The Associated Students of Madison held a town hall meeting Tuesday to provide UW-Madison students with information regarding possible future redevelopment of the Mifflin Street area.
According to ASM Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Adam Johnson, there are two primary options students can support: conserving Mifflin Street or the supporting the Common Council's proposed Downtown Plan to renovate the area.
""The [Downtown Plan] is to [give Mifflin Street] more of a downtown feel—Mifflin Street is only a block away from the Capitol and where most of the high-powered business in the city takes place,"" he said.
The area which the Downtown Plan would most affect if passed are the two blocks of residential homes on Mifflin Street between Broom Street and Bedford Street.
However, Johnson said some areas of Mifflin Street will be redeveloped regardless of what Madison's Common Council decides.
Josh Molter, ASM Legislative Affairs Committee member, said the Downtown Plan would be a long-term, gradual project.
""It's not like the city's going to come in and say, ‘hey we're tearing this down,'"" he said. ""It's going to be a case-by-case basis of a developer coming and saying, ‘hey I'm buying these two houses, I'm going to put up a new apartment building.'""
Although a few students in attendance did support the Downtown Plan, the majority of students advocated conserving Mifflin Street.
Alyson Manthei, a UW-Madison student who lives on Mifflin Street, said she feels the plan would ruin the character of the area.
""I live on Mifflin and the ambiance and the college environment will stick with me a long time after I move away from it, so I feel like building new structures … and not keeping that environment or look will completely change Mifflin Street,"" she said.
Joe Koss, ASM Student Council member, said he hopes more students will get involved and voice their concerns with the issue.
""Mifflin … has been a historically vibrant part of the undergraduate campus scene since back to the Vietnam War,"" he said. ""For there not to be a student voice in this type of legislation would be really tragic.""
Another informational meeting regarding the Downtown Plan is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 in Memorial Union.
