Opinion
Madison history to be torn down
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Whether you live near State Street, Camp Randall, or anywhere in between, the new apartment developments being built on campus are highly unlikely to benefit you.
As one (of seven) who currently calls 421 West Gorham my home, I came to this conclusion after examining how many people, following the destruction/relocation of my five neighbors’ homes, will and will not benefit from the construction of the not-so-sophisticatedly designed Equinox apartment building, scheduled to be ready in the fall of 2006.
I will admit that the development of a brand new, 12-story, 115-unit apartment grandé has some features that will be very nice for some people. First, the apartment will be among the first to be affected by the inclusionary zoning ordinance, which will give the opportunity for a few qualified students to try to get their hands on one of the 19 (about 15 percent of the entire building) “reasonably priced” units. Next, the plans to include 27 public parking spaces to the capital square will definitely be nice for the lucky one percent of capital area employees. Let’s not forget that this gargantuan complex will make a couple of already wealthy developers even richer.
For those of you who are not eligible to apply for inclusionary zoning rates, do not work near the capital, or are not the developer, the construction of the Equinox is highly unlikely to benefit you. First of all, the current residents of these homes on Gorham have been consistently bothered by appraisers, realtors giving showings, and crews with heavy machinery taking soil samples early in the morning (while I’m trying to sleep off a long night of drinking). Moreover, they are being asked to terminate their leases and move out prematurely, disrupting everyone’s current semester and future summer plans.
As a result of the inclusionary zoning ordinance, the currently misaligned rental market will be even more shaken up because of the inclusionary zoning costs that will be passed on to regular rentals. This causes the rental market equilibrium to shift out of whack, further prolonging the inequality of rental rates.
In addition to the current residents and prospective tenants of the area, the entire UW student body certainly will not take kindly to the many inconveniences associated with large construction projects. Also, student and local commuters certainly will not enjoy the hassles of driving through a construction site in the middle of an already congested area.
The biggest loser of all, however, is our gorgeous-yet-transforming downtown area. Our wonderful lakeside city, characterized as a college town because of its abundance of unique houses, is slowly being taken over by gaudy high-rise apartment complexes. Once construction has begun on the Equinox, it will mean that five humble and historic homes will be forever gone from our environment. Eventually, browsing the sidewalk on Saturday morning game days for a party, or even celebrating the Mifflin block party will only be memories of alumni like you and I.
On my walk home from Grainger Hall, I have the privilege of looking at our stunning capital amongst the recently built (non-inclusionary zoning ordinance abiding) apartments The Embassy, The Palisades, La Ville, The Aberdeen, La Ciel and 420 West Gorham. Sadly, once the Equinox is built, our Capital will no longer be visible from most of Johnson St. and University Ave. — the heart of our campus. Moreover, the two apartment-building construction sites on Lake St. and Gillman St. (also not restricted by the inclusionary zoning ordinance) are proof that this is only the beginning.
So, congratulations to the fortunate few who will benefit from the construction of the Equinox. I sincerely hope you enjoy your reduced rental rate, parking spot, or truckloads of cash. For the rest of us, however, if the thought of construction congestion, campus transformation, and the inability to see our beautiful capital from most of campus makes us vomit, let’s enjoy the view and continue to party in our 100-year-old houses while we can.
Lenny Gale can be reached at ljgale@wisc.edu.
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Honestly, I feel for you having gone through a summer of hell in a similar situation near Camp Randall, but at least get your facts right.
“As a result of the inclusionary zoning ordinance, the currently misaligned rental market will be even more shaken up because of the inclusionary zoning costs that will be passed on to regular rentals. This causes the rental market equilibrium to shift out of whack, further prolonging the inequality of rental rates.”
That is absolutely unsubstantiated and inaccurate. It was a core value of the designers of the IZ ordinance NOT to merely cost-shift, instead subsidizing affordable units in a variety of manners ranging from density bonuses to reduced park dedications.
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It might have been their intention not to cost shift, but it will happen anyways.
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IZ benefits poor people because it creates permanently affordable units. New construction benefits poor people because it adds units to the market, leading to higher vacancies, causing landlords to have to lower rents or add amenities to attract tenants. You sound like a landlord, complaining about IZ and new construction. The only people who are hurt by new buildings and the IZ ordinance are landlords. The primary beneficiaries are students. Sorry about the noise, but, I don’t really care. By the way, the only 2 of those 5 houses even worth saving are going to be saved and moved elsewhere in the downtown.
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This opinion piece is two weeks too late. Where were you for the past months when this was being planned? There was ample opportunity to voice your opinion. This project has been approved by the city council, and now your dissent means nothing.
The Eclipse will be another high-rise blight on our city. You can thank student-phobic city and community leaders for their quest to bunch students together in these ghettos and eliminate them from house-based neighborhoods on the isthmus and west side of campus.
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unfortunately it is not that simple to just say “the only people hurt by this are landlords…”
Landlords will pass some of the cost on to other tenants, that is what they always have done and always will do. It is the same as when certain fools say they do not care if property taxes go up because it is hurting the landlord. It is hurting the landlord, but it is also hurting you, because your rent just went up again.
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You should have been at the numerous town council meetings when they discussed this project along with a few others if you feel so strongly against these buildings. Did you even think that this building will give some students the chance to love closer to campus?
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<-Two posters above:
Landlords CAN’T pass the costs along to their tenants because the market is so soft. That’s the whole damn point. This is the ONLY way to force them to reduce rents is to force them to compete for our business. It also means we tenants have to act like intelligent consumers and not rent the first apartment we see. Wait to rent, and you’ll save money!
You’re right about property taxes, though, when those go up they do get passed along to tenants everywhere.
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Except the soft market isn’t soft because dumbass college kids are running around in early December signing leases wherever they can, driing up demand and prices…
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They make periods for a reason. How about seperating thoughts and ideas into sentances next time? Did you re-read that second paragraph after you wrote it? wtf?
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D- Please see me after class to discuss writing basics for your next assignment as you risk failing.
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I agree with what Lenny said. It is too bad that he and other’s that feel this wey didn’t show up at the city meetings where they could have stated their opinion about this. The vote was close and a few more people might have made a huge difference.
Unfortunately, students don’t usually show up to voice their opinion when things like this come up in city meetings. I am not sure what that is. If you don’t state your opinion, then you really can’t be too critical of the result.
You all have a second chance. The Madison Development Corporation (MDC) is planning on tearing town two traditional homes in the middle of the 400 block of Mifflin Street and putting up a fairly good sized apartment building. The good news is that a fair number of the apartments will be affordable. The bad news is that this, in my opinion, is the beginning of the end of Mifflin Street. Once you put one of these buildings in, more will follow and soom more students will be displaced.
The people living in the condos at Metropolitan Place like the MDC proprosal, probably because it will get rid of some “noisy and messy” students and help keep their property values up.
You need to show up and voice your opinions, call Alder Mike Verveer or send him E-mail to tell him how you feel (district4@cityofmadison.com).
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Actually, as someone who was there, be glad you didn’t go. One guy got up at the podium and read this for posterity sake poem entitled “Future Madisonians.”
I wouldn’t wish that upon Michael Moore.
-klemz
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Err… ‘for-posterity’s-sake’ I mean to say.
I need to hire a personal copy editor.