A new community center (which sounds fabulous) is in the final stages of planning in St. Paul, Minnesota, but the City Council is delaying a vote on the construction and financing deal while they make sure one element is being properly addressed: the church that's going inside.
The City Council was supposed to vote Wednesday on the plan, which outlines financing and construction of the "Payne-Maryland Project." It's envisioned to be a neighborhood gem that includes a city-run library, recreation center and performing arts center, as well as a privately run funeral home and a Lutheran church.
Instead, the matter was laid over for a month to work out details on how the city would protect the partners from probable legal action.
To their credit, city officials have included protections that ensure that no segment of public money can be used for religious worship or instruction, promising " a definite 'firewall' between the city and church spaces." (can we not just call it a "wall of separation?") Still, that might not be enough to withstand scrutiny – for one thing, just a question: will every resident have the same access to the public space that the church will have? Taking it slow sounds like a good idea.
