CENTER CITY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
March 29, 2005

Present: Ray De Rosa, Larry Field, Ken Lavallee, Bill Lipchitz, and Jeanne Osborn.

The meeting opened at 8:35 AM.

This morning’s newspapers carried a story about a fire on Western Avenue, leading to speculation that the building being planned for renovation into Artist’s Work Space might be in danger. However, it was learned that that was not the case. The building where the studios are being planned is 5 stories, and the work spaces will be on the top floor. ALL President Steve Syverson said they would be holding a meeting there this evening to conduct a lottery for the spaces that will rent in the $7/foot range. There are 33 spaces planned. If there are not enough ALL members to take the spaces, they will be offered to the public.

Ken Lavallee said the Police Department was pleased with the turnout and the reaction from last week’s meeting with downtown residents and businesses. Captain Jay Flaherty and Liaison Sara Khun will follow up with the residents who signed up for additional information on starting a Residents Association. Other residents will be recruited as well.

In response to a question, Ken said that he would look into the traffic flow on Market Street and assign some officers to see what can be done to slow down some of the cars. He said he asked LRTA Director Jim Scanlon what he thought about how the moving of busses out of downtown would affect the high school kids. Jim said that school busses will still pick up the kids at the High School, but that the others who come downtown to get an LRTA bus to their neighborhood would be boarding the shuttles that will run much more often but will go to the Gallagher Terminal where they will get the regular bus. Members of the Committee speculated on whether the frequency of the shuttles will clear the kids out of downtown out faster, or whether they might hang around longer because there is always another shuttle coming soon. The shuttle program will start in July so the LRTA will have time to work out any bugs before the kids come back to school in the fall.

Ken also reported that the CRIMESTOPPER’S PROGRAM was launched earlier this month. The Police Department has put out flyers promoting the campaign.

Larry Field asked about the status of the Downtown Stakeholders Meeting being planned by the Downtown Coordinator. Members were not sure when it will be held. Meanwhile, the Committee agreed that the postponed meeting of downtown groups should take place as soon as possible to discuss the results of the survey and ways to work together to create the umbrella organization. This meeting has been tentatively scheduled for Tuesday April 26 at 8:30 AM. It was suggested that we ask Dora St. Martin if we can use the Library meeting room, and that we have a proposal ready to discuss based on the mission statements the CCC had discussed a few weeks ago.

The meeting adjourned at 9:30 AM.