There is a section in the 1998 Daily Cardinal city editor's handbook that contains advice for those slow days when all of the newsmakers and sources go on vacation together.
\Go down to State Street. Pick out a store that's closing (this isn't very hard to find). Interview the owner...""
These hard-luck stories are thankfully more difficult to find on State Street in 2002, leading modern editors to be more enterprising. This snippet from the past does remind us, however, that businesses on State Street face a constant battle to attract spending from not just students, but the broader community from Madison and beyond. It is the prospect of how an extended run of tough economic times could harm State Street'the center of many of our small universes'that makes a recent move by Ald. Brenda Konkel, District 2, so worrisome.
Over the weekend, Konkel said she will ask the Madison City Council tonight to reconsider its Jan. 22 vote authorizing city staff to begin soliciting proposals for construction of the State Street Design Project. Konkel said she is having second thoughts because of the potential budget crunch facing the city of Madison, which stands to lose $16 million annually in shared revenues if the state Legislature enacts Gov. Scott McCallum's Budget Reform Act of 2002 attempt to deal with the state's $1 billion deficit.
Much of the money for the design project will come from federal transportation department funds earmarked specifically for use on State Street. U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, have already succeeded in securing $1 million for the project. In addition, State Street, because of its ""fixed guideway"" status, would be eligible for federal subsidies for up to 80 percent of the cost for reconstruction of the street. Although Madison politicians will need to reevaluate some of their previously approved spending priorities, these earmarked funds could not be spent to compensate for budget deficits or anything else, so let the project go forward.
Konkel has said she is concerned about the idea of committing to a multimillion dollar project at a time when the city may lose millions of dollars in funding. But council members will have plenty of opportunity to evaluate the various components of the $15 million project when they are scheduled to vote on the design March 5.
More importantly, however, the design project must not be delayed because of its crucial role in the broader State Street Strategic Plan. Crafted nearly three years ago, the plan seeks to revitalize State Street and turn it into a commercial district capable of attracting shoppers from a broader base, enabling stores selling items other than CDs and mac and cheese to thrive.
But to ensure that State Street's success continues even in a less healthy economy, Madisonians must implement the rest of the strategic plan, including the design project. By streamlining and updating the street's aesthetic look, the city can make State Street more attractive to shoppers and can bring in the heavily sought after suburbanites' cash to State Street's treasured locally owned shops. It is clearly in the interest of students to have a vibrant commercial area nearby, and the design project is crucial in ensuring that State Street enjoys continued success. Otherwise, future city editors may return to an old standby:
""Go down to State Street. Pick out a store that's closing...\
