Madison’s creative, urban live-work center

CLIENT/PROJECT PARTNERS: City of Madison, Madison Gas & Electric

DATES: 2004 – Present

NEED: Revitalize and rebuild the city’s gateway—a 4.5-mile transportation corridor and former industrial district—into a transit-oriented employment and living center. Identify opportunities to reposition as an innovation district, with a concentration of employment and new job-creating uses within the city.

V&A ROLES:

  • Work with the City and stakeholders on the East Washington Avenue Capitol Gateway Corridor Plan
  • Lead the preparation of the Capitol East Gateway District Vision & Positioning Framework
  • Advise on various redevelopment implementation activities, market positioning, and development strategy
  • Prepare a public improvement plan, including identification of priority public improvement projects that advance TID objectives and spur reinvestment in the area; cost estimates, timelines, and rating of potential impact
  • Prepare a 20-year development projection for each of the 40 blocks and/or specific development sites to estimate incremental tax base and potential revenue for investment in public improvements
  • Work with the City and with Hiebing Group to create a vision and market positioning strategies for the District to attract innovation businesses
  • Facilitate and prepare the draft framework for the updated StartingBlock Strategic Plan; founding team member; help plan, fund, communicate and implement the project over four years

OUTCOMES:

  • East Washington Avenue Capitol Gateway Corridor Plan: awarded the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association’s (APA-WI) Best Urban Design award for the year 2010
  • $5M in Land Banking funds to secure, prepare, and RFP to development community
  • $400M in reinvestment within 7 years: $34M and $50M mixed use projects, Google, American Family, Shopbop, Per Blue, gener8tor, Frank Productions, and about 50 start-ups and small companies now in the transformed Capitol East District
  • The $34 Million Constellation  and the $90 Million Galaxie mixed-use projects
  • The 800 block project with American Family’s “Spark” offering long-range economic and community building infrastructure to house a variety of creative spaces
  • StartingBlock Madison: A 40,000 square foot entrepreneurial hub where entrepreneurs are cultivated and innovative companies are built
  • Other projects still in the works for the Capitol East District include a new Madison Public Market District, and improvements to the transportation network, public spaces, and Yahara Riverfront