Last November, voters in Minneapolis passed a $140 million referendum to build the new library, but the planetarium, however, was not part of the referendum and will be funded separately. The planetarium is requesting $30 million in state funding and is hoping to raise $4.4 million in private donations.

In the spring of 2000, the Minnesota state legislature awarded the planetarium $1 million for planning and pre-design for a new facility. Minneapolis Planetarium Director Robert Bonadurer said that the initial plans drafted called for an $8-12 million design, which basically would rebuild the current small planetarium but upgrade the technological capabilities. But with the encouragement of the Library Implementation Committee and the Minneapolis City Council to "think bigger" and create a world-class facility, the planetarium committee drew up two more ambitious plans: a mid-range plan at $21 million and the larger $34.4 million proposal that would make the new planetarium one of the largest and most sophisticated in the world.

1. A 70-foot planetarium dome theater with a fiber-optic projection system capable of replicating a realistic night sky with over 9,000 stars, nebulas and galaxies. A full-dome immersive video projection system using 3-D digital images would create the sensation of space travel, taking the audience on tours of the universe.

The North Star Observatory would access live images from satellites, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, and telescopes from around the world allowing visitors to see the same images as astronomers. In addition, using satellite images of the Earth as seen from space would allow students to study our planet and give a global perspective to earth science.

2. A Space Exposition Hall that would include traveling exhibits and displays on current space and earth science discoveries and events. It would also include a "Space Voyage Simulator" and a Star Trek-type "Holodeck" that would create a virtual environment using 3-D images and mirrors.

3. A Challenger Center recreating a Space Shuttle mission that would teach space science and team building for young students as well as corporate visitors.

4. A "Story Room" theater which would bring books to life, combining the resources of both the planetarium and the library.

The planned 2-block complex will also include housing, parking, retail space and a public commons.

In October, New Haven, Connecticut-based Cesar Pelli & Associates were chosen as the architects to design the Minneapolis Central Library Project. Part of that architectural team is Ralph Applebaum and Associates, a nationally recognized museum and planetarium design firm.

The planetarium staff will be working with the architects to redefine what works and what doesn't, taking their cues from several other new planetariums that have been built recently across the country.

The current planetarium and library, which are housed in the same building, will be razed in late 2002 to make room for the new facility which will be built on the same site and a vacant adjacent block. Groundbreaking is set for early 2003, with completion expected in late 2005 or early 2006.

"We've always had a modest and humble planetarium," Bonadurer said of the current facility, which was built in 1961 and ranks as the oldest planetarium in a major U.S. metropolitan areas. "It's time to build a new planetarium in terms of the technology that's available and in terms of the age of the current facility."

Bonadurer described the 40-year old star field projector as "hanging by a thread," noting that parts and technicians for repairs are almost impossible to find.

The Minneapolis Planetarium currently hosts approximately 74,000 visitors each year, with half of that number coming from school groups. Ninety percent of the visiting school groups are from from outside of Minneapolis. The city has the only public planetarium within a five-state region, and officials from the city see the new planetarium as playing an important role in promoting economic development and tourism, as well as revitalizing a neglected area of downtown Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis City Council and mayor have enthusiastically endorsed the most ambitious of the three proposals for the new planetarium. "Why can't we dare to build an invigorating, world-class facility that would command real attention, attract international travelers and launch a new industry as part of a more diverse economy?" Councilwoman Dore Mead stated. "Bloomington (Minnesota) did that with the Mall of America. Why can't Minneapolis do that with the planetarium?"

Mead went on to say that the money being requested for the planetarium is far less than that of a proposed new baseball stadium, or the money that was poured into the revitalization of another block in Minneapolis for entertainment, and she expects that money spent on the planetarium will bring a big return.

However, convincing the state legislature that a bigger planetarium is better may not be an easy task. Representative Bill Haas (R-Champlin) reports that a $235 million cushion that the state once had will be gone by March 2002, and that current state revenues are down by $99 million from last year, which will affect the bond funds that will be available. "It might be tough," Haas said of granting the money that the planetarium is requesting. "There might be a half a million dollars in bond funds available for local projects, but priority will be given to projects that have to be done."

So the challenge now for Robert Bonadurer and his staff at the planetarium is to convince the state that this is an important project not only for Minneapolis, but for the state and region, too.

"We think it's worthwhile and justifiable to shoot for the stars, so to speak, for the new planetarium. We'll bring the glowing message as succinctly, dramatically and passionately as we can without over-reaching," Bonadurer said.

Bonadurer is also learning to alternate teaching about the stars to convince legislators and private funders about the virtues of a grand plan for the new planetarium. It's been a long journey for Bonadurer and his staff, as initial discussions for a new planetarium started in 1993.

"Patience is a thing you learn," Bonadurer said with a smile. "You see other dreams that have been turned into reality, such as the Rose Center in New York and so on, and once you have your vision and have articulated it, crafted it, presented it and sold it to some people, you have to keep selling it. It's a long road -- sometimes it seems as long as it is to the stars."

The planetarium will be requesting the public's help in contacting Minnesota legislators in support of the new facility, beginning with a letter-writing campaign in January. For more information and for updates on the status of funding for the new planetarium, see the planetarium's website at http://www.mplanetarium.org.