Gebhardt Development
A new city panel has been formed to review the proposal.
A second proposal is in the works to build a large performance venue on East Washington Avenue.
Gebhardt Development submitted plans to the city of Madison Monday for a 140,000-square-foot mixed use project that would include the 1,500-seat performance space.
Frank Productions announced in June it was planning to build a music venue that would seat more than 2,000 in the 1000 block of East Washington Avenue, next to Breese Stevens Field.
Tag Evers of Frank Productions said he had no comment on Gebhardt's proposal. "We're moving forward with ours, planning to break ground next spring and be open a year later."
Gebhardt's project would also include a site for StartingBlock Madison -- a collaborative space for start-up companies and tech initiatives. Sector 67, the makerspace, would relocate here. There was talk more than a year ago about StartingBlock Madison locating to the 900 block of East Washington Avenue.
Professional offices and retail spaces would also be part of Gebhardt's project.
"We believe the best solution [for] this site is an urban, integrated, active, and sustainable project," the developers wrote in their proposal to the city. "What is proposed will activate the street during the day and evening and will not have a sizable component sitting vacant throughout the day."
Christopher Gosch, the architect for the project, said in an interview that a performance venue is a "much needed amenity" for the city and he argued it's "sited better on the south block" of 800 East Washington than the 1000 block. Gosch noted that neighbors have raised concerns over how the Frank Productions venue would affect traffic, parking and nearby schools.
"We'll let other decision makers have their say," says Gosch, "but we feel it's a better solution."
According to Gebhardt's proposal, T Presents Madison, an independent concert and event promotion company founded in 2012, would relocate its main office from Brooklyn to Madison. Madison native Toffer Christensen would oversee operations while continuing to book shows through Bowery Presents, a New York-based concert company.
Gebhardt Development and Festival Foods recently broke ground on a $90 million redevelopment project just across the street on the north side of 800 East Washington. The project will include apartments, commercial space, a grocery store and underground parking.
Matthew Mikolajewski, manager of Madison's Office of Business Resources, confirmed late Monday that the city received just one proposal to develop the approximately two acres of city-owned land on the south side of the 800 block of East Washington. The land is the former site of the Don Miller auto dealership.
Mikolajewski says a new city panel has been formed to review the proposal and anticipated that the Capitol East District Committee would meet for the first time in October.
Mikolajewski also said that the development team working on the Frank Productions' performance venue is continuing to work with planning staff, the area alder and the neighborhood.
