NEWS
Developer presents Mifflin Street apartment building
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Also by Darryl Schnell:
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- Building commission rejects 9-story proposal (October 20, 2005)
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Related Stories:
- Mifflin building proposal faces opposition (April 21, 2005)
- Building commission rejects 9-story proposal (October 20, 2005)
- New housing coming to Dayton Street (December 6, 2007)
- U-Square gets Urban Design Committee's OK (December 8, 2005)
- Commission plans Madison construction (May 3, 2005)
by Darryl Schnell
Thursday, March 3, 2005
Madison Development Corporation presented initial plans for a controversial 23-unit apartment building for the 400 block of Mifflin Street to the City of Madison Urban Design Commission Wednesday night.
The Urban Design Commission also approved initial building plans for the new Dayton Street residence hall, along with plans for the Goodman Community Pool at Olin Park.
Many members of the Mifflin Street community are voicing concern over the construction plans for the new apartment building and want Mifflin Street to maintain its historical integrity.
“The message we’ve gotten from the neighborhood … is to mimic the surrounding properties,” MDC President Frank Staniszewski, said.
Michael Barrett, a citizen member of the commission, expressed his concern against changes to the popular student street.
“I’m bothered that we continue to tear at the fabric of this historical neighborhood,” Barrett said.
Colin Godding, the architect of the project, said he would use building materials and structures consistent with those already present in the Mifflin Street neighborhood. Godding plans to use cement-board siding and porches for each unit to visually blend the new building with Mifflin Street’s older architecture.
Staniszewski said he understood why community members discourage changing the aesthetics of Mifflin Street, but he said the new apartment complex would provide serviceable housing to replace the current two houses on the property that are minimally functional and outdated.
Providing affordable living is a driving force behind MDC’s push for construction of the complex. According to Staniszewski, 15 of the 23 units provided will fall under the “affordable” umbrella. Staniszewski said the rent for a one-bedroom apartment would cost $572 a month and a two-bedroom apartment $676 a month.
“Our target market is entry-level and lower-wage workers,” Staniszewski said.
The commission also addressed problems with the Dayton Street residence-hall plan, part of the Campus Master Plan. Barrett said he was concerned the lack of windows would give the building an “unnecessary starkness.”
Dell Wilson, head architect for the Dayton Street residence hall, said he and the other architects explored several ways to add windows, but it is a difficult task. Wilson said the best he could do was to add windows to each floor of the stairwell.
The commission also expressed concerns about the amount of parking planned for the Goodman Community Pool at Olin Park.
The current design for the pool provides 200 spaces for the public, who will use the pool, softball diamonds, soccer fields and a dog park. The parking lots may also be used by the city for snow dumping in the winter months.
Members of the community surrounding Olin Park said they wanted sufficient parking for the community pool so the neighborhood streets would not be overcrowded with parked cars.
The commission appeared understanding of this, and approved plans, but encouraged architects to look at reducing the amount of parking.
“Parking is not an attractive feature to this structure,” Barrett said. “It would be an unbelievable statement for this city to make, that in order to have fun, you have to drive.”
Anonymous (March 3, 2005 @ 3:36pm):
473 will be missed
Anonymous (March 3, 2005 @ 9:46pm):
This complex, if built, will turn into what La Ciel already is within 2 years. An apartment where the elevators are filled with urine by 9pm every weekend.
Anonymous (March 3, 2005 @ 10:23pm):
so, i'm sorry, are urine filled elevators a good thing or bad thing?
Anonymous (March 3, 2005 @ 10:32pm):
Eh, i would say neutral, UW students need a large apartment complex to have insanely too large parties, and La Cial and La Ville have fit the bill nicely for the past couple years.
I just can't imagine a cheap mifflin street apartment complex not reflecting the rest of the block, which is fine. I don't think they should be building apartment complexes on that street anyways. Students might as well treat it like a crappy house.
