Negotiations between the city of Madison and Fiore Cos. to rebuild Madison's Central Library are encountering obstacles, causing some to question whether the project will take place as planned.
The Wisconsin State Journal alleged Tuesday that negotiations between the city of Madison and Fiore Cos. have broken down over cost, which Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's spokesperson Rachel Strauch-Nelson confirmed.
""The mayor hopes we can come to an agreement with Fiore, but the bottom line is that there will be a new central library whether it's with Fiore or a rebuild with the existing site,"" she said.
Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, said he also expects the library to be approved and built, most likely as a public works project. ""It's just a matter of going through the process,"" he said.
The original plan calls for Fiore Cos. to buy the site of the existing library and develop that block while working with the city to build a new library on West Washington Avenue.
According to Strauch-Nelson, Fiore Cos. is asking for a higher price than what was originally budgeted by the City Council and the mayor, in addition to no longer intending to buy the existing site.
""That does change things pretty significantly,"" she said. ""If that is the case, then we may have to look back at the rebuild of the current site.""
Bill Kunkler, executive vice president of Fiore Cos., said in a blog post that the company cannot continue development under the city's ""proposed approach,"" but does wish to see the project completed.
""We have suggested a ‘project acquisition price' that includes the site … and compensation for developer service already provided by Fiore-Irgens,"" Kunkler said in a statement.
The mayor is scheduled to meet with representatives of Fiore Cos. later this week, but Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, is ""disappointed"" that the West Washington Avenue location for the library may no longer happen.
""The West Washington library proposal is on life-support as of today,"" he said. ""If negotiations fail, the likely scenario is not that we take time to look for another location downtown but rather … rehab the existing site.""
