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County Executive's Office

Dane County BUILD Grants Boost Renewal in Sun Prairie Downtown

October 22, 2003
Sharyn Wisniewski (608) 267-8823
County Executive

County Executive Falk Announces 2003 BUILD Grants to Sun Prairie, Madison, Cambridge, Monona and Waunakee Kathleen Falk with Sun Prairie officials and Veridian HomesDane County Executive Kathleen Falk today joined with City of Sun Prairie officials and Veridian Homes to break ground on Cannery Row, the first phase of a major revitalization of Sun Prairie’s downtown. Dane County helped kick-off the community’s downtown revitalization effort in 2000 with a $30,000 BUILD (Better Urban Infill Development) grant to the City of Sun Prairie. The grant and City funding paid for a consultant to develop the City of Sun Prairie Business District Revitalization Plan. The plan, which provided a detailed vision for downtown renewal, was adopted by the City Council on March 13, 2001. “Sun Prairie residents had a vision to create a new downtown neighborhood for living, working and shopping,” said Falk. The plan which we helped fund provided the blueprint for converting a former aging industrial site into a vibrant downtown neighborhood.” Falk said, “I created this grant program with the hope that it would help our wonderful cities, villages and towns create the vital downtown atmospheres that make their communities so special. We were pleased to be able to assist Sun Prairie with creation of their vision, and we’re excited to see the vision start to take shape today.” Today’s groundbreaking begins the rebuilding of former industrial portions of the downtown into a mix of shops, housing and new downtown open space. The redevelopment area is bordered by Main Street on the North, Market Street on the, West and Linnerud Drive on the South and East. To implement plan recommendations, the City established a Tax Increment District to finance public improvements, created a Community Development Authority to purchase and improve land, and selected DSI Real Estate Group and Veridian Homes (formerly Don Simon Homes) to develop Cannery Row. The Cannery Row development will create a new City Square across the street from City Hall, 21,000 square feet of commercial space, 20,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, and 127 units of new housing, both rental and privately owned. The multi-story buildings face and frame new street design and green space oriented around a planned transit station, designed to make the downtown neighborhood attractive and walkable. “Veridian’s exciting project keeps Sun Prairie’s historic flavor and adds innovative design. The plans are a great example of how we can renew our wonderful cities and make them even better for the future,” said Falk. Dane County awarded a second BUILD grant of $17,500 to the City this year to focus on phase II of the downtown plan, west of Market Street. The grant will fund planning to improve the traffic flow, identify potential building sites, improve parking, develop design guidelines, and prepare coordinated signs to better direct drivers and pedestrians to parking and other facilities. The BUILD program was initiated by County Executive Falk in 1998 to help communities make better use of their existing infrastructure, and preserve adjacent farmland. The plans are designed to encourage walking, biking and transit, to locate homes, jobs and shops in close proximity, and to enhance neighborhoods and business districts. Funding for BUILD comes from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and County general revenue. Falk also announced the other BUILD grant recipients, including two in the City of Madison for planning on East Washington Avenue and on South Park Street. See below for chart of BUILD Recipients. 2003 BUILD GRANTS Applicant -- Award/ Total Project -- Description City of Madison -- $25,000/$50,000 -- East Washington Capital Gateway Corridor: develop detailed land use recommendations and urban design guidelines. City of Madison -- $25,000/ $80,000 -- South Park Street: Wingra Creek Redevelopment District – Phase II – study the market feasibility of attracting and retaining businesses in the area; identify housing needs & opportunities City of Sun Prairie -- $17,500/$35,000 -- Downtown Phase II Redevelopment Area: planning and urban design to improve pedestrian and vehicular circulation and parking in area west of Phase I. Village of Cambridge -- $20,500/ $41,000 -- Downtown Implementation Projects: Create BID; Alley/parking improvements; Wayfinding system; City of Monona -- $10,000/$20,000 -- Monona Drive Phase II: prepare design standards and guidelines for private development, streetscape, and signage improvements. Village of Waunakee -- $4,000/$8,000 -- Site Development Plan for 2-3 story mixed-use building on Main Street near Madison Street. TOTALS $102,000/ $234,000
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