Funding for the Mifflin Street Block Party looks more definite after a city meeting Thursday which also brought a proposal for a downtown development. 

The Downtown Coordinating Committee met to discuss new developments in the planning of this year’s block party.

There have been efforts in recent months between Mayor Paul Soglin, city staff, neighborhood residents and students to formulate a plan that makes the party beneficial to all those involved.

Alcohol Policy Coordinator Mark Woulf said this planning committee has met for three weeks now to talk about the details of the upcoming party.

Woulf said the committee has now obtained a potential sponsor, a caterer from Hudson, and that a more solid plan should be put together by Friday or Monday.

“If this plan goes through, we’ll go with this sponsor,” Woulf said. “If not, the city will have to prepare for the absence of a sponsor.”

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said there has not been a sponsor for most of the 43 years the event has run. However, he said if there is no agreement with a sponsor, there would be none of the facilities such as food vendors, public toilets or entertainment the planning committee had wanted.

He added there would also need to be a change to the city’s vending ordinance, which currently prohibits venders in the part of downtown where the block party takes place.

Woulf said the planning committee is concentrating on work with city officials and planning the event, while the caterer would be concentrating on the food aspect of the event. He said this caterer has been in town for the party in previous years.

“Even though we don’t have concrete plans, it is quite exciting to have such a diverse group, especially college students who have not been involved so early on,” Verveer said.

Additionally, Steve Cover, director of planning, community and economic development in the city, presented updates on the project proposed by Soglin to create a new facility for the Madison Fire Department.

The proposal at Johnson, Henry and Dayton would be a mixed-use project with developer Hovde Properties for more permanent, professional housing along with new administrative space for MFD’s Station One.

Cover said the property to be developed, owned by Hovde, is directly adjacent to the current location of the administration site for Station One.

MFD officials have said the current facility is too small for the number of officers at the station and that the building is in need of repairs.

Cover said the renovation of the current facility, which is on the city’s budget schedule, would cost $1.6 million if it went through.

“We have an opportunity to create a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in this brand new development package,” Cover said. “As of this morning, we’re moving forward and hoping this can work out.”

The developers’ goal of beginning construction before Dec. 31 may seem “aggressive,” he said, and it may be one of the biggest issues the developers run into.

There are several upcoming city meetings scheduled to discuss the project further.