News

Council OKs W. Wash complex

New five story building will house Capitol Fitness, first floor retail, apartments

Last week, the Madison City Council approved the construction of a five-story building to be built at 425 W. Washington Ave.

The building will hold an apartment complex, Capitol Fitness, two levels of underground parking, commercial retail and an optometry office.

Capitol Fitness will be on the second floor of the building, David Ferch of Ferch Architecture said at a meeting last month. Ferch is working on the West Washington project with developer and owner of Capitol Fitness Erik Minton.

A lap pool, a “unique and expensive feature,” will be installed in Capitol Fitness, Minton said. Residents said this is the first pool that will be available for public use in downtown Madison.

At last month’s meeting, Minton said he believes the project will bring services the neighborhood wants. He added the apartment complex in the building, which will house 60 to 70 residents, will be a good source of housing for University of Wisconsin graduate students as well as people entering the job market in Madison.

Although Bassett Neighborhood residents expressed their support for the project, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he thinks the project might be too big for the site.

“I lived across street as undergrad where the building will be built, and I believe that a building of that scale and massing doesn’t necessarily fit in that location,” Verveer said.

Bassett Neighborhood regulations state the tallest building on the 400 block of West Washington Street can be four stories high. The proposed structure is five stories, Verveer said.

According to Verveer, the 400 and 500 blocks of West Washington Avenue are mainly comprised of one-story Victorian style houses and parking lots. He said the project would be more controversial if houses were torn down.

“I did not object to the City Council approval of the project, and in fact, I supported it in the end for in my estimation, there was significant neighborhood support for the project,” Verveer said. “I put my own personal opinion … to support the project, although not enthusiastically.”

Ferch and Minton could not be reached for comment as of press time.