The hotly debated plan for the 100 block of State Street now has yet another perspective that would alter the appearance of the downtown area.

The new proposal, from Landmarks Commission member Stuart Levitan, would retain the Fairchild and Schubert buildings, planned for demolition under the main plan put forth by Jerry Frautschi and Pleasant Rowland, and instead replace the Buell and Haswell buildings with open green space.

Levitan said the Buell and Haswell buildings on State Street do not retain many important historic features any longer and said having a garden in the space there would break up the block nicely.

“We could sacrifice the Buell and Haswell buildings for the overall good of the project, whereas the Fairchild building has more historic value, and the Schubert building is already a landmark,” Levitan said.

He said the only way to save the Fairchild building is to replace the Buell and Haswell buildings, but that it is a sacrifice the Landmarks Commission is willing to make.

Jason Tish, spokesperson for the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, said the trust has been working on a similar project to Levitan’s, which it presented several weeks ago to city committees.

Tish said the Trust likes the idea of an open space mid-block on the street, rather than on a corner as in the Frautschi proposal.

He said there has been fairly earnest reception in the planning department toward Levitan’s idea and that the trust could also support him.

Levitan said he used the same architect and illustrator to design his project that the trust did for its alternative proposal, but the projects themselves are separate.

Tish said if the 100 Block Foundation, Frautschi’s organization, wants to have open space on the block, then working with others to come up with a design for the dense urban block is a good compromise.

“Right now, it’s not an attractive block, and that’s one of the complaints of the foundation,” Tish said. “It can very easily be made to be attractive.”

He said other aspects of the foundation’s plan could still be used, such as the demolition and reconstruction of the Vallender Building and the rehabilitation of the Castle and Doyle building, both on State Street.

To redesign the open space and create it where the Buell and Haswell buildings are could make it an attractive space, Tish said.

Levitan said he is confident his plan would be a success, both among city committees and city residents.

“I really believe the Frautschis are trying to do a good thing,” Levitan said. “They are trying to do something they think will be good for downtown, and it’s important to recognize that,” he said.

He said the Frautschis’ $20 million proposal is a generous gift, but it may not be the one the city wants.

Levitan said even if all the city committees and the City Council approve the 100 Block Foundation’s proposal, many of the city’s residents will not like the project.

“If the Frautschis say it’s good enough for them, this thing would go through unanimously,” Levitan said. “I respect how difficult the process has been for them, but at some point, they have to realize there’s an easy way to do something and a hard way to do something.”

As of press time, calls to Frautschi and Project Manager George Austin had not been returned.