For over a year, the property at 632 University Avenue, previously home to Burger King, has been nothing more than an abandoned building.
Demolition of the building has begun, and building owner Harold Langhammer has been developing a plan for the space since Burger King owners terminated their lease.
\The plan is to have retail on the first floor and then apartments and housing on the above floors,"" said Ald. Austin King, District 8.
Whatever occupies the space, the need to do something with the existing building is a top priority for city officials.
""I think first and foremost the plan is to get rid of that eyesore. ... I don't think anybody will be sad to see it go,"" said King.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, agrees and would ""join in the chorus of most everybody that regularly goes by that building.""
Recently, many businesses have expressed interest in occupying the space, including the popular restaurant Radical Rye that was forced to leave its State Street location last year for the construction of the Overture Center.
Sandy Torkildson, president of the Greater State Street Business Association, believes the city would happily welcome Radical Rye back to the downtown area.
""I think a lot of people miss it, so it would be great if they could find a place,"" she said.
The increasing population of Madison has created a demand for housing, making the addition of apartments in this space also an important consideration of the plan.
""We're a growing city so I think that's what we have to expect. It seems like there is certainly a demand for housing in that area,"" Torkildson said.
The redevelopment of this building is just one of the many renovations going on in the downtown area, but the seemingly constant construction has been accepted by many as a necessary step to better the city.
""I think that's a great corner with all of the development that's going to continue to go on,"" said Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison, Inc. ""These kinds of projects are happening little by little by little, one by one, which is just like raising the bar in downtown. Downtown's getting better all the time. ... I think we're going to see a lot more of these projects popping up.\
