Honestly, as magnificent as it all sounds so far, you seem to have strayed away from the golden rule of webmastery. K.I.S.S. Or, as I like to say, K.I.S.C. - keep it simple cocksucker. The basis of a link list is such a simple thing. This isn't rocket surgery or brain science.
Just make sure that when all is said and done, you haven't built a list where you yourself don't have the ability to toss shit around and edit on your own. A link list should't require a manual.
As you have your team of engineers and designers
constructing your list, worry less about pretty - and more about the proper layout of the major aspects, such as paysite links, category link trades, and free site links. Study the big old link lists that have been around before anyone even knew what the F keys were for on their keyboards. Look for chaos and look for strategy - they're both there.