When The Alexander Company was presented an opportunity about five years ago to redevelop an entire city block of Madison, Wisconsin, within steps of the state’s Capitol, two questions arose: 1) what would be the most efficient use of this site, and 2) what would be the best way to create a new urban neighborhood with a truly innovative design?
To address these questions, The Alexander Company tapped the expertise of several design firms to come up with a variety of possibilities for addressing the numerous obstacles facing an ideally situated, but blighted block. They then relied on those firms’ diverse expertise in urban solutions and an expert in sustainable practices to finalize the design and ensure it was a sustainable solution.
The result is Capitol West, an animated mixed-use urban development that houses a variety of modern condominium homes, 93,000 square feet of commercial space, and an upscale Hyatt Place hotel. But the project is also an example of how a major project can serve as a blueprint for other urban development going forward, as well as how such a major undertaking can be green.
The Capitol West site provided an unparalleled opportunity to create visionary, high-caliber housing and neighborhood retail that would be unique to the heart of downtown Madison.
The block that Capitol West now occupies was formerly owned by Meriter Health Services, which operated a hospital and clinic on the 2.16-acre site for more than 40 years. A proposal by The Alexander Company, which has a national reputation for creative urban land use, won over 12 other proposals for reworking the site because of its innovative approach to using the land in an economical, but practical and aesthetically acceptable way.
