Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway held a press conference last Tuesday, announcing a proposed $266.5 million 2024 Executive Capital Budget.
The budget prioritizes improvements to South Madison and its infrastructure — an area that encompasses the neighborhoods of Bay Creek, Bram’s Addition, Burr Oaks and Capital View, surrounding Park Street as it heads south of the University of Wisconsin campus toward the Beltline.
This area is Madison’s most diverse and a cultural hub. About 62% of South Madison’s residents are non-white, compared to Madison as a whole with 21% of Madisonians being non-white, according to the South Madison Plan.
Mayor Rhodes-Conway hosted the press conference from South Madison’s own Black Business Hub — a space dedicated to housing and fostering a supportive place for Black entrepreneurs.
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“We will be spending over $27 million [in South Madison] to create new housing, a new fire station and a new Public Health Clinic…we are investing $11 million to create 1,200 new units of housing,” Mayor Rhodes-Conway said in a news conference. “We want people to feel welcomed. We want people to feel safe like this is a center of activity because there is a lot going on in South Madison.”
Increasing Madison residents’ access to affordable housing is one of Mayor Rhodes-Conway’s main budget priorities, not just on the south side.
“We are increasing our investment in affordable housing to $94 million over six years…an increase of 60% from last year’s capital improvement plan,” Mayor Rhodes-Conway said.
The stress of finding affordable housing has been an increasingly common theme among UW students, making this large housing investment a project of interest for Badgers, Madison Deputy Mayor Christie Baumel said.
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UW students should also take note of plans in the budget to test an experimental pedestrian mall concept on lower State Street, reminiscent of East Campus Mall, Deputy Mayor Baumel said. Continued funding is planned for the Lake Street Parking Garage which will also affect UW students, as the city-owned portion will include housing and a downtown inter-city bus terminal, Deputy Mayor Baumel said.
Mayor Rhodes-Conway highlighted the North-South Bus Rapid Transit line in her budget proposal, which will carry passengers up and down Park Street starting as soon as next year. The project has a total projected cost of around $144 million. The East-West Bus Rapid Transit line is already underway.
A revamping of John Nolan Drive is planned with road and bikeway improvements totaling around $47 million, utilizing local, state and federal funding.
Madison officials will spend the upcoming weeks analyzing and reviewing Mayor Rhodes-Conway’s plan before its finalization in November, with city alders able to propose amendments.
The city’s Operating Budget, coming in October, will focus on services to foster the well-being of Madisonians and will complement the physical infrastructure proposed in the Capital Budget.
