Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and others gave presentations on city development at the first annual State of Downtown Thursday.
Rich Bradley, from the Downtown Washington D.C. Business Improvement District, went over Washington D.C.'s downtown development in the past decade. The area is no longer as ""dully, dirty and dangerous"" as it was a decade ago according to Bradley.
Bradley presented aspects of the plan used to revitalize downtown Washington D.C. in comparison to what could potentially be done with downtown Madison.
Cieslewicz spoke about his recent trip to Stockholm, Sweden for a green conference where the Madison was recognized as one of the ten cities in the United States invited to that event.
Cieslewicz talked about public market in Stockholm and his desire to build one in Madison. The mayor said the high-speed rail station will put Madison on the map and said it is an ""absolute economic investment.""
""It moves us up on the scale,"" Cieslewicz said in reference to other cities.
Cieslewicz said he believes it is possible to resolve issues concerning the Central Library and the Overture Center by the end of the year.
""We won't know anything more in March that we don't know in November,"" Cieslewicz said in reference to concerns about the Overture Center.
