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District 8 alder says proposed building height increases won’t obstruct State Capitol view
Raising maximum building heights near Regent Street, Camp Randall Stadium will increase student housing, Ald. MGR Govindarajan says
Ahmad Hamid/The Badger Herald
Proposed increases to building height limits in downtown Madison would only apply to the Regent Street and Camp Randall Stadium areas and aim to increase housing for students, District 8 Ald. and University of Wisconsin student MGR Govindarajan said in a blog post Thursday.
Govindarajan said the proposed height limit changes would apply only to the Regent Street area and would not interfere with the Capitol View Preservation Ordinance. The ordinance, which has been in place since 1966, ensures the dome of the Wisconsin State Capitol can be seen from anywhere in the city within a one mile radius.
Govindarajan’s proposed amendments would allow developers to increase the height of buildings’ north and south of Regent Street and between Randall Avenue and East Campus Mall by anywhere from two to four stories. Govindarajan said this would incentivize developers to build more dense and affordable student housing.
“Making these amendments go through does make it very concrete to the developers that they want you to build here,” Govindarajan said.
The proposals specifically focus on Regent Street because of the height of most buildings in the area. According to Govindarajan’s blog post, most residential buildings in this area are at or below five stories due to state building codes which require more expensive construction material for buildings above six stories.
Govindarajan said increasing the maximum height of buildings in the area will incentivize housing developers to take on taller projects in the area.
“If we’re allowing developers to build larger buildings, more than 10 stories tall, then they’re able to make some of their money back on the construction and provide more housing for the people who want to live there,” Govindarajan said.
Though Core Spaces housing projects like the Oliv Apartments and Johnson and Broom will reserve units for low-income students, students are still struggling to find affordable housing, according to an article from The Badger Herald.
Govindarajan said since students are Madison residents, the student housing issue is under the jurisdiction of the city.
“The university — It’s an educational institution. It’s not a housing authority. We are students and residents of the city. We pay taxes, we … are a huge part of the local economy and there is no reason that the city should ignore the will of students” Govindarajan said.
Govindarajan said the proposals are expected to be considered by the Common Council in the next several months. The next Plan Commission meeting is being held virtually Oct. 2nd.
