NEWS
High-rise housing complex plan unveiled
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by Dana Schowalter
Monday, February 2, 2004
Developer Randy Alexander, president of The Alexander Company, unveiled a $90 million redevelopment plan for the downtown area last Tuesday. The site, called block 51, is currently owned by Meriter Health Services. Block 51 encompasses the intersections between West Washington Avenue, South Henry Street, West Main Street and South Broom Street The plan will include 375 mixed-income housing units, 450 public parking stalls and neighborhood retail space. According to the redevelopment plan, housing options will include condominiums, apartments and other alternatives with broad price and space ranges. The apartments will range in size from 600 square feet to 1300 square feet and will rent for $595 to $1,500 per month. The Alexander Company?s plan will set aside 20 percent of the units for families with incomes between $25,000 and $50,000, due to the recent approval of Mayor Dave Cieselwiez?s Inclusionary Zoning plan. ?The proposal would exceed the recently passed city ordinance which requires developers to set aside a percentage of their units for those on fixed incomes,? Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District said, adding that Alexander?s plan is an accomplishment considering the high cost of development in the downtown area. Terri L. Potter, president and CEO of Meriter Health Services, praised Alexander?s plan in a press conference Tuesday. ?[Alexander?s] proposal presents a solution for the entire block. It responds to needs that have been raised by the city ? those being parking for the West Washington Corridor and a wide spectrum of housing options,? she said. Verveer was also pleased with the new development. ?There are many fine attributes to the proposed development,? Verveer said. ?Among them is the diversity of land uses proposed.? Many were receptive to Alexander?s plan because it incorporates much-needed parking spots downtown. According to the West Washington Corridor Parking Study, there is a need for 400 to 500 parking stalls in the area. Alexander?s plan creates 450 public parking stalls in addition to parking for tenants. The public parking and retail space have been added in hopes of furthering the development of the capital area, Natalie Bock, Development Project Manager for The Alexander Company, said. The site plans are still in preliminary stages. City Council will hold several meetings between members of the Bassett neighborhood and project developers before the project gets underway. Some concerns include the height of the proposed buildings. City ordinance states that buildings may not be taller than the capitol dome. However, some of the plans include building heights up to the dome limit, Verveer said. He added that ensuring the buildings do not tower over neighborhood housing might also be important to area residents. ?Any development of this size affects lots of people,? Bock said. ?We hope to meet with these people, listen to what they have to say and implement their concerns into our plan.?
