The State Street Design Project Oversight Committee met last night to discuss upcoming reconstruction of the 100 and 200 blocks of State Street and the designs that will be used to redo Madison’s most popular vehicular mall.
Plan Commission Representative Ken Opin noted that the committee is working to make it easier for everyone to use State Street. He hopes these plans will resolve conflict between pedestrians and drivers and that the plans will welcome all types of people to the area.
Mark Statz, a consultant to the city from MSA Professional Services, presented a six-phase plan for implementing the reconstruction of this two-block radius. Reconstruction of the 100 block ideally will start mid-April 2004 and go until the end of August 2004. The 200 block’s completion is set for 2005.
Statz’s plan calls for massive reconstruction of sewers and water mains and for road construction along State Street.
The committee is working closely with local businesses to make this process as quick and painless as possible, Statz said, stressing the importance of maintaining discussion with businesses, especially during the water-main and sewer reconstruction.
Statz followed up on a survey sent to local businesses, which was discussed at the committee’s last meeting, and was happy to report that after a new door-to-door construction migration survey the response number rose to approximately 90 percent.
A designer from ZebraDog Studios, Mark Schmitz, presented mockup designs that had been approved at the committee’s Sept. 25 meeting. The designs included the new State Street logo, banners, and lighting designs.
“[Our role is to develop a] visual brand design for the State Street district,” Schmitz said, “including public signs, kiosks, way-finders and banner designs.”
The new banner plan for State Street will differentiate blocks by color as well as have civic advertising of local events such as the Farmer’s Market or Maxwell Street Days. Kiosks will advertise local events and will be placed in several different locations throughout the two blocks.
The new Overture Center will use three of these kiosks to advertise upcoming events at the Civic Center. The way-finders will be color-coordinated to State Street block colors, pointing people in the right direction.
Statz met with the Overture Foundation Oct. 9 to review these plans; he feels the ideas have been well received by those involved.
The committee will reconvene Nov. 6 to discuss matters such as the State Street design at the intersection of Dayton and Fairchild. This issue was briefly discussed last night, but decisions on number of traffic lanes, loading zones and pedestrian safety will be made at a later date.
An interactive public meeting will be held Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St. The committee will hear opinions on upcoming decisions concerning the reconstruction of State Street and plans to work to heed those opinions.
