Salt Lake - (ABC 4 News)
Mayor Ralph Becker's plan to put a police administration building on Library Square is “absurd” and the community won't stand for it.
So, says former Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson who helped design the open space around the library.
In office, Anderson spent years getting the community to get behind open space on Library Square.
Friday, he told ABC 4: "Once you do this type of development that they're talking about, open space is gone forever."
The new public safety complex Mayor Becker is proposing would either go on the east side of Library Square or right across the street on the east side of third east.
But Anderson says don't do it, don't do it on what he feels is the premier block in the city.
Anderson: "It’s like going into Central Park in New York and saying jeez the city needs some new buildings. There’s some space, let's take that up."
ABC 4 first told you about the Facebook page opposing the cop complex next door to the library.
Nine days ago, there were 250 members.
Now, there are more than seventeen hundred.
Rocky Anderson says the Library Square area was the city's first choice but, because of the outcry, leaders are now re-thinking it.
"I don't think there's anyway the city council or the mayor will ever get away in this community with destroying this open space."
Rocky Anderson was reportedly so mad about this that he was thinking about running for mayor again.
But he says that's not true, he's not running.
As for Mayor Becker, his office tells ABC 4 there will still be open space in the area.
Also, that three public meetings have been set to talk about the different proposals.
