Madison's near east side is about to receive an upgrade.
The Madison Common Council approved a set of new apartment complexes to be built along East Gorham Street, East Johnson Street and North Blair Street May 19.
In order for the new housing to be implemented, 11 houses along Johnson and Blair will be demolished, and eight houses down Gorham Street will be restored.
Although the residents of the east side neighborhood initially showed concern over the three new buildings, they eventually showed support for the council's decision. Ald. Bridget Maniaci, Dist. 2, also endorsed the development.
""One thing that was really important to me with this project is that the people who currently live in the neighborhood were not going to get priced out by the redevelopment company,"" she said. ""This project is really going to set the standard for quality construction and amenities, including being greenbuilt.""
Renaissance Property Group is the proposed developer.
In addition to providing new housing for current residents of the neighborhood, young graduates will also benefit from it, according to supporters.
""This project affords really great affordable housing for people who have just gotten their first job out of college, where the income is roughly $27,000 to $31,000,"" Maniaci said.
Maniaci also said downtown Madison has had a sizeable shift in the commercial market in the past five years, and a number of students have moved out of the near-campus neighborhood, creating a high demand for the apartment complexes.
Although Maniaci hopes this project will be the catalyst that jump starts the neighborhood, she is not looking to replace everything.
""I'm not looking to see another block where another 11 houses are torn down,"" she said. ""I think a lot of people are going to work really hard to preserve the houses we already have.""
