Twin Cities Reader from Minneapolis, Minnesota • 7

IT I II I i Give the warmest gifts of allEuropean down usual The board of commissioncn of the Minneapolis Community Development Agency met last week to endorse a site to the city council Bob Boisdaif's East Bank site is their choice was a lot of voting and not much discussion" said one amused spectator who i speculated that members of the board a reliable political weathervane if nothing else were afraid to criticize any of the proposals board gave its backing to the worst of the fumed a Minneapolis Star and i 1 Tribune article last Sunday "Not only docs that go against the advice of the MCDA staff and the city planning department and against t-the findings of a Greater Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce Task Force but against all logic" -v' Well good old boys will be good old boys SI 65 million proposal is for a 35-story office tower and a 300room hotel to be built on city land behind his Riverplacc Movie theaters a health dub and a lot of retail space would also be included The problem and the reason why city staff wouldn't recommend this plan is that the Boisdair plan requires $20 million in city subT sidies meet dty planning guidelines for the area and would detract from downtown by drawing activity away from it Boisdair of contends that the-East- Bank- is downtown Qty staff had recommended the S100 mil-: lion Heritage Landing plans that had been pro-posed by the development arm of Burlington Northern Glacier Park Co The WTC would be housed in one oftwo twin towers flanking die Hennepin Avenue bridge on the river from One tower would be 24 stories of offices and the other a 27-story 350-room hotel conference center Hie towers would be linked by a 10000 square foot skyway housing the Minnesota 1 Showcase and Exhibition llalL City staff endorsed this because it would be a good way to kick-off riverfront development and it wouldn't cost the city any more money than had already been promised Glacier Park' to develop its previously revealed riverfront proposal which also includes housing and a 300000 square foot railroad theme market 1 place called The Roundhouse "The World Trade Center will launch the 100-acre multi-use Heritage Landing project and ignite a development along the entire west side of the exclaimed John Par rish chief executive officer of Glacier Park via a news release Another Minneapolis proposal by the group that is renovating the former Munsing- wear Building a Glenwood and Lyndalc North Into a furniture trade mart called International Market Square is likely to receive short shrift from the council in light of the interest in seeing its riverfront get developed quickly And two proposals for sites in central business district one by Ryan Development and one by the family of the deceased Bob Short have been withdrawn Which leaves the dark horse and the man who is riding it the mysterious Ronnie Weis-maa It is Weisman who approached Hairy Wirth and got his agreement to put together the development team that Is drawing up a WTC proposal for the Milwaukee Depot a proposal that would leave present owner Winh out in the cold That was the biggest surprise of city council hearings last week which heard WTC proposals that Wirth would sell offhis Depot land if the New York development company run by Ting Pei son of famous architect IMPei who has designed work! trade cotters in New Orleans San Francisco and Miami were to be awarded the state designation Council members a notoriously anti-Wirth group barely managed to restrain their cheers as Fei produced a letter in which Wirth agreed to sell out but only if the Depot became the WTC continued next page I (' 4 -J" i 1 i ft s' I i i I Give them a cozy feeling right dowiTto their toes with down booties Or wrap them up in a fluffy robe that will keep them warm all winter long Plant visions of sugar plums as they sleep in the comfort of a feather bed And to all a good nights sleep with an exquisitely crafted Scandia Down comforter Complete their European sleep system from our selection of 100 cotton linens and pillows that offer gentle 1 1 Give A Gift of X-C Skis This X-Masl K) Rossignol Caribou or Caribou AR Skis Rossignol Caribou or Caribou AR Skis S4 Montiola Boots SKI OEM PACKAGE 149 00 Also Available Downhill Ski Packages Rossignol Impala Impala AR or Horizon II Skis Salomon SR45 Boots Exel Polaris Poles or firm support I Salomon Touring Bindings Binding Installation sudenpumses17SS0 TOTAL 255 Stop ty and talk with our expert ski personnel Stop in and talk with our professional staff about more gift ideas for the season Free holiday wrapping with every purchase ft- -i it -jl Vi European Comfort You Bring Home Galleria 69th Street France Ave Edina 920-2214 (Layaway plan available) 2 ft II 1 JL 1 i 1 1 1.