News

State Street committee votes to speed construction

Committee members approved accelerated construction of the 200, 300 and 400 blocks of State Street and the addition of a triangular traffic island at a State Street design meeting Thursday night.

<p>The designers working on the project, including Ken Saiki of Ken Saiki Design Inc., who will help implement the reconstruction, discussed previous plans to construct a planter island at the meeting place of Carroll, Mifflin and State streets before the decision was voted on.

<p>According to Saiki, the design committee’s original plan included the construction of a triangular island but was altered after engineers raised concerns. Some of the concerns cited possible interference with utilities and snow removal. Others also worried the original plans would interfere with the annual Crazy Legs running event.

<p>”What we had originally thought of was thought to be a hazard,” he said.

<p>With the Carroll and State Street areas being part of the main route, a permanent island was seen as a tripping hazard.

<p>Designers then looked into other options. One of these included a grouping of potted plants. The movable pots were seen as a more flexible option.

<p>However, Madison City Council President Mike Verveer opposed the idea of the planters, saying they would have a more temporary look to them.

<p>”I like the initial plans better,” Verveer said. “[They] were much more appealing.”

<p>The triangular island was nonetheless approved in the final vote.

<p>The next step for the designers includes the final design of the island, which will consist of a cement barrier with plants in the center.

<p>Saiki said the main difficulty now lies in adequately planning and timing the island.

<p>”I think we have to take some time to get this done,” he said.

<p>The expanded renovation of State Street was also approved in the meeting. The design team’s contract was extended to the 300 and 400 blocks of State Street, while minimal work is planned for Gorham Street.

<p>Verveer approved the speeding up of the process on the condition that no additional city borrowing would be needed.

<p>The committee came to a unanimous decision based on these conditions.

<p>Work will begin in May with tentative plans to be completed by January 2005. Although the original schedule has been delayed, the design team hopes to finish as soon as possible.

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