Location of Madison Public Market changed due to cost concerns

Chris Lueneburg by Chris Lueneburg

The long-planned Madison Public Market will change locations again, primarily due to cost concerns, city officials said Monday.

The Madison Public Market was initially planned as a retrofit to the city-owned Fleet Services building on First Street and East Johnson Street before the city proposed a new-construction market in partnership with the owners of the Washington Plaza Shopping Center on East Washington and First Streets, citing increased visibility as the reason for the shift.

Now, officials said the cost of acquiring the property and securing TIF funding for private projects tied to the deal would cost too much, leading to a transition back to the Fleet Services building.

“Making the building affordable is critical,” said Madison Mayor Paul Soglin. “We cannot put our operators in a difficult position in regards to the cost of the space. We own this building, and that gives us a tremendous advantage.”

The development would still use the $13 million set aside for the market in the 2019 capitol budget, and the future operator of the market, the Madison Public Market Foundation, has raised $1 million of the $4 million in private funding needed for the project.

The city said that private projects integrated with the market including housing, retail and a possible hotel will move forward as well.

In addition to the financial benefits, officials said the Fleet Services location is optimal from traffic, parking, sustainability, accessibility and green space standpoints.

Fleet Services, which acts as the city’s garage and automotive repair center, has been scheduled for updated facilities for years, said authorities. Its relocation in place of the public market has already been budgeted for.

Officials said that construction is set to begin in 2020 and is scheduled for completion in 2021.

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