There is no reason to post images of the latest design of the cafe building proposed at Monday evening’s workshop. It is the exact same as the one unveiled on December 17. (Just another day at Waterfront Watch.)

At the beginning of the Q&A portion of the workshop, I mentioned to the design team that it was obvious I didn’t like the design, but that the workshop was probably not the right forum to discuss it. I stand by that. The design team has adopted a drumbeat method. Repetition of the same design: the same reasons; the same explanation. The same questions. The same comments. The same answers. The design team spent 39 days preparing a presentation of the same design. (A rabbit hole is around somewhere.)

As a means to sum up my comments, I offered a findings of fact during the workshop, which was accepted as accurate by the design team.

The proposed cafe building works (obviously), however it is noteworthy to point out:

• it is modern;
• it mimics the train station, almost literally;
• it provides limited, if any, historical context; and
• it offers no signature aspects for one of the most prominent corners in Bayfront.

But it works.

The design team’s response to these findings of fact: Yes. That is their design.

I would like to say that this is another misstep by the design team — a failure to incorporate historical context and signature aspects into the cafe building — however it is the same step they had taken previously. And there is little more that I, or others that spoke about the design’s misfortunes during the workshop, can do to change course (apparently), to make the design better.

Once the design team made the decision to mimic the station, the design followed suit. That critical decision should be discussed further, and the Planning Commission is probably the appropriate forum. Just another day; the beat goes on.