Reconstruction planning for the 300 to 400 blocks of State Street will resume Thursday at the Overture Center in a public information meeting of the State Street Design Project Oversight Committee.
Ald. Austin King, District 8, said the meeting's focus will be the future appearance of what many consider to be Wisconsin's most famous street. Architectural features such as light poles and pavement are of particular concern.
'There were a lot of themes that we developed that we want to keep consistent throughout the street,' King said. 'A lot of these major decisions on the street have already been decided, to keep it rather uniform.'
The pedestrian mall includes many sidewalk cafes, bike racks, benches, trash posts, electrical utilities, stoplight utilities and bus stops, all of which crowd the sidewalks, King said.
The balance of these interests could raise some contention from business owners regarding the placement and type of structures in relation to their buildings. But Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the meeting will allow business owners from the 300 to 400 blocks the opportunity to comment on city plans for the street.
Lori Henn, owner of Fair Trade Coffee House, 418 State St., said she plans to attend the meeting.
'I don't know exactly what's going to go in front of my store, but I was asked what I would prefer or not prefer,' Henn said.
Henn said she was happy about the projected pace of potentially-costly reconstruction. 'It's inevitable that construction will affect business, but I understand the need,' she said. 'They do go the extra mile to try to do it in a timely way.'
King said that the meeting could also attract bicycle activists pushing for more bike racks on State Street.
Jim Bujold, a UW-Madison sophomore who cycles both personally and with his PediCab business, said the street needs more bike racks.
'There is usually limited space, and I often find myself locking my bike to something they'd rather not have me lock it to,' he said. 'It could be done more efficiently.'
King stressed the difficulty of incorporating all the improvements. 'We're trying to cram a lot of stuff into this street,' King said. 'But that's what makes the street so interesting.'
The meeting will be one of the last chances for members of the public to voice their opinions about the plan before the Common Council takes it up in January.
