Taking Shape: Ground broken on transformational Triangle redevelopment
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The City of Madison and the Community Development Authority (CDA) are celebrating the start of construction on a project that is years in the making, hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the “Taking Shape, Our Triangle” redevelopment downtown.
Over the next decade, the Triangle – the neighborhood bordered by West Washington Ave., South Park St., and Regent St. that is shared with the Bayview Foundation, Asian Midway Grocery Store, and medical service providers – will see several new buildings containing deeply affordable modern homes for those who currently live in CDA properties within the Triangle. Hundreds of additional new homes for people across different income levels will also be created in future phases of this project.
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway was joined by Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) CEO and Executive Director Elmer Moore, and CDA leadership in celebrating the groundbreaking Wednesday morning.
Folks, this redevelopment is an incredible milestone for the Madison community. Together, you're putting the power back into the community's hands, giving residents access to a space where they can grow, plan for their future, and thrive. It's a wonderful accomplishment for the entire community and the State of Wisconsin, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact this space will have on the neighborhood and community in the months and years to come.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers
When we work steadily, and we work smartly, and we work compassionately, and we work together, we can deliver big things for our communities. It is about care for our community. That’s why we’re here, that’s why we do what we do.
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway
As a local developer working with a local team, we are deeply committed to this community. We are learning from the past and looking forward to achieving the best possible version of Our Triangle for the residents who live here now, and for the residents who will make this their home in the future.
Anne Neujahr Morrison, New Year Investments
The first building in the project, currently known as Building B1, will contain 164 new homes and CDA offices in addition to the new centralized CDA resident community spaces. The project is being paid for in large part by federal and state funds and low-income housing tax credits.
Sustainable design is also woven throughout the development plan. Building B1 will be built to Enterprise Green Communities standards with energy-saving design features, including Madison’s largest residential geothermal system, which will serve as the source of heat and air conditioning for the building.
Image credit:
Potter Lawson
Additional Project Details
Building B1 is the first of several buildings that are planned for the Triangle as part of the “Taking Shape, Our Triangle” redevelopment project. Over the next decade, all five of the CDA properties on the Triangle will be replaced, and eight new buildings will be spread across four sites.
In addition to replacing every current CDA unit, hundreds of other new homes will also be added to the area, bringing more much-needed affordable housing options near the heart of downtown Madison. The development plan calls for up to 1,200 homes on the 10-acre site by the time the project concludes, which is consistent with recommendations for the site in the 2019 Triangle Monona Bay Neighborhood Plan.
The CDA and New Year Investments have held more than 50 community feedback events over the past three years to hear what current residents of the area would like to see as part of the development plan.
The result is a future vision for the Triangle that is less automobile-centric – although there will be underground parking for residents – and more pedestrian- and bike-friendly, helping residents feel better connected to the rest of Madison and less isolated. That includes plans to extend East Campus Mall all the way to Brittingham Park, creating a direct path for all Madisonians from Lake Mendota to Lake Monona.
In addition to those amenities available to everyone in Madison, the Taking Shape plan also calls for more outdoor green spaces for residents. This includes private courtyards that provide a peaceful outdoor space that is more welcoming than the concrete that previously dominated the space between buildings.
Site History
In the early 1900s, the Triangle was the heart of the Greenbush neighborhood, the home to thousands of residents and a highly diverse, thriving community. Decades later, large scale displacement began as the City of Madison’s leaders at the time eyed the Triangle as a target of “urban renewal.” More than 1,150 people were forced to move to other parts of Madison, and dozens of businesses were also forced to relocate. Ultimately, much of the Triangle was redeveloped as public housing.
The CDA properties currently on the Triangle – Brittingham Apartments, Gay Braxton Apartments, Parkside Highrise and Townhomes, and Karabis Apartments – were all built between 1965 and 1978. Each building has begun to deteriorate over time and would have cost more to renovate than to redevelop. CDA leadership decided to reimagine the site, not only bringing these homes up to modern standards, but also redesigning the space to return it to a thriving and sustainable urban community that helps its residents create and foster connections.
Based on the history of the site and feedback from current Triangle residents, the CDA has made a commitment to develop these sites using an anti-displacement model so that current residents will not be displaced or lose their homes. Additionally, the new community space features of the development will be among the first things completed to ensure residents have a place to hold gatherings and organize events while construction continues elsewhere on the Triangle in the next several years.
