Tag Archives: Urban Land Institute

No DC Residents on MLK Advisory Panel

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November 9, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact Robin Diener
202 431-9254

No DC Residents on MLK Advisory Panel

Washington, DC — None of the eight panelists named to participate in an assessment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) live in or near the District of Columbia, according to descriptions on the DC Public Library (DCPL) website. http://www.dclibrary.org/node/28663

Five of the eight are based in California. The closest is from Richmond.

The panelists are leading a process to “assess and review the value” of the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library building, and to “make recommendations on how to leverage the value of the building to benefit the District of Columbia,” according to a DCPL press release. The process will consist of interviews conducted by the ULI panel with parties invited by Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper. Only invited parties will have the opportunity to be interviewed by the panel.

DC residents and library users are, however, invited to direct comments to the Board of Library Trustees on Wednesday November 16 at 6 PM at the Southwest Library, located at 900 Wesley Place, SW, a short walk from the Waterfront metro stop. Comments can be emailed to BoardOfLibraryTrustees@dc.gov

The public is also invited to the ULI panel’s presentation of findings and recommendations on Friday November 18 from 9 to 11 AM in the Great Hall of the MLK Library, located at 901 G Street, NW, a short walk from either Metro Center or Gallery Place metro stops.
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Sent from Robin Diener
Director, Library Renaissance Project
1530 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202 431-9254

Trustees Hire Urban Land Institute to Advise on MLK Library

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October 31, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact Robin Diener
202 431-9254

Trustees Hire Urban Land Institute to Advise on MLK Library

Washington, DC – The DC Public Library issued a press release on Friday formally announcing the hiring of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to lead a panel to “to review and assess the value” of  MLK Library, and to “make recommendations on how to leverage the value of the building to benefit the District of Columbia.”
http://www.dclibrary.org/node/28735

The ULI will receive $120,000 in payment from the Library, out of its capital budget.

Earlier this month, MLK faced closure on Sundays due to a shortfall of $318,000.

Two days before the first scheduled closing, Mayor Vincent Gray located monies to keep the central library open on Sundays, at the urging of Libraries Committee Chair Tommy Wells, and numerous other individuals and groups.

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Sent from Robin Diener
Director, Library Renaissance Project
1530 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202 431-9254

Tommy Wells to Address MLK Library Rally This Sunday Oct 2

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For Immediate Release — Washington, DC

A Rally will take place at the MLK Library on Sunday October 2, at 12:30 PM, to protest the elimination of Sunday hours at the central library – the only District library open on Sundays.

Councilmember Tommy Wells will speak at 1 PM. Wells was recently designated Chair of the DC Council Committee on Libraries, Parks, Recreation and Planning.

At a breakfast with DC City Council today, Mayor Vincent Gray remarked that “everyone has to sustain cuts.”  Wells raised questions, however, when $700,000 for the Washington Economic Partnership came under discussion. The Economic Partnership is a nonprofit organization that  “promotes business opportunity, attraction, and retention,” according to the organization’s mission statement.

Library officials have said it would require only $312,000 to maintain Sunday hours at MLK for all of FY2012.

Ironically, at their Board meeting last Wednesday, Library Trustees announced a $120,000 expenditure to hire the Urban Land Institute to make recommendations about the future of the MLK Library.  The city has long been interested in selling the Mies van der Rohe designed building, now landmarked.

MLK has been the only library open on Sunday in the entire District system.  In 2009, then-Mayor Adrian Fenty cut Sunday hours at all 24 branch libraries, but officials promised to keep MLK open to for use by library patrons from across the city.  The central library is served by all 5 Metro lines and numerous bus routes.

Sunday is the busiest day per hour open and is considered the most important day for homework help.

The Rally is being organized by the Library Renaissance Project.