Wednesday, March 10, 2021

GET ME REWRITE: Hand-wringing and pearl-clutching on the agenda at recent Madison Plan Commission meeting


Constructed as a private dormitory in 1963, the ugly Royal Tower loomed over Langdon Street for more than 50 years.  It closed in 2008 and was razed in 2019.



Yet now the Madison Plan Commission finds this proposed design offensive for the same site.


Capital Times, 3/9/2021

Plan Commission members cover their ears and sing-song 'la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la" while city staff speak\.
Other commissioners continued to argue that Hub II’s design would not fit within the Langdon area, which is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places. City staff made it clear during the meeting that property is not in a local historic district and the adjacent buildings adjacent are not historic buildings.

One oblivious commissioner said, "I’m struggling with the rhythm and the mass of this building that we’re looking at.” 

And then there's this.
Christine Hughes, who is a board member with Alphi Chi Omega, expressed concern that a potential party atmosphere and large numbers of unauthorized guests at the building could present safety issues for the women in a neighboring sorority. 
“Based on reports from other development sights, we’re very concerned for the safety of the 60 women in the building,” Hughes said. “The upper stories to this proposed project will look right down into young ladies rooms. To me, that is a complete and total invasion of privacy. The inclusion of a common/party space on the roof is a recipe for difficulties with the neighbors.”

If you follow the approval process for these types of projects with any regularity, the 'peeping Tom' is a red herring that pops up repeatedly. 

Nationally, Alpha Chi Omega doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation.



Related reading:
Every Time a Fraternity or Sorority Got in Trouble This Year.  (Bloomberg, 6/4/2015)


5/19/2020 update, " Upscale student housing project proposed for Langdon Street (Madison Plan Commission update)", starts here.

Rendering and aerial view from Madison Plan Commission agenda 5/18/2020

Plan Commission tackles Langdon Street housing development, city stormwater rules.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 5/19/2020)



11/12/2019 update starts here

Photos by Retiring Guy

Developer eyes big student housing project on historic Langdon Street.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 11/4/2019)
Continuing an upscale student housing boom, a developer is proposing a seven-story, 124-unit tower with a rooftop swimming pool amid the fraternities and sororities that line historic Langdon Street. 
But the proposal is raising questions about how the building’s modern architecture fits on the street, parking and security.



Dang it, I missed the demolition.

Here's a rendering of what Core Spaces, of hubbAHubBa fame, has in mind.


Original 4/23/2018 post, "UW-Madison private dormitory, vacant for 10 years, approved for demolition", starts here.


Photos by Retiring Guy

Vacant building on Langdon Street approved for demolition, but no further plans for site.  (Madison.com, 4/3/2018)

The property owner is Steve Brown Apartments, one of the area's major landlords.



The building, known as The Langdon (aka Royal Tower), was constructed in 1963 as a private dormitory but has been vacant since 2008.  Most utility services were cut off in 2011.



 Demolition is scheduled to start next month and to be completed in the fall.  Use as a temporary green space is only current plans for the site, with the emphasis on 'temporary'.

What used to occupy this property.

On September 20, 1964, the Wisconsin State Journal published an article under the headline, "Private Dormitories on UW Campus".

The #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time.




No comments:

Post a Comment