[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

Jim Meier, co-owner of Badger Bus, said Monday night he plans to use the new Union South as a bus pickup, replacing the current Madison Badger Bus Depot.

In a meeting with Capitol Neighborhoods Inc., Meier, who plans to demolish the depot and redevelop the site, said about 80 percent of all Madison riders use the Memorial Union bus stop while only 20 percent take advantage of the depot.

Although a few residents said they were worried the University of Wisconsin would back out of its agreement with Meier to use both unions as Badger Bus stops, many said they did not consider it an issue.

“I think that the Meier’s are good enough businessmen that they will get a long term contract with the university,” long-term Madison resident Rosemary Lee said. “There is honor among people. I don’t think the university would renege on an agreement.”

The bus stop at Memorial Union, owned by Badger Bus, is also used by Greyhound Bus Line and other inter-city busses that travel to Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Chicago.

Because companies are increasingly using “convenience stops” that do not require a designated building, privately owning a bus station is no longer economically viable, Meier said.

“Bus stations are like typewriters and newspapers — they served us well at the time, but they are out of date now,” said concerned citizen Phil Jennings. “Losing the bus station is just part of progress and taking the nodes to where the students are and to other necessary areas will be more practical.”

In collaboration with Knothe Bruce Architects, Meier plans to build apartment complexes and commercial establishments in the Madison Depot’s current location.

However some residents at the meeting expressed concern students would reside in the new apartment buildings thus creating excessive noise, especially at night.

Architect Randy Bruce of Knothe Bruce said the proposed cost of the apartments would make them unappealing to students.

“Madison has demonstrated demand for more housing,” Bruce said. “The city has a vacancy rate of about 3 percent, which is below the national average of 5 percent.”

Meier also discussed adding additional parking underneath the apartment buildings.

Natasha Vora, owner of Indocara, a furniture store near the proposed development, voiced her support for additional parking space near the complex to make the area more appealing to shoppers.

Bruce also said he was looking to make the new development environmentally friendly by potentially installing solar panels but said economic considerations must be taken into account.

Meier said the amount of bus riders has increased, despite the current economic conditions, and therefore he is not concerned about the future of Badger Bus.

“We need to look at the big picture.” Lee said. “Every dollar added will help Madison residents, from age one to 100. The additional revenue will fund everything from a pool, to police, to better education.”