The Badger Herald

NEWS

City signs off on new apartments

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Also by Cara Harshman:

Alders tackle snow parking issues (January 21, 2008)
Freshman, senior square off for supervisor seat (January 21, 2008)
Cieslewicz, Falk outline 2008 initiatives for safety (January 21, 2008)
City signs off on new apartments (January 21, 2008)
Debate hits as Legislature decides whether to enact statewide smoking ban (January 21, 2008)

by Cara Harshman

Monday, January 21, 2008

Students and Madison residents will have a new housing option in 2009: apartments on the northeast corner of North Mills and West Johnson streets.

The construction for the apartment building set to be built at 1022 W. Johnson St. was approved by City Council and the city planning division earlier this month.

The 14-story apartment building will consist of 169 units with one to four bedrooms, said Bill White, the process consultant for the building’s architect and developer.

Accommodations for the building will include underground parking for vehicles, mopeds and bicycles, a laundry facility on each floor and a state-of-the-art security system, as the building will not have a 24-hour concierge service.

White said the developing team and architect are working with University of Wisconsin administration to create a landscape plan for all of North Mills Street.

“I think it’s a well-designed project,” said Brad Murphy, Madison planning division director. “It should be an attractive building.”

Currently two homes and a parking lot occupy the building site.

The home located on the North Mills side of the site is the Conklin House. Remodeled by the Claude and Stark architectural firm in 1905, the city considers it a potential historical Madison landmark because of its Queen Anne architectural style.

Refusing to knock the Conklin House down, Murphy said the City Council is currently in the process of approving a new resting spot for it on the corner of East Mifflin and Franklin streets.

Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, said he would not support constructing the apartment building if it meant destroying the Conklin House.

“It’s a beautiful house,” Judge added. “It could use some renovations though.”

The lot’s other building, the Johnson House, is also considered potentially historic. However, the city approved a measure to demolish it if a new relocation site cannot be found before construction begins.

“We have gone to great lengths to relocate it, but we have not finalized the search,” White said. “It’s an ideal location, just a block south of University Avenue.”

White said the cost of the building is still unknown, but the apartments should sell at market price. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2008 and finish no later than Aug. 2009. Architectural firm Bruce and Knothe is designing the building.

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