Introduction by Christine Podas-Larson from a letter to Linda Hoeschler, January 9, 2026

Here is the essay by Dave McDonnell, taken from the book published for Wabasha Street Bridge Community Meeting in fall, 1992.  This is the meeting where James Carpenter unveiled his brilliant…startling…V-Mast cable-stayed bridge.  It caused quite an uproar – I still have several banker boxes filled with press from the time.  The debate carried on through 1993.  Carpenter and I were tireless in our efforts to promote awareness of the idea – presenting to all 17 district councils, city council-members, corporate and foundation leaders, the design community…Dear Jack followed us around to many of these 😉

A big question was – money.  The Fed/State govts had allocated a meagre $20 million – V-Mast was estimated to cost twice that (and in the end the banal bridge built cost exactly that…).  So I talked with Verret and Joe Micallef and the 2 of them bankrolled Public Art Saint Paul to undertake a “funding feasibility study” – trying to gauge private sector taste for supporting such an enterprise.  I had been thinking that Armajani’s Walker bridge was privately funded…We hired Carleen Rhodes of Bentz Whaley Fleschner consulting to lead the effort.  We roped Broker and Jay Cowles into co-chairing the study’s oversight committee (Jay had just moved to St. Paul and was looking for some civic engagement…).

That report came out in fall, 1993 just before Norm [Coleman] was elected Mayor.  The big take-away – private $’s would not be available for the bridge or anything else on the Riverfront unless there was strong city support and leadership for the riverfront overall.  For all the great efforts of RFC, the Mayor’s office had not been a compelling champion of riverfront efforts (Scheibel).  This was the study that Verret shared with Norm at breakfast at Verret’s home the day after the election.

Dave McDonnell did so much for the City.  He was instrumental in founding Public Art Saint Paul; he served as 1st Chair of both the Riverfront Commission and Corporation; he simultaneously chaired the City’s Planning and Capital Bonding committees…and so much more.  Now known as Barbara Satin, she has been a national leader in fight for LGBTQ rights – for years she was on lead float for the Pride Day parade…

- Christine