The return of Linda Mack
Yesterday's Star Tribune included a story on the design potential of the new I-35W bridge. While safety will be the most important aspect of the bridge, Mack, the newspaper's former architecture critic, points out that the Minnesota Department of Transportation's RFP asks companies to include "vision quality requirements" as part of their proposals. "We need to do this right. We want to do something that, when we look back, we can be proud of," says Kevin Western of MnDOT. Mack reports that Peter Kitchak, a real-estate consultant, is pushing for Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava to be involved. Word is Calatrava, who has designed many high-profile projects, is interested.

On another Mack-related note, Brian Lambert of The Rake reports that Mack will be writing for MinnPost when the website becomes a reality later this year.