SUNDAY’S READINGS 1/13/02

These are the items that caught my interest this morning.

TRADE CENTER SITE'S FUTURE IS A PRISM OF PLANS

This is going to be a truly interesting urban design process. “In recent weeks, victims' families, survivors, real estate brokers, politicians, community leaders, businesspeople, historians, museum curators, developers, architects and bankers have voiced a flurry of ideas for rebuilding. The proposals range from sweeping monuments and memorials to vigorous new office construction that would rejuvenate the community's beleaguered economy.”

Just imagine an architect S.O.M. taking on this public process. Imagine the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey the landowner waiting to give their blessings. Imagine the owner Silverstein stuck with a 99-year lease for $3.4 Billion. With the watchword of “inclusion” how does one take up the challenge of “taking a scar on the urban landscape and healing it?”

This is a totally new urban design process something that has never had to be done in the light of national attention.

GETTYSBURG MUSEUM PLANS UNVEILED

These architects can talk about getting this job estimated at $95 Million. Monies raised and funded for the project by the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation, a nonprofit group, will pay Cooper Robertson and Partners.

No one is raising this kind of money for our museums in Kern County.

MERE REAL ESTATE IT IS NOT

It is nice to see that Real Estate sales agents, appreciate L.A.'s architecturally significant homes. Some of these homes are more than hot commodities; they are gems.

It is also nice to know that there are some similar homes here in Bakersfield that is likewise highly valued. There are in fact waiting lists for some of these homes. Bet you couldn’t list them or map them for a visitor’s tour like they do in Hollywood!

LAFCO COULD FORCE TRANSFER OF L.A. ASSETS TO VALLEY, LAWYER SAYS

Secession: Breakaway city may not have to pay compensation, state legal opinion contends. Some officials dispute findings.

One still waits to see how our LAFCO starts work in Kern County. They should promise to be the most influential in settling our edge city expansions. Many wonder if they can facilitate the continuing competition between County and City leaders and officials.

LAUSD'S BUILDING FANTASY

No one at the district seems to grasp that these mistakes come with a price.

After suffering the arrogance of the State of California in a development in downtown LA and the resultant $1 Billion fiasco of a mixed use Belmont High School, this story shows how the district cannot manage their affairs and are not partners in building communities.

BY Graham Kaye-Eddie – Master Urban Designer.

Makabusi Inc. – Bakersfield – California

Email – makabusi@pacbell.net