RE: Ambi safety or not?
I like the idea of having one for being able to manipulate the safety with your off hand after an injury, but the likelihood of actually needing it is slim, I think. You'd probably already have the safety off and the mag half spent anyway.
They are often offered on competition guns since several of the handgun shooting sports require you to shoot certain stages with your off hand.
The only downside to getting one that I've heard of is that it can be accidentally be knocked off-safe more easily when carrying, but since you live in the land of the disarmed cheeseheads...
1911's are very modular, so you can just get the plain Jane now, and upgrade later. You can do it yourself without paying a gunsmith.