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  • Worcester library board members are cool to Salem Square ice rink proposal

  • Additional ice rink space in the city is not necessarily a bad idea, but is not the best use for the parking lot next to the library in Salem Square, a Worcester Public Library board of directors task force said tonight.
    Board member Judy Finkel said the task force, which met last week, decided that an ice rink complex proposed for the parking lot as part of a master plan put together by the Worcester Business Development Corp. did not complement the library’s mission.
    She said the task forced weighed the ice rink proposal in the context of whether it would complement the library and businesses in the area, whether it would maintain the architectural integrity of the neighborhood, and whether it would ensure security and accessibility for library patrons.
    The WBDC tentative plan is for a pedestrian walkway over Salem Street to a four-story parking garage behind the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts.
    “Do our patrons want to walk through an alley two blocks away?” Ms. Finkel asked.
    Other factors in the task force vote not to recommend the ice rink proposal included whether the plan opened up the library to other parts of downtown.
    Still, Ms. Finkel noted that task force members agreed that they favored an ice rink — just not in the library parking lot.
    That part of the recommendation prompted more discussion about whether a body associated with the library should be taking any position on whether the city needs more ice rinks.
    “Saying you favor it could come back to haunt you,” board member Phyllis Harrington said.
    Other members said the language was intended to signal that the library board did not want to sink the idea altogether, and that it was appreciative of the WBDC’s efforts to revitalize downtown.
    Two critics of the WBDC plan, Worcester residents Nicole Apostola and Stephan Mita, are urging the city and the WBDC to look at alternative development options for the 275-space parking lot. Their proposal would include a multistory building along the Salem Street side of the parking lot, with an attached parking deck on the YWCA side of the property. There would be options for retail, residential, or office space, the pair have said.
    Board member James Kersten said he appreciated the desire to have more than a surface parking lot there. He said he would be more open to proposed uses for the lot that benefit the library.
    “Hockey takes away from us, and doesn’t give us back anything,” Mr. Kersten said.
    The full library board tonight ultimately decided to tweak some of the language in the task force’s recommendation to simply state that although the task force was not opposed to an ice rink, it is not a feasible idea for the parking lot location.
    The task force will meet again to further discuss the proposal, which is part of the WBDC’s plan to transform the neighborhood into a Theater District that would include theater, recreation, and educational uses. Ms. Finkel said Timothy J. McGourthy, the city’s chief development officer, will attend to solicit input from the task force.
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