Public meeting to cover downtown development plans

The city of Madison’s Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development will hold a public meeting designed to discuss downtown development issues including downtown living for students and professionals; transportation; culture; entertainment; recreation; and sense of place.

The meeting will take place from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Memorial Union (TITU). This meeting is designed to gather input from the campus community.

It will give students, faculty, staff and the general public the opportunity to discuss the Downtown Plan, which sets up guidelines for the future of downtown Madison development. Attendees will include staff from the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development, and alders Mike Verveer and Bryon Eagon.

The Downtown Plan is the first comprehensive planning effort in 20 years; it began in April 2008. “The city is going through a renaissance and they want to be planful as development opportunities come their way by incorporating the desires and needs for people who live, work and play downtown,” says Dawn Crim, special assistant to the chancellor and director for community relations. “The campus community is a big part of that plan when you look at the almost 60,000 people on campus each day.”

This will be the last public hearing session for the Downtown Plan. In early 2010, recommendations will be compiled into the final plan and sent to the city of Madison committees for approval.