Core Spaces
The Hub II, proposed for 126 Langdon St., would be on UW-Madison’s sorority and fraternity row and house as many as 375 people.
One of the primary roles neighborhood associations play in Madison is to vet development proposals. But what if the relevant group is on hiatus?
Such is the case near the UW-Madison campus, where Hub II, a seven-story apartment complex, is being proposed for 126 Langdon St., the university’s sorority and fraternity row.
Hub II is expected to accommodate as many as 375 residents, many of whom will enjoy stunning lake views. While intended for undergraduates, “it will be open to graduate students and non-students, as well,” says Joe Gatto, director of acquisitions at Core Spaces. The privately held development company is headquartered in Chicago and has a branch office in Austin, Texas.
So what do the future neighbors think of the proposed project? What about the Greek societies and the area’s housing co-ops?
As students might say themselves, “crickets,” the sound of nighttime silence. Except that they don’t even say that much.
While the city makes mighty efforts to include neighborhoods in the planning process, “Unfortunately the State-Langdon Neighborhood Association is not functioning at the moment,” says Ald. Patrick Heck, who represents part of the neighborhood. “They haven’t really been able to pull that together.”
The organization has been dead and leaderless for years. An Oct. 21 meeting Heck called by postcarding the neighborhood drew only a dozen people. “My recollection is that there were maybe a couple of students there, likely grad students,” he says.
If not residents, then who speaks for the area? It’s divided by multiple aldermanic districts. Heck was elected only last April, and “this is only a block and a half into my district.” In an adjacent district, Sally Rohrer was appointed just this month to fill out the term of the elected council member, who resigned. Rohrer says, “I have no comment at this time.”
Ald. Mike Verveer, who represents another downtown district, took office in 1995, making him the city’s longest-serving council member. He’s enormously frustrated.
“It is too bad that, at least as of today, my understanding is that there are very few students, if any, who have been engaged in the development proposal,” says Verveer. “I’m hopeful that can change.”
Tentative plans are for Hub II to open in summer 2021.
“Langdon Street is one of the most desirable places to live in Madison, due to the tree-lined street’s setting next to Lake Mendota and campus,” says Gatto. “It is a picturesque place to live and we would like to increase the housing opportunities for everyone who may want to live there.”
Hub II will be residential only. The developer’s two earlier, massive downtown projects are mixed-use. Rent at The James, 432 W. Gorham St., starts at $884. It has 366 units. At Hub Madison, on the corner of State and North Frances streets, rent starts at $1,025. It has 313 units. The Daily Cardinal calls both “upscale student housing.”
David Michael Miller
Hub II is proposed for a vacant lot on Langdon Street. A seven-story private dorm — which had sat empty on the property for 10 years — was demolished last year.
Yelp.com reviews for each range from unkind (“built in a very cost effective manner” ) to abysmal (“This place blows” ). Alders are concerned about the number of police calls. Parties are large, and residents have thrown things from rooftops and balconies. Core built but did not retain ownership of the complexes.
The same architectural firm, Antunovich Associates of Chicago, will design Hub II, but Gatto says Core plans to “own this building long-term.” The number of units is still being determined.
Verveer says the lack of a neighborhood association in the State-Langdon area leaves a “dark hole.”
It’s not that students don’t care about the city. Once in a while an issue comes up important enough to unite them. In 2013, faced with demolition of two historic properties for a high rise, students circulated a petition “to preserve the historic look, feel, and character of the Langdon Street Neighborhood, and to prevent the demolition of contributing structures for the construction of high-rise apartment complexes.”
It received 1,262 signatures, but the students lost at the Common Council, which voted to ignore the new Downtown Plan.
In lieu of a State-Langdon Neighborhood Association to examine the Core development proposal, Capitol Neighborhoods Inc., an umbrella group of isthmus neighborhoods, is stepping forward. Its Mansion Hill district has created a steering committee to receive and discuss public comment. It will meet in the lower level of Kennedy Manor, 1 Langdon St., from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 2. It’s open to all.
Eli Judge, CNI’s president since July 2018, says he’s glad the group can help.
“Having a student voice is very important, not only to that neighborhood but downtown in general,” he says.
Judge is eager for the State-Langdon Neighborhood Association to be revived. “But it has to come from them,” he says. “It can’t be done from the outside. I would certainly, truly, oppose that.
State-Langdon was once part of Capitol Neighborhoods. Judge recalls that long ago, the alder who represented much of the student neighborhood, a UW sophomore, worked hard with student government to successfully “rip out” State-Langdon from CNI.
“Back then there was bad blood between the two groups,” he says. “Back then, CNI wasn’t really serving the interests of the neighborhood.”
And the name of that young upstart alder? It was Judge himself. Ironic?
“For sure!” he says. “Oh, man! The day I was elected president of CNI there were a lot of knowing grins from everyone, including myself.”
Core made an informational presentation on Hub II to the Urban Design Commission in late April. Commission members raised concern about the project’s height and whether its modern style fits the character of the street.
Gatto says Core is updating the design based on the suggestions it’s received so far.
“We are keenly aware of the importance of the character of this part of town,” Gatto says. “We are investing a lot of our attention into making sure this project complements other buildings in the area, with respect to its architecture, landscaping and contextual fit.”
According to Sydney Prusak, city development review planner, the development team hopes to make another informational presentation before the Urban Design Commission on Dec. 11, and submit a final plan to the city on Dec. 18.