MADISON, Wis. -- One of the largest vacant retail spaces at East Towne Mall is officially up for sale, and the City of Madison hopes the next owner can bring much needed housing to the area.
The old Boston Store space at East Towne Mall has sat vacant for more than five years since the big box store moved out in 2018. Since then, the city rezoned the property to allow for mixed-use developments to go in on the site.
The listing for the site says the nearly 15 acre property could host more than 1,000 apartments, housing Madison desperately needs.
"There isn't much low residential within the East Towne Mall, but we do see the potential of changing those big boxes, expansive parking lots and disconnected street network into totally the opposite, something that is more walkable, that changes from regional mall, regional area, to a more community, mixed-use walkable area with well connected street network," said Madison city planner Angela Puerta.
The property falls into the Northeast Area Plan , one of twelve plans the city will develop over the next decade to shape the future of development in Madison. The Northeast and West Area Plans are the first of the twelve to be created and both are currently in the planning and community feedback stages.
RELATED: Madison's Draft West Area Plan draws mixed reactions from residents
"This area is unique in the sense that is in a great location for employment, Puerta said. "It's the second most diverse area in the city. Our social economic issues are higher compared to the West area so we have more folks that are low to moderate income households. We also have more rent-occupied residences, which makes it a little bit hard for us to do outreach given that typically folks that own a home are more willing to speak up, they have more sense of belonging in the area."
Puerta is one of the lead planners on the Northeast Area Plan. She says it's a complicated job, but she hopes residents will get involved in the process.
"We want to hear from everyone," Puerta said. "We have our expertise as professional planners, but we are not on a day-to-day basis living in that area. So we need more people to participate."
Puerta says she and her team plan to release a complete draft plan in the coming weeks. After that, there will still be time for the community to give feedback and for the planners to make changes before the final plan is approved.
COPYRIGHT 2024 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Most Popular
Comments / 0