[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The State Street Design Project Oversight Committee finalized several aesthetic details and reviewed the proposed budget for the last stage of the State Street Reconstruction Project Monday.

According to Project Manager Mike Statz, construction for the final stage of the project is scheduled to begin in April 2007 and would complete the 500 and 600 blocks of State Street.

Statz also said the current estimate for the project's budget is $5.3 million, not including the sewer and water work done under the street. Some of the final costs are unknown, he added, but the project design team said it is confident in the accuracy of the budget.

"These figures may be conservative, but at least they are in the ballpark," Statz said.

In the meeting, the committee also finalized plans for the area between the Towers and Statesider private residence halls known as "Concrete Park," the locations of bike racks and the elimination of proposed street entrance archways.

Project Designer Ken Saiki said the plan for the 500 and 600 blocks includes 137 bike slots, 23 more than are currently on the street. But the committee as a whole decided that since the last stage of the project is so close to campus and many of the current bike racks are constantly filled to capacity, the design committee should include additional slots wherever possible.

"The uniform position of the committee is an increase in bike racks wherever possible," Committee Chair Ted Crabb said. "One of the issues on the north side of the street is the number of restaurants … but if we could get more (racks), that would be valuable."

The committee also agreed to lower the number of trash receptacles in the last stage, a recommendation that Statz said came from the Parks Department. Though there will be fewer trash cans, he added, they will remain at all the current locations along State Street to reduce confusion.

Plans for Concrete Park and the open space next to State Street Brats also met unanimous approval from the committee. The plans include a water feature; several "philosopher's stones" identical to the ones featured in the rest of the project; and an amphitheater.

Saiki said the amphitheater, which will be located on the western wall of Concrete Park, will seat about 100 people for outdoor performances.

Though the water feature was originally supposed to be created by the design team, Scott Thornton, committee member and Madison Arts Commission representative, said the feature has turned into a public art project. The Arts Commission will create a competition among local artists to design the water feature, he explained.

"I certainly support bringing public art into the State Street area," said Mary Carbine, executive director of Madison's Business Improvement District. "I just want to make sure the Arts Commission remembers about all the uses of this area and what a piece of art might be subject to in terms of the art being somewhat vulnerable."

While examining the budget for the project, the committee unanimously voted to eliminate $90,000 in funds for a gateway arch announcing the entrance to State Street at Library Mall, calling them "unnecessary."

Yet Carbine said visitors who approach information booths commonly question how to get to State Street, even though the booths themselves are located on State Street. She said that alone signals the area needs to be more clearly identified using either a gateway arch or another feature.

But Crabb argued the problem with the arches is purely economical.

"It comes down to a budget issue," he said. "I don't feel so strongly about this — frankly, I'd rather see more bicycle racks."