Verveer said that he hasn't heard any other colleagues on the council voicing support for the moratorium. "As of tonight, I would say that my estimation is that there's probably not much support on the City Council for a blanket moratorium," he said.

Woulf, who represents the mayor's office, acknowledged the dissent. However, he emphasized that some interim measure would be needed as a Minneapolis firm, Tangible Consulting Services, conducts its research into Madison's downtown. He said that should the city decide to do nothing about the current decline in retail, it would be saying that "what the trend is now, is acceptable for the near future."

Schmitz, for her part, said that she worries the proposal would stifle potential innovation. She said that in her mind, increasing access needs to be the priority to help downtown Madison flourish. She suggested that could be accomplished by establishing park-and-ride lots outside the downtown area that could use shuttles or smaller vehicles to help transport people.

Other panelists, like Komai, voiced concerns about increases in rent for downtown businesses. She said that she was concerned that the expense would end up being prohibitive for younger entrepreneurs hoping to open a business.