Tepper may not live in Charlotte but he’s sunk a lot of money into two sport franchises that are dependent on support from NFL and MLS fans. Plus he’ll be asking for money from Charlotte and Mecklenburg County before it’s over with. No better way to build goodwill than make a hefty contribution to a brand new spanking library.
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Well just recently the Gipsons donated $10 million for the Dix Park Play Plaza.
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your latter point is probably the main reason he’s trying to win ‘citizen of the year’.
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I just want to point out to everyone that libraries are a County service, not Raleigh.
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So cities can’t build libraries? Well our county is pretty progressive so maybe they would consider a big central downtown library if approached about it?
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There was actually some good conversation on this a while back. I think what I learned from it is that it seems like the smaller, more local libraries are an intentional decision to try to make the libraries more accessible to more people. I do like the idea of a larger one available somewhere where the density makes sense, but also don’t want to lose the model that seems to be working really well.
Here is a link to the conversation if you’re interested: Downtown Library and Books Stores - #134 by orulz
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IMO, a new library for a modern progressive city should look more like the Hunt Library at State than a typical legacy library filled with books.
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@rgmedd I’m not saying the City couldn’t build a library, but the City does not currently have a Libraries Department. All libraries in the Wake are run by Wake County or Wake County Public School System (not getting in to college libraries). There is a small “express” library in downtown (Wake County Office Building). While not in downtown proper, the Oberlin Regional Library (formerly Cameron Village Library) is in close proximity and if I’m not mistaken is the largest library in the system at 36,000 SqFt.
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Libraries are changing. Not that the old model of small libraries should go away. But large central libraries are morphing into active centers of community life in many if not most downtowns even smaller than ours. Check out uptown Charlotte library and downtown Austin library for 2 examples in somewhat comparable cities.
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Totally agree generally, though I’m always concerned when I hear that about the loss of the serendipity of the library experience if there isn’t a balance between community center and traditional library function.
I discovered so many of my favorite books as a kid and a teenager by picking through the sections I liked at the Mill Valley Public Library and reading the starts to see if they hooked me. Hard to get that experience with a community space and a non-browsing store of books. Just a personal niggle.
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Devil’s advocate: I’m not sure a full-scale library, generally with longer hours than other places and an attractive and useful asset to everyone, including the unhoused is what other city agencies, namely anything police or emergency, would want.
Again, I am not against the homeless. But I know they frequent libraries (look at Charlotte’s old main library). And I am not knocking the importance of libraries either…I would love for a main central library in DTR (they’ve been wanting space since the original Livable Streets in 2005).
Just saying, libraries come with a lot of public-facing, social logistics that may not suit in a major civic operation building.
I would advocate for a privately-created-and-ran library open to the public would be ideal.
Imagine if Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney, worth billions, could create a foundation that included running a library/cultural center.
Except it’d be in C()ary…
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