Madison Info

City of Madison http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/
Madison Visitors Bureau http://www.visitmadison.com/
Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce http://www.greatermadisonchamber.com/
Downtown Madison Inc http://www.downtownmadison.org/

Madison Advance Trip Briefing to the CLC, April 2006

On March 23-25 Jonathan Howes (UNC Chapel Hill), Tracy Hager (Chamber of Commerce), Jean Holcomb (Viking Travel), and Aaron Nelson (Chamber/Foundation) took an advance trip to Madison, Wisconsin.

While in Madison they toured the university, their research park, downtown and State Street. They saw their conference center, downtown performing arts center and art museum, and visited five hotels. They were also able to meet and get information from the following individuals:

The leadership of Downtown Madison Inc was out of town and unable to meet with the advance team. The advance team recommends additional contacts need to be made in advance of our trip including neighborhood, environmental, arts and downtown groups as well as African-American and Latino community leaders as we plan our event. Some of these have already been made by phone.

Some reflections:

First, the Madison leadership is enthusiastic and excited to host us. We think we have a lot in common and a lot we can learn from each other. Talking to their Chamber and other leaders often felt like we were looking in the mirror. They share a similar political outlook, challenges and hopes for their community, their university and their citizens.

State Street – a beautiful downtown street with 1, 2 and 3 story buildings – very similar in many ways to Franklin Street/Main Street. There are a new residential buildings (7-10 story) being built one block off – it was interesting to see the scale in person. They have a downtown streetscape project on the way and other redevelopment activities with an active Downtown Madison Inc and a downtown merchants association and a BID (business improvement tax district). They recently finished opened a new multi-million dollar performing arts center on State Street and will have opened a new art museum by the time we arrive in September.

Downtown – theirs is much bigger than ours and includes the state capital. Interesting to note were the tremendous number of new residential condos being built in the downtown, the impact of a stunning new performing arts center (akin to Memorial Hall in function, not appearance) and art museum, the location of a children’s museum downtown, how downtown and the University interact, and how they address panhandling and homelessness. They also have a huge farmers market every Saturday on the capital grounds.

Research Campus – We toured their research park and were given a preview of the new park they are planning that will include a mix of uses including residential and retail. The current park, begun in the 1980s, was developed with mostly office buildings and parking lots. The park does include on-site daycare. The City of Madison has created a design commission of local citizens with authority to approve new site plans for buildings in the park. Park officials estimated that they pay $4,000,000 in local property tax annually. They are using JJR as a consultant – the original consultant for the Horace Williams Property.

Transit – Their extensive bus system is free for faculty, staff and students. The Mayor and others are looking at an electric trolley and/or a regional rail system.

The University – About 20 million square feet and growing with nearly 40,000 students. The campus includes a hospital and medical school. Madison is under about as much construction as we are (I saw at least five active cranes). Their campus is not as attractive as ours and after years of infill, it is more dense and urban, with some very attractive quads. They have similar tensions that we have on neighborhood border issues and have creative solutions to address them. Their master plan consultant is Ayres Saint Gross, with whom we are very familiar.

Town/Gown – Like Chapel Hill and Carrboro, the city has zoning control and approval of buildings. Madison has created official joint university/neighborhood committees that vet and approve any development in their district before it goes to their Council. In fact, like our community, there are two communities, Madison, and a much smaller municipality, Shorewood Hills, within the city boundaries of Madison. Other items worth exploring – their formal and informal channels of communication and cooperation, 80,000 person Halloween celebration, park and ride systems, athletic events and their unique approach to University/municipal edge issues.

Sustainability – Madison and Dane County are a progressive communities interested in all of the aspects sustainability. Workforce housing is on their agenda and they have an inclusionary housing ordinance. There is an organization called Sustain Dane (they are in Dane County) which is a consortium of 250 organizations that are working on sustainability issues. Madison is repositioning itself on economic development to do it in a way that supports their other sustainability objectives. The County is working to balance the needs and interests of a very rural county with a very urban center.

Collaboration – They have an organization called the Collaboration Council (similar to our Community Leadership Council) that includes “a cross section of leaders of Dane County’s business, government, education and non-profit communities.”

Arts – There is strong focus on the arts in the community and at the university. The arts anchor downtown with two new stunning facilities on State Street. They are a must tour when we visit. The state has a “Percent for Art Program” and Madison is just launching a public art campaign called “Cows on Parade” with large cows throughout the city decorated by local artists.

Diversity – We did not learn much about diversity issues while in Madison and will need to do further research on the subject.

Housing – Madison has an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance and we are interested in learning more about the process of adopting it, the ordinance specifics, how it is working and how much affordable housing they have been able to generate.