A committee made up of city staff, alders, business representatives and residents met Monday to consider options for a proposed parking ramp that would provide increased parking availability downtown.
The area under consideration for development is the Buckeye Lot, the parcel of land located behind Pizzeria Uno, 222 W. Gorham St. Though many options are currently on the table, the proposed construction could require the removal of three downtown residential properties currently valued at approximately $2 million.
Minimal expansion'increasing the number of stalls from 56 to 96'would cost $2.8 million. A plan to build a multi-level, underground ramp that would create 305 stalls and room for above-ground development has a $16.1 million price tag.
Curt Brink, a representative from Statehouse West, the company that won the rights to the project a year ago, presented the new proposal. It would include the underground parking as well as space for retail development and residential use above.
A common concern among committee members was that development of the Buckeye Lot could mirror the predicament posed by Overture Center construction, where developers ran into water problems.
'The biggest issue here is the water table,' said Jeanne Hoffman, liaison to the mayor's office.
'We need to know if there is going to be a big lake under there once we start digging,' she said.
Mark Olinger, Madison Director of Planning and Development, said he remained optimistic about the proposed development.
'There are a lot of positives with this project,' he said. 'It would fulfill a long-standing desire by middle State Street businesses to get more parking, as well as help a park that needs attention. We also have a strong commitment to rebuilding housing and re-introducing owner-occupied housing.'
President of Capital Neighborhoods, Ledell Zellers, was less supportive of the project. She said the last thing that the area needed was the removal of residential areas for above ground parking and said such a move 'would be a travesty.'
