Restoring a dilapidated downtown

A view of one of the vacant buildings in historic downtown Madison. Recently, both city officials and residents voiced their support for renovating the downtown area. (RECORD PHOTO/ALDO AMATO)

By Aldo Amato

Staff Reporter

MADISON – Local residents and city leaders are eager to restore the remaining sections of a downtown area that is literally falling apart.

At a Madison City Council meeting on Feb. 11, Councilman DJ Klein (District 3) proposed open dialogue about the current Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in relation to the downtown area.

Amy Bell, with the City Planning Department, also presented a PowerPoint visual draft of the CIP that hit on proposed renovations in the next coming years.

A slide on a draft presented by Amy Bell at the City Council meeting on Feb. 11, 2013. (RECORD PHOTO/ALDO AMATO)

While every member of the council was on board with renovating the downtown area along with other parts of Madison, the financial reality trumped the conversation.

“We just don’t have the money right now to do some of these things proposed,” Councilman Tim Holcombe said. “We can’t afford to do any of those things right now.”

Mayor Troy Trulock made it clear the city’s devotion to fixing roads first before delving into downtown renovations.

In a recent public question on The Madison Record’s Facebook page, local residents voiced their concerns ranging from the lack of trees downtown, cleaning graffiti tagged buildings and restoring vacant buildings at the end of Main St.

“No empty stores and a facelift to the older buildings,” Bonnie Birtch wrote.

Two of the most recognizable empty and dilapidated buildings are those owned by Walt and Larry Anderson, owners of Bandito Burrito Madison.

Larry Anderson that he agrees that it is time for renovation to downtown and said that he and his brother are working closely with the city to attract businesses into the two vacant buildings at the end of Main St.

“We can’t wait for them to [renovate] on this end,” Anderson said. “We do currently have plans for several buildings.”
Anderson said that the main thing holding up the sale and renovation of the buildings is dropping a drainage pipe currently running on the ground of one of the vacant building.

“People have been wanting to get this done for over 30 years,” Anderson said. “I do think the previous administration and the current administration have made progress into getting it done.”

Anderson added that the thought that both he and his brother do not care about renovating their now current buildings is beyond preposterous.

“We want to get it done,” he said. “We are absolutely open to renovation an we are basically just waiting on the city right now.”