THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE MADISON TIMES WEEKLY NEWSPAPER 

“We are the potential tone setters of the world, and we can do anything we want to do.”

— Betty Franklin-Hammonds

August 4, 1995

There have been a lot of changes going on in South Madison. Years and years ago, it seemed that it was like pulling teeth to get any kind of private or public investment in the S. Park Street corridor. Now it seems that we may be verging on the critical mass necessary to spur some serious development efforts in that area.

City police and fire services are close by. The Harambee center in the Villager Mall offers health care and family-oriented services. The South Madison Library is the most used library in the library system. The Boys and Girls Club offers quality after school and evening program for youth. It has some college credit courses offered by the University of Wisconsin, Edgewood College, and MATC right in the Villager Mall.

It seems that the S. Park Street corridor has just about everything except a strong retail sector and enough jobs for the people who live there.

During the past ten years, there certainly have been individual efforts to create something positive in South Madison, whether it's the Genesis Development Corporation's business incubator or Centro Hispano moving its offices to W. Badger Road. All of these efforts never created the semblance of a concerted push to spur economic and community development that was self-sustaining.

Now, it appears, things are about to change. The city will be investing the lion's share of $2.5 million in redevelopment money in the S. Park Street corridor. S. Park Street will become more user friendly for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Burr Oaks and Bram Hill neighborhoods may once again become linked through streets that pass through each neighborhood without interruption or zigzagging up Park Street.

A swimming pool may be several years away for South Madison - we hope that a swimming pool will be built in South Madison from the Goodman funds that were recently donated - and so a spray park, a mini-water park, will be built adjacent to Lincoln School. The kids in the area will finally have a place to go and cool off on a hot summer's day.

Along Badger Road, the long line of fourplex apartment buildings that were conducive to the drug trade will be interrupted when several of them are renovated into affordable condo units. It will create a sense of ownership in that long line of rental offerings. Finally, someone will have a stake in an owner-occupied unit on the street.

And the crème de la crème of the whole project is the purchase of the Villager Mall by the city. The Harambee center will more than likely stay intact with the much-needed services that Head Start, the Madison Community Health Center, Family Enhancement and others provide.

What is most exciting is that the Villager Mall may actually be redesigned and renovated into a commercial center that could possibly attract some retail outlets. Thousands of cars pass by on S. Park Street every day. Perhaps an appealing commercial district will cause some of the motorists to slow down, take notice, and spend some of their hard-earned dollars on the south side. This really has some possibilities.

This latest initiative, coupled with designation as a tax incremental finance district if it is needed to spur additional private investment, could be what it takes to finally get South Madison over the hump in terms of reversing several decades of economic decline and move that trend in the opposite direction.

A note of caution - As Mayor Cieslewicz recognized in his remarks at the EOC Diversity Picnic, it is important that the danger of gentrification be guarded against. Once those markets get going, it's almost impossible to tame them so that the people who live there enjoy the fruits of the redevelopment.

Look at what is happening over at Williamson Street. Property prices are going through the roof and will probably change the entire complexion - almost literally - of Williamson Street over the next 5-10 years. The statistics kept by the Community Development Block Grant show the area is undergoing a rapid transformation in spite of the efforts of a well-organized, highly educated community. Gentrification can happen anywhere, even in South Madison.

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On July 24, Centro Hispano once again presents Fiesta Hispana at Warner Park. There will be continuous music going on from three stages for eight glorious hours. There will be plenty of children’s activities throughout the afternoon. It’s a fun time for all and the admission price is free! What a deal. Of course, bring along some money to buy your lunch from one of the many vendors selling food this year. You won’t find a cheaper funfilled afternoon. Hope to see you there!

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