pelli unveiled building models and drawings of the new downtown Minneapolis Public Library October 1. Pelli described the 400,000-square-foot facility—a glassy five-story building with a winglike roof—as “a contemporary building but very deeply rooted in the traditions and spirit of Minneapolis,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported October 2.
The design includes a 235-seat auditorium, an enhanced children’s area, a teen center, and a planetarium. Whether the planetarium will be built, however, depends on whether the city gets state funding for it—something that won’t be known until the legislative session ends in the spring. In May, Gov. Jesse Ventura vetoed a $9-million appropriation that was to provide for the planetarium’s construction.
Mayor R. T. Rybak praised the design but noted that “to put this over the line we will have to raise another $20 million,” the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported October 2.
The library board and city council will vote on the design October 9 and October 11 respectively. Construction is set to begin in the spring.
Posted October 7, 2002.