Madison’s financial committee continued deliberating Mayor Paul Soglin’s proposed 2013 capital budget at their meeting Tuesday, hearing presentations from city departments that affect areas of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
The Board of Estimates reviewed Soglin’s proposed budget, which includes funding for the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street, more commonly known to UW-Madison students as Library Mall.
While Library Mall is typically seen as an integral part of the UW-Madison campus, with students rushing to the bookstore and frequenting the various food carts between classes, the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street are owned by the city of Madison, not the university.
The city will pay a consultant $550,000 to design plans for Library Mall in 2013 and construction would begin in 2014 at an additional cost.
The current infrastructure is in “poor condition” and the sidewalks, pavement, lighting and street furnishings are “dated,” according to the budget report.
City engineer Rob Phillips said the design and construction process will be “interesting” due to Library Mall’s history as a popular student area.
“We would want to start out with kind of a blank slate and get a feel for what people want to see there,” Phillips said.
The city also plans to designate $7,124,000 for road reconstruction on major streets in downtown Madison and throughout the UW-Madison campus.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said the money would be used for new street lighting and general road repair in areas on North Charter Street, stretching from Regent to Johnson Streets, and the area of Spring Street between Mills and Charter Streets.
Street funds will also be used to reconstruct Mound Street, Iota Court and North Henry Street.
Additionally, Madison Metro General Manager Chuck Kamp told committee members Metro Transit will continue to focus on new buses with their capital grant.
The proposed 2013 budget designates a total of $10,712,480 for an additional 16 buses and improvements to Metro Transit like new bus stop signs, according to Soglin’s proposal.
Madison’s Common Council will vote on the capital and operating budget, which has not been made public yet, together in November.
