A city committee overseeing the redesign of State Street met Wednesday to discuss the reconstruction of the 700 and 800 blocks, as well as ways to enrich the “Library Mall experience.”
The committee was primarily concerned with the confluence of the 700 and 800 block infrastructure, as well as maintaining the historic value of Library Mall. As one member explained, the project aims to “penetrate into the sense of State Street” and encourages “overlapping” between elements of the campus and the city.
However, committee members expressed concerns that the heavily trafficked area could be negatively affected by the five-year timeline of the project. As community member Rosemary Lee explained, “people will come and go” from the university within its duration.
The plan involves several infrastructural and policy adjustments, including legalizing bicycle riding and parking through the corridor, adding street lighting and public seating as well as allowing street vendors, all while staying “in tune with the historic nature” of the area.
Artist Jill Sebastian also presented her idea for a public artwork installation, a sugar maple leaf as large as the surrounding trees, and lit to match the changing seasons. Sebastian said the idea “ties together town and gown” in that it incorporates the Wisconsin state tree, the bronze leaf “icon” of State Street and the foliage in the architecture of certain university buildings.
Overall, the committee was excited for the anticipated impact of the project on the State Street experience. Various city committees will vote on the design before it goes to the city Council for final approval.
