The ongoing Downtown Plan debate moved through the Madison Central Business Improvement District Committee Thursday, ultimately garnering general support for its vision of sustaining a vibrant and healthy downtown business and entertainment district.

BID Executive Director Mary Carbine said because the plan must go through the city process, which could be quite lengthy, the group formed a subcommittee to address the issue. The subcommittee then issued a 13-page report on the Downtown Plan.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the BID Board voted unanimously to recommend the plan and refer it to the City Council, with several recommendations.

He said BID’s expertise is in retail and leasing issues, and it felt the larger issues addressed in the plan, such as the future of the Mifflin neighborhood, were best addressed by other committees.

Carbine said the BID board focused on aspects of the plan that affect the State Street and Capitol Square retail, restaurant and entertainment district.

“In order to make the downtown district very healthy, we felt the plan needed a bolder vision and a strategy that was more grounded in economic realities,” Carbine said.

According to the subcommittee’s report, the plan must bring to the district the kind of neighborhood-serving retail stores that residents would want, such as grocery, general goods, furniture and department-type stores.

Carbine said the biggest challenge for the downtown area is the small but strong customer base that gives local businesses their market.

The area relies on spending by students, visitors and downtown residents, Carbine said.

“The economy here is like three legs of a stool,” she said. “We have two legs that are sort of tippy because they’re not always there.”

Verveer said one recommendation passed at the meeting was that the plan must support a flexible mix of local, regional and national retail, as well as a mix of store sizes and types, including medium and large buildings.

The report said it encouraged the plan to allow for diversity in building height and mass to attract a larger customer base.

Although the plan seeks to preserve the very small storefronts to support local business, Carbine said, the BID board believes these businesses are better supported by allowing for a mix in store sizes.

“There needs to be a better mix of sizes because sometimes you need larger stores to have the kind of goods people want,” Carbine said.

She said there should also to be a mix of different sized retailers incorporated into the downtown area to keep the area 85 percent locally owned and strongly supported by the community

Carbine said members expect they will have another chance for the BID board to weigh in on the plan before the Plan Commission and the City Council take a final vote on moving forward with the plan.

The board’s next meeting, scheduled for March 1, may not see more immediate progress on the plan because other committees may not have commented on the plan yet, Carbine said.

She said she expects the Downtown Plan will not be voted on until April or May, after it has passed through all 14 city committees.