Tonight the Parks Commission and Library Board will be hearing a report on the “Imagination Center” at Reindahl Park. Here’s a sneak peak.
Meetings tonight:
6:30 pm Madison Public Library Board Joint meeting with the Board of Park Commissioners 3330 Atwood Ave Madison, WI 53704
6:30 pm Board of Park Commissioners Joint meeting with the Madison Public Library Board 3330 Atwood Ave Madison, WI 53704
Sneak Peak Overview
The sneak peak includes the goals, public engagement, consistency with city plans and recommendations. It sounds wonderfully exciting, but at the end, the what’s next portion – sort of deflates that excitement.
To answer Dylan’s question from the Forward Lookout podcast on Monday, the imagination center could have childcare, meeting space for up to 300, play areas, an artist-in-residence, a media lab and so much more! But, where’s the money going to come from? Is there room for Bus Rapid Transit and other major city initiatives?
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The idea of having a libary at Reindahl Park is a result of a 2 year planning process and there is a 2016 “Communities Inspiring Libraries: A Strategic Plan for Eastside Growth” study. The study concluded that they should build a 10th Madison Library, at Reindahl Park.
According to this “scoping study” The center has 5 primary roles:
1 Social Forum – The Imagination Center will connect residents to each other in different ways, spontaneously and intentionally. The Center will have meeting rooms, event and gathering space, and a youth and teen area. It will also create space for Anji Play activities, a comprehensive approach to early learning employed by Madison Public Library and Madison Parks.
2 Civic Innovator – Madison Public Library is committed to providing opportunities for residents to participate in public life. The Imagination Center will have citizenship and immigration resources and will connect area residents to civic life through voter registration, election participation, and citizen education. The Imagination Center will also promote digital engagement and increase accessibility to local government.
3 Holistic Health Advocate – The Imagination Center’s location lends itself well to unique interactions with Reindahl Park, including environmental education and awareness. The Center will also place a special focus on health with the goal of increasing health literacy and health outcomes through community partnerships.
4 Cultural Platform – Northeast Madison currently lacks opportunities for residents to engage in the arts. The Imagination Center will expand the Library’s Artist-in-Residence program, which will offer unique opportunities for residents to explore art and cultural heritage through programming offered in partnership with the Madison Public Library and Madison Parks. The Center will offer residents the ability to learn about and create their own media for artistic and civic purposes and will be a home for public art.
5 Economic Engine – Madison Public Library discovered that accessing child care is an obstacle for many northeast Madison families. The Imagination Center will address child care challenges and positively influence child care in the region. Madison Public Library will also provide access to broadband internet for Imagination Center visitors, as well as financial empowerment and literacy assistance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
More information on these recommendations can be found on pages 32 – 51
SOCIAL FORUM
- Meeting Rooms
- Event and Gathering Space
- Food Preparation and Programming
- Youth and Teen Space
- Anji Play
CIVIC INNOVATOR
- Immigration and Citizenship
- Digital Engagement
- Polling Place and Voter Registration
HOLISTIC HEALTH ADVOCATE
- Health Literacy and Health Services
- Environmental Education
- Garden and Outdoor Workspace
CULTURAL PLATFORM
- Artist-in-Residence
- Imagination Center Art
- Culturally-Representative Material Collection
- Media Programming and Digital Creation (Media Lab/Studio)
ECONOMIC ENGINE
- Digital Inclusion
- Child Care
- Literacy Classes
- Financial Empowerment
CHILDCARE?
Yes, they spent a long time talking about childcare and why it was needed. Here’s some visuals of the hightlights
MEETING ROOMS, EVENT AND GATHERING SPACE
These are the minimum of what they hope to accomplish:
• Serve as a suitable replacement for the existing park shelter.
• Provide event space for use during all four seasons.
• Have a range of audiovisual capabilities.
• Have capacity for large gatherings up to 300 people.
• Meet the amount of community demand for events and gatherings.
• Be flexible, adaptable, and viable for diverse uses.
• Have access to food preparation space.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Strategic planning engagement – They held 52 conversations with 338 participants that was the foundation for the eastside strategic plan and the decision to locate the library at Reindahl Park.
Imagination Center engagement – The people who participated were neighborhood groups, organizations and businesses. They attended existing events as well as meeting people when and where convenient to them. The conversations were intentionally kept small. They also had planning sessions with students from Sandburg Elementary and East and West High Schools as well as Centro Hispano’s Escalera. They also collected 79 “Build a Library” worksheets from students who could write or draw their vision for the library.
They also used the Local Voices Network and has 112 conversations with 425 people over 138 hours.
The library also sent quarterly planning updates detailing project progress if needed. The updates typically included a general recap of engagement efforts, a list and map of organizations the Library met with, a project timeline, and a brief synopsis of the ideas shared in conversations. The Library also keeps the updates on the Madison Public Library website at https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/locations/reindahl-park.
These are the groups that were engaged:
100 Black Men of Madison, Inc.
Access to Independence
African Association of Madison
African Center Community Development
American Family Insurance
Care Net – Dane County
Capital East Soccer Club
Center for Resilient Cities
Centro Hispano of Dane County
Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church
City of Madison – Community Development
City of Madison – CDA
City of Madison – Parks
City of Madison – Planning
City of Madison – Police
Community Action Coalition
Community GroundWorks
Community Living Alliance
Dane County – Immigration Affairs
Dane County – Joining Forces for Families
East Madison Community Center
East Madison High School – Book Club
East Madison High School – Principal’s Group
East Towne Mall Administration
Eastside Lutheran Church
Food for Thought Initiative
Gambian Youths of Wisconsin
Goodman Community Center
Hawthorne Elementary School
High Crossing Neighborhood
Home Savings Bank
HyVee – East Madison
Just Bakery/Madison Urban Ministry
Just Coffee Cooperative
Literacy Network
Madison College – Administration
Madison College – Student Senate
Madison Cricket Association
Madison Football Club
Madison Metropolitan School District
Madison School & Community Recreation
Monona East Side Business Alliance
NAMI – Dane County
Northside Planning Council
Oakwood Village
Office Depot
Old National Bank
Reindahl Community Gardeners
Sandburg Elementary School
Sandburg Neighborhood Association
Senegambia Association
Truax Neighborhood Association
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The report has lots of information and background about the park:
And the neighborhoods the library would serve:
Neighborhoods include:
- Truax
- Hawthorne
- Mayfair Park and Burke Heights
- Ridgewood
- High Crossing
- Greater Sandburg
DEMOGRAPHICS
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The included quite a bit of information about the transportation network of the area:
PLAN CONSISTENT WITH “IMAGINE MADISON”
They say this will “advance many stratigies” outlined in “Imagine Madison”, the City’s Comprehensive Plan
NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSING
Create complete neighborhoods across the city where residents have access to transportation options and resources needed for daily living.
The Imagination Center will bring resources of all kinds to northeast Madison including child care, civic spaces, educational programs, and recreational opportunities. The Imagination Center will create a social and civic focal point for several northeast Madison neighborhoods directly adjacent to a planned Bus Rapid Transit stop.
ECONOMY AND OPPORTUNITY
Close the educational opportunity gap.
The Imagination Center will seek to improve access to quality child care and increase programming for youth. In addition, the Center will have services focused on literacy, tutoring, and digital skills development. The Imagination Center will also add a high quality Wi-Fi destination to an area where many do not have public internet access nearby.
Remove barriers to achieving economic stability.
The Imagination Center’s focus on financial empowerment will help residents achieve economic security. The location of the Imagination Center close to a variety of local financial institutions could pave the way for unique and innovative partnerships focusing on financial growth.
CULTURE AND CHARACTER
Create vibrant and inviting places through creative architecture and urban design.
The Imagination Center will be a new, exciting, and welcoming public space. The Center will have a variety of activities, offerings, and amenities that will make it a dynamic and inviting place. Creative architecture will be part of the Center’s design, and it has the potential to be a civic landmark in northeast Madison at Reindahl Park.
Create safe and affirming community spaces that bring people together and provide social outlets for underrepresented groups.
The Imagination Center’s meeting rooms, community shelters, seating areas, food preparation space, and outdoor space will provide the infrastructure for safe and affirming community spaces. The Center will bring the community together through art, media, civic engagement, and recreation. In addition, immigrants and English learners will be able to access immigration, citizenship, and literacy resources. Reindahl Park will activate in novel and exciting ways with the addition of the Imagination Center.
Balance the concentration of cultural and entertainment venues between the downtown and other areas of the city.
The Reindahl Park area currently lacks civic and cultural venues. The Imagination Center will transform the region by providing a place for the arts, and it will offer various opportunities for entertainment.
Integrate public art throughout the city.
The Imagination Center will provide a location for art in a region without much public art. Its focus on displaying the region’s history, highlighting the richness of residents’ experiences, and broadening perspectives will make it a desirable addition to Madison.
Provide opportunities to learn about, create, collaborate, and enjoy the arts.
The Artist-in-Residence program at Reindahl Park will increase arts programming in northeast Madison immensely. Visitors will have numerous opportunities to learn, share, and create art at the Imagination Center.
GREEN AND RESILIENT
Increase the use and accessibility of energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy.
The Imagination Center will utilize construction methods focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Center’s focus on environmental education and showcasing efficiency measures will aim to expand environmental knowledge in northeast Madison.
Acquire parkland and upgrade park facilities to accommodate more diverse activities and gatherings.
The Imagination Center represents a new and exciting development for Reindahl Park. The Center will add diverse activities and increase social gatherings at the park. Services such as the Artist-in-Residence program and Anji Play will enhance park offerings. Gathering and event space as well as meeting rooms will provide a means for social gatherings of all kinds in northeast Madison.
EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT
Locate community facilities to provide a high level of service to all neighborhoods.
The location of the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park will directly improve the level of public service in the northeast region of Madison. The Imagination Center will be a great example of agency collaboration and public facility co-location.
Improve accessibility to government agencies and services.
The Imagination Center staff will be able to register voters at any time, and the Center will be a polling place for local elections. In addition, staff will be able to connect visitors to resources and services on topics as varied as immigration, health care, and tax filing.
PLAN CONSISTENT WITH “PARK AND OPEN SPACE PLAN”
Design park facilities to accommodate diverse activities and populations.
The Imagination Center will be a newly constructed facility in Reindahl Park that will feature flexible public spaces. In addition, the Center will directly incorporate spaces for people with different cultural backgrounds, ages, and abilities. As a result, Reindahl Park will be better suited to accommodate diverse activities and populations.
Create equitable access and funding for parks.
Engagement and inclusion are cornerstones of the Imagination Center project. The Center will increase opportunities for civic engagement and create new partnerships. Equity is at the center of the Imagination Center planning process.
Increase engagement with groups and organizations and develop new ones.
The Imagination Center will create new opportunities for community organization and engagement. The Center will add to the mix of uses at Reindahl Park and attract diverse communities and groups.
WHAT’S NEXT?
From the report:
As the process moves forward to realize the scope of this project, we will need to address some real challenges in making this vision a reality.
- The Imagination Center will add a new library to the Madison Public Library system, which will require substantial capital and operating investments in order to build and sustain its facilities and services.
- Financial estimates for the Imagination Center will require more exploration in response to this scoping study. The preliminary design process will provide some estimates to help inform the City on what will be needed tosupport these expenditures.
- As with past library building projects, we anticipate that the Imagination Center will require a public/private funding partnership and the capacity for fundraising will need to be assessed. A fundraising feasibility study will need to be conducted.
- Based on those conditions, we recognize that the current timeline for the Imagination Center project within the City of Madison Capital Improvement Plan will not be feasible given the magnitude of this project.
- The Imagination Center will likely take several years to design, build, and establish a sustainable budget to meet the vision expressed in this report. However, we will begin the preliminary design process to discover the possibilities of the Imagination Center and further define its future.
“The road ahead may be long, but the journey to reach the community’s vision will continue. There is no doubt the Imagination Center will improve the lives of many for years to come.”
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Here’s some more information available on the City Library site:
About the Project
Reindahl Community Engagement Fact Sheet, August 2019
Presentation to the Library Board, August 1, 2019
Quarterly Updates
October 2019 – English – octubre de 2019 español
June 2019 – English – junio de 2019 español
April 2019 – English – abril de 2019 español
January 2019 – English – enero de 2019 español
Planning Documents
Eastside Strategic Plan – Communities Informing Libraries. Madison Public Library, 2016.
